Lower gastrointestinal endoultrasound
SummaryFollowing a brief history of transrectal ultrasonography, the author explains the fundamentals that led to his research on rectal echographic layers and then describes his theory as applied to the anatomical interpretation of these layers. Personal cases of preoperative staging with transrectal echography provide a basis for the critical evaluation of this method and its proposed role in clinical application.
Endorectal sonographic prospective staging of rectal cancer.
Endorectal sonography was used to evaluate and prospectively stage rectal cancers in 59 patients. All patients were studied without knowledge of findings of other diagnostic studies, including sigmoidoscopic, computed tomographic (CT), and digital rectal examinations. Sonographic interpretation was established blindly and compared with CT and with pathological staging after surgery for the rectal cancer. Results demonstrate that endorectal sonography is more accurate in detecting the site of rectal cancer and in defining perirectal fat infiltration and perirectal lymph node involvement as compared with CT. The experience suggests endorectal sonography is a useful adjunct in the diagnosis and prospective staging of rectal cancer.
Functional gastrointestinal disorders.
IN most of us the the gastrointestinal tract is quiet, unobtrusive, and efficient, but it gives trouble to at least one person in three. Often symptoms are slight, and simple traditional remedies suffice. A few people experience recurrent or constant symptoms that are severe enough to be disabling and for which no explanation can be found. The symptoms of at least one fifth of the patients who consult a gastroenterologist remain unexplained.1 , 2 The clinical problem of functional gastrointestinal symptoms cannot be ignored. Definition For the purpose of this review, a functional symptom is defined as one for which no structural, . . .