Value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in the preoperative TN staging for gastric cancer / 中华普通外科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To compare the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with double contrast enhanced ultrasound ( DCUS) in the preoperative staging of gastric malignancies. Methods This study included 162 patients with biopsy proven gastric cancer who underwent surgical resection as primary management of their malignancies. All patients underwent DCUS and EUS prior to surgical intervention with the results of the ultrasound findings compared with the pathological stages of the resected specimen. Results Among the 162 gastric cancer patients, there were 42 cases of T1, 49 cases of T2, 56 cases of T3, and 15 cases of T4 tumors. The overall accuracy of DCUS and EUS for the determination of loco-regional tumor infiltration ( T Staging) was 77. 2% and 74. 7% , (χ2 = 0. 273, P = 0. 603). Comparison of ultrasound techniques revealed that DCUS was superior to EUS only for a tumor depth of T3 (χ2 =5. 009, P = 0.025). Lymph nodes were correctly staged with DCUS and EUS in 78.4% and 57. 4% of cases, respectively ( χ2 = 16. 370,P =0.001). Using DCUS, the sensitivity of the technique was 78. 4% with a specificity of 78. 5%. In comparison, EUS had a sensitivity of 49. 5% with a specificity of 69. 2%. DCUS also detected a higher incidence of positive lymph nodes than EUS for poorly differentiated (81. 5% vs. 42. 6% ,χ2 =17. 338, P < 0. 01) and overall tumor types (78.4% vs. 49. 5% , χ2 = 17.523, P < 0. 01). Conclusions Double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography offers another noninvasive approach for the preoperative evaluation of gastric cancer. DCUS was comparable to EUS in tumor depth evaluation. DCUS offers an advantage in the detection of lymph node metastases, especially in poorly differentiated tumors.