Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Pancreatic Duct Intervention

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided pancreatic duct intervention (EUS-PDI) is an emerging endoscopic approach allowing access and intervention to the pancreatic duct (PD) for patients with failed endoscopic retrograde pancreatography (ERP) or patients with surgically altered anatomy. As opposed to biliary drainage for which percutaneous drainage is an alternative following failed endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the treatment options after failed ERP are very limited. Therefore, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided access to the PD and options for subsequent drainage may play an important role as an alternative to surgical intervention. However, this approach is technically demanding with a high risk of complications, and should only be performed by highly experienced endoscopists. In this review, we describe an overview of the current endoscopic approaches, basic technical tips, and outcomes using these procedures.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Management of Pancreatic Fluid Collections: Update and Review of the Literature

Severe acute pancreatitis is often complicated by the development of pancreatic fluid collections (PFCs), which may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is crucial to accurately classify these collections as a pseudocyst or walled-off necrosis (WON) given significant differences in outcomes and management. Interventions for PFCs have increasingly shifted to less invasive strategies, with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided methods being shown to be safer and equally effective as more invasive surgical techniques. In recent years, many new developments have improved the safety and efficacy of EUS-guided interventions, such as the introduction of lumen-apposing metal stents (LAMS), direct endoscopic necrosectomy (DEN) and multiple other adjunctive techniques. Despite these developments, treatment of PFCs, and infected WON in particular, continues to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality. In this article, we discuss the EUS-guided management of PFCs while reviewing the latest developments and controversies in the field. We end by summarizing our own approach to managing PFCs.

Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Vascular Therapy: The Present and the Future

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) offers access to many intra-abdominal vessels that until now have only been accessible to the surgeon and interventional radiologist. In addition to assisting with diagnostics, this unique access offers the potential for therapeutic intervention for a host of indications. To date, this has had the most clinical impact in the treatment of gastroesophageal varices, with EUS-guided coil and glue application growing in use worldwide. Although randomised controlled trial data is lacking, we discuss the growing body of literature behind EUS-guided therapy in the management of varices. EUS has also been used in specialized centres to assist in non-variceal gastrointestinal bleeding. The treatment of bleeding from Dieulafoy lesions, tumours and pancreatic pseudoaneurysms has all been described. The potential applications of EUS have also extended to the placement of portal vein stents and porto-systemic shunts in animal models. As medicine continues to move to increasingly less invasive interventions, EUS-guided therapies offer substantial promise for the safe and effective delivery of targeted treatment for a widening array of vascular disorders.