Endoscopic Ultrasonographic (EUS) Evaluation of the Quality of Gastric Ulcer Healing

EUS provides cardinal tomographic findings of gastric ulcer such as low echo mass (ulcer echo), thickening of the wall, a symmetrical or asymmetrical convergence of the submucosal layer, and a sharp (pin-point) or blunt (broad-surface) convergence, variously expressed in accordance with the depth or width, and also with the history of recurrence of ulcer. A low echo mass, or an ulcer echo histopathologically consists of fibrosis and granulation, sonographically correlating well with the thickening of the wall. Seventy nine cases of ulcer scar, 52 of which were evaluated endoscopically as S1 (red scar) and 27 as S2 (white scar), were scanned by EUS. The incidence of high quality healing recognized on EUS with complete disappearance of a low echo mass and subsidence of the wall thickness was 21.2% (11 of 52 ulcer scars) in the S1 stage group, which remarkably increased up to 70.4% (19 of 27) in the S2 group (P < 0.01). The results indicate a definite correlation between endoscopic and EUS assessment of an ulcer scar state. The cumulative relapse rate at 12 months during maintenance therapy with half doses of H2 blocker was found to be 4.5% (1 of 22 cases) in the group with high quality healing on EUS, 40.9% (9 of 22) in the group with fair quality healing, and 75.0% (12 of 16) in the group with poor quality healing. The results of the present study suggest that EUS assessment may be a reliable and objective predictor of susceptibility to ulcer recurrence, accurately evaluating the quality of gastric ulcer healing.