ISSN: 1840-4529
Endoscopic ultrasonography, i.e., the imaging of an internal body part by attaching an ultrasonographic transducer to an endoscope or laparoscope. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) or echo-endoscopy is a medical procedure in which endoscopy (insertion of a probe into a hollow organ) is combined with ultrasound to obtain images of the internal organs in the chest, abdomen and colon. It can be used to visualize the walls of these organs, or to look at adjacent structures. Combined with Doppler imaging, nearby blood vessels can also be evaluated. Endoscopic ultrasonography is most commonly used in the upper digestive tract and in the respiratory system. The procedure is performed by gastroenterologists or pulmonologists who have had extensive training. For the patient, the procedure feels almost identical to the endoscopic procedure without the ultrasound part, unless ultrasound-guided biopsy of deeper structures is performed.