Digestive Diseases: Endoscopic Ultrasound

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a procedure that allows a doctor to obtain images and information about the digestive tract and the surrounding tissue and organs.

During the procedure, a small ultrasound transducer is installed on the tip of an endoscope. An endoscope is a small, lighted, flexible tube with a camera attached. By inserting the endoscope and camera into the upper or the lower digestive tract, the doctor is able to obtain high-quality ultrasound images of organs. Because the EUS transducer can get close to the organ(s) being examined, the images obtained with EUS are often more accurate and detailed than images provided by traditional ultrasound.

When Is EUS Used?

EUS may be used to:

• Evaluate stages of cancer.
• Evaluate chronic pancreatitis or other disorders of the pancreas.
• Study abnormalities or tumors in organs, including the gallbladder and liver.
• Study the muscles of the lower rectum and anal canal to determine reasons for fecal incontinence.
• Study nodules (bumps) in the intestinal wall.

What Happens During the Procedure?

A person undergoing EUS will be sedated prior to the procedure. After sedation, the doctor inserts an endoscope into the person's mouth or rectum. The doctor will observe the inside of the intestinal tract on a TV monitor and the ultrasound image on another monitor. The entire procedure usually takes 30 to 90 minutes and the patient usually can go home the same day of the procedure.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology.