Abstract

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is one of the significant breakthroughs in the field of advanced endoscopy. In the last two decades, EUS has evolved from a diagnostic tool to a real-time therapeutic modality. The luminal gastrointestinal (GI) tract provides a unique opportunity to access multiple vascular structures, especially in the mediastinum and abdomen, thus permitting a variety of EUS-guided vascular interventions. The addition of the doppler and contrast-enhanced capability to EUS has further helped provide real-time visualization of blood flow in vessels through the GI tract. EUS-guided vascular interventions rely on standard endoscopic accessories and interventional tools such as fine-needle aspiration needles and fine-needle biopsy. EUS allows the visualization of various structures in real-time by differentiating tissue densities and vascularity, thus, avoiding radiation exposure. EUS-guided techniques also allow real-time microscopic examination after target biopsy. Furthermore, many necessary interventions can be done during the same procedure after diagnosis. This article provides an overview of EUS-guided vascular interventions such as variceal, non-variceal bleeding interventions, EUSguided portal vein (PV) access with the formation of an intrahepatic portosystemic shunt, and techniques related to diagnosis of GI malignancies. Furthermore, we discuss current insights and future outlook of therapeutic modalities like PV embolization, PV sampling, angiography, drug administration, and portal pressure measurement.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-28-2021

Publication Title

World Journal of Gastroenterology

Comments

Author contributions: Perisetti A, Goyal H and Mann R concepted and designed the article, did a literature search; Mann R finished the first draft; all authors critically revised and edited manuscript.

Conflict-of-interest statement: Rupinder Mann, Hemant Goyal, Abhilash Perisetti, Saurabh Chandan, Sumant Inamdar has nothing to disclose; Benjamin Tharian acts as a consultant to Boston Scientific and Medtronic which are not relevant for this manuscript.

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