Endoscopic ultrasonography in the assessment of colonic wall invasion by adjacent diseases

For assessing the direct invasion of the colonic wall by pelvic or abdominal tumors, endoscopic ultrasonography was performed prospectively in patients who were suspected of having colonic wall invasion by barium enema. Three patients with ovarian cancer, two with endometriosis, and one with pancreatic cancer were included in this study. Preoperative endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) revealed the relationship between the tumor and the colon in all cases. A surgical procedure was performed in all patients: resection of the tumor and a portion of the invaded colon (4) and removal of the tumor (only adhesion) (2). A correct preoperative diagnosis of the depth of tumor invasion was obtained in five of the six (83%) cases. In patients with pelvic or abdominal tumors, preoperative EUS may be useful for evaluating the presence and the degree of invasion of the colonic wall by the tumor.