Lucio Rossini

Transrectal ultrasound - Techniques and outcomes in the management of intestinal endometriosis

The widespread use of endoscopic ultrasound has facilitated the evaluation of subepithelial and surrounding lesions of the gastrointestinal tract. Deep pelvic endometriosis, with or without infiltration of the intestinal wall, is a frequent disease that can be observed in women in their fertile age. Patients of this disease may present nonspecific signs and symptoms or be completely asymptomatic. Laparoscopic surgical resection of endometriotic lesions is the treatment of choice in symptomatic patients. An accurate preoperative evaluation is indispensable for therapeutic decisions mainly in the suspicion of intestinal wall and/or urinary tract infiltration, and also in cases where we need to establish histological diagnosis or to rule out malignant disease. Diagnostic tools, including transrectal ultrasound, magnetic resonance image, transvaginal ultrasound, barium enema, and colonoscopy, play significant roles in determining the presence, depth, histology, and other relevant data about the extension of the disease. Diagnostic algorithm depends on the clinical presentation, the expertise of the medical team, and the technology available at each institution. This article reviews and discusses relevant clinical points in endometriosis, including techniques and outcomes of the study of the disease through transrectal ultrasound and fine-needle aspiration.

Endoscopic ultrasound practice survey in latin America

Objective: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become an important imaging modality for the diagnosis, staging and treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. However, no official data exists regarding clinical EUS practice in Latin America (LA). This study assessed current EUS practice and training. Patients and Methods: A direct mail survey questionnaire was sent to 268 Capítulo Latino Americano de Ultrasonido Endoscópico members between August 2012 and January 2013. The questionnaire was sent out in English, Spanish and Portuguese languages and was available through the following site: http://www.cleus-encuesta.com. Responses were requested only from physicians who perform EUS. Results: A total of 70 LA physicians answered the questionnaire until January 2013. Most of the participants were under 42 years of age (53%) and 80% were men. Most participants (45.7%) perform EUS in Brazil, 53% work in a private hospital. The majority (70%) also perform endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. A total 42% had performed EUS for 2 years or less and 22.7% for 11 years or more. Only 10% performed more than 5000 EUS. The most common indication was an evaluation of pancreatic-biliary-ampullary lesions. Regarding training, 48.6% had more than 6 months of dedicated hands-on EUS and 37% think that at least 6 months of formal training is necessary to acquire competence. Furthermore, 64% think that more than 50 procedures for pancreatic-biliary lesions are necessary. Conclusion: This survey provides insight into the status of EUS in LA. EUS is performed mostly by young endoscopists in LA. Diagnostic upper EUS is the most common EUS procedure. Most endosonographers believe that formal training is necessary to acquire competence.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for the diagnosis of nonfunctional paragangliomas: a case report and review of the literature.

Paraganglioma is a rare tumor that should be included in the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal tumors. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has emerged as an effective tool in the diagnosis of these lesions. A 37-year-old female patient with a history of microcytic anemia underwent EUS-FNA and was diagnosed with a neuroendocrine tumor by histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis. The tumor was surgically removed, and the final diagnosis was paraganglioma. This case report emphasizes the importance of EUS in the evaluation of this type of lesion.

A rare case of mediastinal metastasis of ovarian carcinoma diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has become a minimally invasive tool with excellent diagnostic accuracy and low risk of complications in the diagnosis of thoracic diseases, including lung cancers and primary mediastinal lesions. Occasionally, EBUS-TBNA may be useful in identifying thoracic metastasis from distant tumors. Here we report an interesting and rare case of mediastinal metastasis of ovarian carcinoma diagnosed by EBUS-TBNA.

Location of recurrent asymptomatic ovarian cancer through endoscopic ultrasound.

Ovarian cancer is frequent and recurrence happens in about 75% of patients. As it presents high rates of relapse, the exams for this diagnosis are widely discussed. Beside this, there have been discussions about benefits for early anatomic diagnosis and whether endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) can be used to track the relapse of the disease. We present a case, in which anatomic location and histological definition of an asymptomatic recurrence of the ovarian cancer was misdiagnosed with conventional methods, but was possible through EUS.

Endoscopic Ultrasound and Intestinal Endometriosis

Endometriosis is a benign gynecological disease characterized by histological confirmation of the presence of ectopic endometrial glands and/or endometrial stroma. The main clinical gynecologic manifestations include chronic pelvic pain, back pain, menstrual disorders, and infertility. Over 60% of women with endometriosis have chronic intestinal symptoms. Intestinal involvement occurs in up to 12% of patients. Intestinal deep infiltrating endometriosis is defined as the lesion infiltrating at least the muscular layer of the bowel wall. Gynecological pelvic exam is not sufficient for the diagnosis of the location of deeply infiltrating endometriosis. Imaging methods can suggest the diagnosis of endometriosis and help to map the disease. Transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) has been used for more than a decade for the diagnosis and staging of deep endometriosis, providing relevant data for surgical treatment. It is useful to determine the depth of infiltration and the distance from the anal junction. The recent trend is to prefer nodule excision, when feasible, rather than radical digestive resection; therefore, it is important to take into consideration the staging of rectal and sigmoid infiltrating endometriosis in the preoperative clinical evaluation.

II Brazilian consensus statement on endoscopic ultrasonography

Background and Objectives: At the time of its introduction in the early 80s, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) was indicated for diagnostic purposes. Recently, EUS has been employed to assist or to be the main platform of complex therapeutic interventions. Methods: From a series of relevant new topics in the literature and based on the need to complement the I Brazilian consensus on EUS, twenty experienced endosonographers identified and reviewed the pertinent literature in databases. The quality of evidence, strength of recommendations, and level of consensus were graded and voted on. Results: Consensus was reached for eight relevant topics: treatment of gastric varices, staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer, biliary drainage, tissue sampling of subepithelial lesions (SELs), treatment of pancreatic fluid collections, tissue sampling of pancreatic solid lesions, celiac neurolysis, and evaluation of the incidental pancreatic cysts. Conclusions: There is a high level of evidence for staging of nonsmall cell lung cancer; biopsy of SELs as the safest method; unilateral and bilateral injection techniques are equivalent for EUS-guided celiac neurolysis, and in patients with visible ganglia, celiac ganglia neurolysis appears to lead to better results. There is a moderate level of evidence for: yield of tissue sampling of pancreatic solid lesions is not influenced by the needle shape, gauge, or employed aspiration technique; EUS-guided and percutaneous biliary drainage present similar clinical success and adverse event rates; plastic and metallic stents are equivalent in the EUS-guided treatment of pancreatic pseudocyst. There is a low level of evidence in the routine use of EUS-guided treatment of gastric varices.

Mediastinal sarcoidosis diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound in a patient with Sjögren's syndrome.

10.4103/2303-9027.163022 A 51-year-old woman with dyspnea, cough, and fever for the preceding 6 months was referred for endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) to evaluate mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The patient had a history of Sjögren’s syndrome. Conventional chest X-ray demonstrated hilar lymphadenopathy [Figure 1]. Computed tomography examination revealed calcified mediastinal lymph nodes in paratracheal and subcarinal regions [Figure 2]. The patient underwent EBUS (Fujinon Corporation, Japan) that showed enlarged calcified lymph nodes, located in subcarinal, paratracheal, and pulmonary hilum [Figure 3]. EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA; Medi-Globe Corporation, Germany) [Figure 4] confirmed the presence of granulomatous lymphadenitis, with no necrosis [Figure 5]. Special stains (periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Grocott, and Ziehl-Neelsen) for the detection of acid-fast bacilli and fungi were negative, suggesting the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

Pancreatic cancer with portal vein invasion diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound

10.4103/2303-9027.156758 An 82-year-old woman with abdominal pain for the preceding 6 months was referred for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) to evaluate the presence of pancreatic cancer. The patient had a history of diabetes and hypertension. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a nodular image on the pancreatic body, hypovascularized, measuring 2.5 cm × 2.0 cm, without signs of vascular involvement [Figure 1]. It was also observed, nodular images on the liver, the visceral peritoneum and peri-hepatic lymphonodes.