Incidental finding of gastric lesions during endoscopic ultrasonography

Abstract

Background Gastric lesions may be incidentally detected during endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). We aimed to clarify the detection rate of gastric lesions and the impact of awareness on the detection of gastric lesions during EUS. Methods This retrospective study collected data on age, sex, primary pancreatobiliary disease, indication for EUS and detection of gastric lesions. The detection rate of incidental gastric lesions and documentation of gastric findings was compared between patients who underwent EUS (1,932 procedures, 1,220 patients). A quick gastric screening during EUS was introduced in 2015; therefore, EUS was classified into the former group (2009–2014: 505 procedures, 409 patients) and the latter group (2015–2020: 1,427 procedures, 918 patients). Results Thirteen gastric lesions were incidentally detected during EUS, all in the latter group, including gastric cancer (n = 1), malignant lymphoma (n = 1), gastric adenoma (n = 1), gastric submucosal tumor (n = 2), and gastric ulcer (n = 8). The detection rate of gastric lesions was significantly higher in the latter group than in the former group per procedure (0.91% vs. 0%, P = 0.027) and per patient (1.41% vs. 0%, P = 0.015), and gastric findings were significantly more commonly described in patients’ medical records (39.8% vs. 2.97%, P < 0.001). Conclusions Gastric lesions may be encountered during EUS. A quick screening during EUS improved the detection rate of gastric lesions, presumably due to increased awareness of gastric lesions during the procedure.