• Advances in pediatric surgery
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.93-99
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• 1998

Anal endosonography has recently been popularized in adult patients in order to access staging of rectal cancer and other lesions of the anorectum. This study is not familiar to pediatric surgeons. We performed anal endosonography in 30 children without anorectal disease in order to determine the standard morphology of the anorectum. The internal anal sphincter(IAS) was clearly identified as a homogeneous hypoechoic circular band, extending caudally to a level just proximal to the anal verge. The external anal sphincter(EAS) showed mixed echogenicity and different architecture along the anal canal; the EAS was U-shape in the upper canal and it had a circular pattern in the lower canal. In the upper canal of girls, the perineal body and the vagina were found just anterior of the anal canal, which made the U shape of the EAS. In the male, the sphincter tapered anteriorly into two arcs that met in the midline. The perineal body was prominent in the female. Posteriorly, the anococcygeal ligament was represented by a triangular shadow in both sex. The thickness of the IAS was measured in 3 directions, left, right and posterior, at 3 levels, upper, middle and lower areas of the anal canal. The average thickness was 0.86-2.40 mm between 6 and 18 months of age(Group 1), 0.88-3.20 mm between 19 and 36(Group 2), 1.07-2.20 mm between 37 and 54(Group 3) and 1.18-2.42 mm more than 54-month-old(Group 4). The thickness was correlated with the age of the children only in the right upper(p=0.008) and the left middle portion(p=0.015). We were able to obtain standard morphologic features of the normal anal canal in children with anal endosonography. We believe that this technique is a safe and an effective procedure to evaluate anorectal lesions in children.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.164-174
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• 2024

Pancreatic cancers have a poor prognosis, and their incident rates have risen. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is an efficient and reliable diagnostic modality for pancreatic lesions, providing high spatial resolution. However, while EUS helps to detect minor pancreatic lesions, nearly all solid pancreatic lesions are hypoechoic, which creates difficulty in making differential diagnoses of pancreatic lesions. When diagnosing pancreatic lesions, the performance of image-enhanced EUS techniques is essential, such as EUS elastography or contrast-enhanced harmonic EUS (CH-EUS). CH-EUS diagnosis is based on assessing the vascularity of lesions, whereas tissue elasticity is measured via EUS elastography. Elastography is either strain or shear-wave, depending on the different mechanical properties being evaluated. The usefulness of enhanced EUS techniques is demonstrated in this review for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesions, including solid and cystic lesions, and pancreatic cancer staging.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.158-163
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• 2024

Since its development, the use of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the pancreas and the biliary tract has become increasingly important. The accuracy of EUS varies depending on the experience of the endoscopist. Hence, quality control measures using appropriate indicators are required to reduce these variations. American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and European Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy have announced the EUS quality indicators. Here, we reviewed the quality indicators of the EUS procedure in the current published guidelines.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.57 no.2
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• pp.175-180
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• 2024

Therapeutic endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) procedures using the forward-viewing convex EUS (FV-EUS) have been reviewed based on the articles reported to date. The earliest reported procedure is the drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts using FV-EUS. However, the study on drainage of pancreatic pseudocysts focused on showing that drainage is possible with FV-EUS rather than leveraging its features. Subsequently, studies describing the characteristics of FV-EUS have been reported. By using FV-EUS in EUS-guided choledochoduodenostomy, double punctures in the gastrointestinal tract can be avoided. In postoperative modified anatomical cases, using the endoscopic function of FV-EUS, procedures such as bile duct drainage from anastomosis, pancreatic duct drainage from the afferent limb, and abscess drainage from the digestive tract have been reported. When a perpendicular puncture to the gastrointestinal tract is required or when there is a need to insert the endoscope deep into the gastrointestinal tract, FV-EUS is considered among the options.

• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.587-590
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• 2018

Schwannomas are uncommon neoplasms that arise from Schwann cells of the neural sheath. Gastrointestinal schwannomas are rare among mesenchymal tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, and only a few cases have been reported to date. Duodenal schwannomas are usually discovered incidentally and achieving a preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Schwannomas can be distinguished from other subepithelial tumors on endoscopic ultrasonography; however, any typical endosonographic features of duodenal schwannomas have not been reported due to the rarity of these tumors. Immunohistochemistry is essential to distinguish schwannomas from gastrointestinal stromal tumors and leiomyomas. We report a case of duodenal schwannoma found incidentally during a health checkup endoscopy. On endoscopic ultrasonography, this tumor was suspected as a gastrointestinal stromal tumor; therefore, the patient underwent laparoscopic wedge resection of the tumor. Histopathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed that the duodenal lesion was a benign schwannoma.

• Journal of Digestive Cancer Reports
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.25-32
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• 2021

Since Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was introduced in the 1980s, EUS has evolved from a diagnostic tool to a therapeutic modality for patients with pancreatic neoplasms. Traditionally, treatment policy of pancreatic benign neoplasms (PBN) has been a dichotomous approach to observation or surgery. However, EUS guided treatment provides an alternative option with minimally invasiveness for patients with PBN. This review aimed to provide the role of EUS guided treatment for PBN.

• Journal of Gastric Cancer
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.109-115
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• 2011

Purpose: As the proportion of early gastric cancer (EGC) has recently been increased, minimally invasive treatment is currently accepted as main therapy for EGC. Accurate preoperative staging is very important in determining treatment options. To know the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), we compared the depth of invasion of the tumor with preoperative EUS and postoperative pathologic findings. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 152 patients who underwent EUS before laparoscopic gastrectomy. The preoperative EUS results were compared with the pathological findings. Results: The overall proportion of coincidence for depth of invasion between EUS and pathologic results was 41.4%. Univariate analysis showed that the rate of corrected prediction of EUS for tumor depth significantly decreased for the lesions more than 3cm in diameter (P=0.033), and those with a depressed morphology (P=0.035). In multivariate analysis, the depressed type (P=0.029, OR=2.873) and upper lesion (P=0.035, OR=2.151) was the significantly independent factors influencing the inaccurate prediction of EUS for tumor depth. Conclusions: When we decide the treatment modality considering the clinical depth of invasion by EUS, the possibility of discordance with pathologic results should be considered for the lesions located in the upper third of the stomach and with a depressed morphology.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.164-172
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• 2021

Purpose: The use of Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in pediatric patients is not as common as in adults. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of EUS in the diagnosis of pancreatobiliary disease in childhood. Methods: Between December 2016 and January 2018, the findings of patients who underwent EUS were evaluated retrospectively. Results: Of the 41 patients included in the study 25 were girls (61.0%), mean age was 12.2±4.2 years. EUS was performed for biliary colic in 21 (51.2%), for recurrent pancreatitis in 12 (29.2%), for cholecystitis/cholangitis in 5 (12.2%), and for acute pancreatitis in 3 (7.4%) patients. EUS had a significant clinical effect in the decision of treatment and follow-up of 6/21 biliary colic cases, in diagnosis and follow-up of 6/12 recurrent pancreatitis cases, in decision-making and monitoring of invasive procedures (ERCP/surgery) of 3/5 acute cholecystitis/cholangitis and 2/3 of acute pancreatitis cases as well as in follow-up of the other cases. The effectiveness of EUS in determining direct treatment and invasive intervention was 43.9%. None of the patients had complications related to the EUS procedure. Conclusion: Although current guidelines show that EUS can be used in pediatric patients, this is limited to a few published studies. In this study, it is shown that EUS is a safe method for the diagnosis, follow-up and treatment of common pancreatobiliary pathologies in childhood.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.251-262
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• 2022

Purpose: Endoscopic drainage is an established treatment modality for adult patients with pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs). Available data regarding the efficacy and safety of endoscopic drainage in pediatric patients are limited. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we aimed to analyze the outcomes of endoscopic drainage in children with PFCs. Methods: A literature search was performed in Embase, PubMed, and Google Scholar for studies on the outcomes of endoscopic drainage with or without endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) guidance in pediatric patients with PFCs from inception to May 2021. The study's primary objective was clinical success, defined as resolution of PFCs. The secondary outcomes included technical success, adverse events, and recurrence rates. Results: Fourteen studies (187 children, 70.3% male) were included in this review. The subtypes of fluid collection included pseudocysts (60.3%) and walled-off necrosis (39.7%). The pooled technical success rates in studies where drainage of PFCs were performed with and without EUS guidance were 95.3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 89.6-98%; I²=0) and 93.9% (95% CI, 82.6-98%; I²=0), respectively. The pooled clinical success after one and two endoscopic interventions were 88.7% (95% CI, 82.7-92.9%; I²=0) and 92.3% (95% CI, 87.4-95.4%; I²=0), respectively. The pooled rate of major adverse events was 6.3% (95% CI, 3.3-11.4%; I²=0). The pooled rate of recurrent PFCs after endoscopic drainage was 10.4% (95% CI, 6.1-17.1%; I²=0). Conclusion: Endoscopic drainage is safe and effective in children with PFCs. However, future studies are required to compare endoscopic and EUS-guided drainage of PFCs in children.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.83 no.3
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• pp.680-686
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• 2022

Intraluminal duodenal diverticulum (IDD) is a rare congenital abnormality, consisting of a saclike mucosal lesion in the duodenum. Cases of IDD can present with gastrointestinal bleeding, duodenal obstruction, or pancreatitis. Here, we report a rare case of a 25-year-old female presenting with IDD complicated by duodeno-duodenal intussusception and recurrent pancreatitis. The diagnosis was based on findings from radiologic examinations (CT and MRI), upper gastrointestinal series (barium swallow), and gastroduodenofiberscopy. Laparoscopic excision of the presumed duodenal duplication was performed. The subsequent histopathologic evaluation of the excised sac revealed normal mucosa on both sides, but the absence of a proper muscle layer confirmed the diagnosis of IDD. Radiologic detection of a saccular structure in the second portion of the duodenum can indicate IDD with duodeno-duodenal intussusception as the lead point.