Abstract
Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the feasibility of three-dimensional endoluminal ultrasound of gastrointestinal tumors.
Methods: Sixteen patients with esophageal, gastric, or colorectal tumors underwent endoscopic ultrasound. Three-dimensional ultrasound data were obtained from multiple serial images of a miniprobe (360°, 12.5 MHz) and processed on a PC-based 3D workstation.
Results: Adequate three-dimensional ultrasound scans were obtained in eight patients with esophageal cancer and five patients with colorectal cancer. Three-dimensional image processing enabled visualization of the data as a multiplanar display or as a life-like three-dimensional view. The availability of arbitrary scan planes improved the assessment of local tumor spread and the spatial relation of the tumor to relevant adjacent structures (e.g., major vessels). Three-dimensional presentations provided realistic views of the anatomy and facilitated the interpretation of the ultrasound images.
Conclusions: Three-dimensional display and the ability to review endoluminal ultrasound data interactively may improve the staging of gastrointestinal tumors. These preliminary data encourage further evaluation of this technique.
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Received: 31 July 1998/Accepted: 9 September 1998
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Hünerbein, M., Ghadimi, B., Gretschel, S. et al. Three-dimensional endoluminal ultrasound: a new method for the evaluation of gastrointestinal tumors. Abdom Imaging 24, 445–448 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s002619900536
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002619900536