Yasunobu Yamashita, Kensuke Tanioka, Yuki Kawaji, Takashi Tamura, Junya Nuta, Keiichi Hatamaru, Masahiro Itonaga, Takeichi Yoshida, Yoshiyuki Ida, Takao Maekita, Mikitaka Iguchi, and Masayuki Kitano. Gut and Liver 1999;0:. https://doi.org/10.5009/gnl19170

Detective flow imaging endoscopic ultrasonography (DFI-EUS) provides a new method to image and detect fine vessels and low-velocity blood flow without using ultrasound contrast agents. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of DFI-EUS for pancreatobiliary lesions and lymph nodes. Between January 2019 and January 2020, 53 patients who underwent DFI-EUS, e-FLOW EUS, and contrast-enhanced EUS were enrolled. The ability of DFI-EUS and e-FLOW EUS to detect vessels was compared with that of contrast-enhanced EUS. This article describes the DFI technique along with our first experience of its use for vascular assessment of pancreatobiliary lesions. Vessels were imaged in 34 pancreatic solid lesions, eight intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs), seven gall bladder lesions, and four swollen lymph nodes. DFI-EUS (91%) was significantly superior to e-FLOW EUS (53%) with respect to detection of vessels (p < 0.001) and for discrimination of mural nodules from mucous clots in IPMN and gallbladder lesions from sludge (p = 0.046). Thus, DFI-EUS has the potential to become an essential tool for diagnosis and vascular assessment of various diseases.

This study aimed to assess whether contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography (CH-EUS), compared to multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), is useful for early diagnosis of small pancreatic cancer (PC). Between March 2010 and June 2018, all three imaging modalities and surgery were performed for patients with a pancreatic solid lesion measuring ≤20 mm; diagnostic ability was compared among modalities. Fifty-one of 60 patients were diagnosed with PC (PC size in 41 patients: 11–20 mm; 10 patients: ≤10 mm). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CH-EUS, MDCT, and MRI for PC (11–20 mm) detection were 95%/83%/94%, 78%/83%/79%, and 73%/33%/68%, respectively. The diagnostic ability of CH-EUS was significantly superior compared with MDCT and MRI (p = 0.002 and p = 0.007, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CH-EUS, MDCT, and MRI for PC (≤10 mm) detection were 70%/100%/77%, 20%/100%/38%, and 50%/100%/62%, respectively. The diagnostic ability of CH-EUS tended to be superior to that of MDCT (p = 0.025). The sensitivity of MDCT for PC (≤10 mm) detection was significantly lower than that for PC (11–20 mm) detection (20% vs. 78%; p = 0.001). CH-EUS, compared to MDCT and MRI, is useful for diagnosing small PCs.