ENDOSONOGRAPHY OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL VARICES - EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UPOF 76 CASES

Endosonography was performed in 76 patients who had endoscopically det ected gastroesophageal varices or questionable submucosal lesions, or who were being evaluated for pancreatic carcinoma or pancreatitis. The results were compared with surgery or autopsy results. The patients w ere divided retrospectively into four groups. Group 1 consisted of 6 p atients who underwent surgery or autopsy. Five esophageal varices and 1 fundic varix were diagnosed with endosonography and confirmed histol ogically. Group 2 consisted of 29 patients undergoing sclerotherapy. I ntramural thickening of the esophagus and extramural collaterals were found in 20 and 22 patients, respectively. Endoscopy revealed fibrosis in 10 patients. Group 3 consisted of 16 patients evaluated for pancre atic disease. Fifteen fundic varices, 6 cardiac varices, and 5 extramu ral collateral veins were found by EUS. Group 4 consisted of 16 patien ts with questionable submucosal lesions and 9 patients with lesions re cognized endoscopically as varices. EUS found varices in all 25 patien ts. In conclusion, EUS is an important procedure in the diagnosis and follow-up of gastroesophageal varices, and in the identification of qu estionable abnormalities found endoscopically. The effect of sclerothe rapy can be demonstrated as mural thickening with disappearance of sub mucosal varices.