摘要
Introduction Over the last three decades,endoscopic ultrasonography(EUS)and EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration(EUS-FNA)have gradually become established tools for the diagnosis,staging and treatment of benign or malignant gastrointestinal diseases and pulmonary disorders[1].Compared with standard upper endoscope,EUS uses a dedicated echoendoscope that has a more rigid tip and a longer nonflexible segment at the most distal end of the device.On the other hand,most currently available linear echoendoscopes are side-viewing instruments.Both the unique mechanical and optical features of EUS scopes make manipulations difficult;even skilled EUS operators occasionally encounter difficulty when inserting,which may be more likely to cause severe complications[2].One of the most frequent complications is gastrointestinal perforation,which can take place in the hypopharynx,hiatal hernia,tip of the duodenal bulb and rectosigmoidal junction[3].The incidence rate of pharyngoesophageal perforations resulting from gastrointestinal endoscopes is approximately 0.01%[2].For EUS,a higher risk of perforation has been reported[4].Hypopharyngeal perforation can lead to lethal complications(e.g.mediastinitis,mediastinal pneumothorax and fistulas)and these complications are associated with a mortality rate of 2%–36%[5].Therefore,it is necessary to explore some techniques to avoid these complications to the utmost extent.
基金
supported by the grant from the Shaanxi Provincial Key Research and Development Program[No.2018SF-191 to S.Y.M.].
