What is Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS)?
Before we discuss what Endoscopic Ultrasound is, it will be important to review what ultrasound means. Ultrasound is a technique that uses sound waves to create a picture of the inside of the body. In this way an ultrasound is similar to an x-ray, but no radiation is used. It is commonly used to see the fetus during pregnancy to determine the sex of the baby. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a technique that uses a special endoscope that has an ultrasound machine at the tip. Using the EUS “scope”, your doctor can place the ultrasound probe in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, very close to the area of interest, so that the best possible picture can be obtained. EUS has been shown to be superior to routine x-rays such as abdominal ultrasound, barium studies, CAT scans, and even MRI scans for looking at the local spread of GI cancers, for evaluating lesions in the GI tract that are below the surface, and for evaluating the pancreas and even the bile ducts that drain the liver. This procedur
