Abstract:

Objective   To investigate the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in differentially diagnosing cysts and lipomas in the duodenal tract. Methods   EUS images of pathologically confirmed, 14 cases of cyst and 20 cases of lipoma were collected between April 2006 and October 2010. These lesions were compared in location, size, origin, margin and internal echo pattern. Results   The cysts and lipomas were significantly different in  size［(8.2±3.4)mm vs (12.6±5.0)mm, P<0.05］. They were also different in the internal echo pattern(cysts echoless or lowlevel echo vs lipomas  high-level echo (P<0.05). By contrast,  there were no statistical differences (P>0.05) in the lesion location,  origin and margin.  Conclusion   EUS is a valuable tool to differentiate cysts and lipomas in the duodenal tract, thus providing guidance for making  safe and costeffective treatment plans.

Key words: Differentiation； Endoscopic ultrasonography； Duodenum； Cyst； Lipoma