Endoscopic ultrasonography in diseases of the gallbladder.

In recent years, endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) has emerged as an important tool for the diagnosis and management of pancreaticobiliary disease. The close proximity of the echoendoscope to the biliary system allows detailed imaging of the gallbladder and adjacent structures. EUS is useful for the detection of occult cholelithiasis and biliary sludge and in the evaluation of suspected choledocholithiasis. It can be used to classify and predict neoplasia in polypoid lesions of the gallbladder and also to diagnose and stage gallbladder carcinoma. This article reviews the use of EUS in these diseases of the gallbladder.