Endoscopic Ultrasound in Pancreatic Diseases

There are many indications for the use of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) in the management of patients with pancreatic diseases. High-resolution imaging of the pancreas is achievable due to the close proximity between luminal structures and the pancreas. Since its introduction, EUS has had a significant impact on the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases. The detection of small lesions and neuroendocrine pancreatic tumors as well as the preoperative staging of pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been improved employing EUS. For the detection of small pancreatic tumors <2 cm in diameter, EUS appears to be the most sensitive method. EUS adds significant information to the differential diagnosis between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis, and it may be further enhanced by EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration. While the role of EUS in distinguishing between benign and malignant cystic pancreatic tumors is under discussion, EUS-guided drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts is an accepted treatment option for symptomatic individuals. One of the most important advantages of EUS apart from tumor staging is the early detection of chronic pancreatitis. EUS is as good as endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in diagnosing chronic pancreatitis in advanced stages. In early stages of the disease, when the ductal system remains normal, EUS appears to be a superior diagnostic modality because it can detect features of chronic pancreatitis in the parenchyma not visible by other techniques.