Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) combines ultrasound technology with endoscopy to better visualize the tissues of the digestive tract and adjacent anatomical structures inside the human body. This internal vantage point provides more detailed pictures of the GI tract, including the esophagus, stomach, small bowel and colon as well as surrounding tissues and organs.Dr. Mayuri Gupta, gastroenterologist, at North Broward Medical Center is trained in the multidisciplinary field of endosonography and is using this technology in a variety of applications to help her stage cancers such as esophageal, gastric, rectal and pancreatic cancers; diagnose diseases of internal organs; locate common bile duct stones; and evaluate masses in the submucosal lining of the GI tract or in enlarged stomach folds.
Endoscopic ultrasound is performed using either a probe, which is passed through the channel of a standard endoscope, or with an echoendoscope—a special endoscope with the ultrasound transducer located on its tip. With the transducer positioned in close proximity to the target tissue, EUS imagery better defines the layers of the GI wall as well as surrounding tissue and organs.
