Utility of endoscopic ultrasound for the detection of vascular lesions related to the gastrointestinal tract.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is a minimally invasive and widely used diagnostic and therapeutic tool that provides real-time ultrasound images through high-frequency waves, enabling the evaluation of the characteristics and presence of lesions in the gastrointestinal wall and adjacent anatomical structures, including surrounding blood vessels and their abnormalities. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prevalence of vascular lesions related to the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract. METHODS: A retrospective, single-center, observational, non-experimental, cross-sectional study was conducted. The population included all patients who underwent upper and lower EUS at the Gastroenterology Department of Centro Médico Docente La Trinidad from January 2001 to March 2025. Data was collected using a digital form, creating a database in Microsoft Excel 2019. RESULTS: A total of 378 patients with vascular alterations detected by EUS were evaluated, with 376 in the upper GI tract and 2 in the lower. The sample was 51.58% male, with a mean age of 65.49 years, and 70.10% were over 60 years old. Most patients (83.06%) attended as outpatients. The main indication was neoplastic pathologies (43.91%). A total of 473 vascular lesions were described, most frequently varices (n=178) and atheromatosis (n=147). Nineteen percent (89%) had a single type of vascular lesion. No complications were reported. CONCLUSION: EUS is a safe, tolerable, and effective tool for the detection and characterization of vascular lesions in both the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract.