ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF EXTRALUMINAL COMPRESSIONS MIMICKING GASTRIC SUBMUCOSAL TUMORS

We evaluated the diagnostic usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography ( EUS) in 19 patients with extragastric compression. In these 19 cases, the causes of the compression were normal organs or structures in 16 c ases (splenic artery 7, spleen 5, normal pancreas two, gallbladder one , colon one) and extraluminal tumors in three cases (two hepatic heman giomas, one neurogenic tumor of the omentum minor). In 12 of these 19 cases, the site of the submucosal compression was located in the upper part of the stomach. All three tumors were confirmed by other procedu res, and in the remaining 16 patients with compression by normal organ s or structures, negative follow-up results (mean: 14 months) supporte d the absence of a true submucosal tumor. EUS was 100 % accurate in th e differentiation of an extragastric compression from a submucosal tum or, and in the identification of the compressing organ. EUS was also f ar superior to other procedures, such as ultrasonography and CT. It si gnificantly shortens the diagnostic procedure, especially in patients with compressions by normal extraluminal structures, making other diag nostic modalities unnecessary.