Utilization of Miniprobes in Modern Endoscopic Ultrasonography

This paper is devoted to a modern diagnostic method called the endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). In many countries, the diagnostic attributes of the EUS still need to be more widely spread among physicians and clinical engineers in health-care fields. This method is based on two-imaging techniques: videoendoscopy and ultrasonography (USG), making a possible effective aiding of diagnostics as well as evaluating possibilities of performing a radical surgical therapy. Rotating the USG probes enables acquiring images vertical to an axis for the round angle area. Small diameters and adequate frequencies of these miniprobes make it possible for their deep penetration into such difficult sites as the biliary and pancreatic ducts. In this paper, the EUS advantages and limitations are discussed on the basis of several examples of real interventions practiced by the authors. All images reported in this paper are concerned in using the EUS to assist the minimally invasive diagnostics and surgery processes made on the upper parts of the intestinal tract. Real interventions were assisted by the EUS, which were performed with a rotating minihead inserted through the endoscopic operating channel. Improving a combined imaging of the operation site allowed evaluating the degree to which the cancer formation has spread beyond the tract wall and detecting lesions as small as 1 to 3 mm. Utilization of the EUS has allowed precise diagnostics without disturbances occurring at the conventional ultrasound imaging