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World J Radiol. Jun 28, 2024; 16(6): 184-195
Published online Jun 28, 2024. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v16.i6.184
Practical approach to linear endoscopic ultrasound examination of the gallbladder
Hussein Hassan Okasha, Eyad Gadour, Hassan Atalla, Omar AbdAllah AbdEl-Hameed, Reem Ezzat, Ahmed Elsayed Alzamzamy, Elsayed Ghoneem, Rasha Ahmad Matar, Zeinab Hassan, Bogdan Miutescu, Ayman Qawasmi, Katarzyna M Pawlak, Ahmed Elmeligui
Hussein Hassan Okasha, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kasr Al-Aini School of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo 11562, Egypt
Eyad Gadour, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, King Abdulaziz Hospital-National Guard, Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia
Eyad Gadour, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Zamzam University College, Khartoum 11113, Sudan
Hassan Atalla, Omar AbdAllah AbdEl-Hameed, Elsayed Ghoneem, Department of Internal Medicine, Hepatology and Gastroenterology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
Reem Ezzat, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut 71511, Egypt
Ahmed Elsayed Alzamzamy, Department of Gastroenterology and Heptology, Maadi Armed Forces Medical Complex, Military Medical Academy, Cairo 11728, Egypt
Rasha Ahmad Matar, Department of Gastroenterology and Advance Endoscopy, Sultant Qaboos Comprehensive Cancer Care and Research Centre, Muscat 0961, Oman
Zeinab Hassan, Department of Internal Medicine, Stockport Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester SK2 7JE, United Kingdom
Bogdan Miutescu, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 300041, Romania
Bogdan Miutescu, Advanced Regional Research Centre in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Timisoara 30041, Romania
Ayman Qawasmi, Department of Gastroenterology, Al-Makassed Islamic Charitable Society Hospital, Cairo 11124, Egypt
Katarzyna M Pawlak, Division of Gastroenterology, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto M5B 1W8, Canada
Ahmed Elmeligui, Department of Gastroenterology, Southend University Hospital, Essex SS2 6XT, United Kingdom
Author contributions: Okasha HH and Gadour E contributed to conceptualization; Gadour E, Atalla H, Abdelhameed OA, Ezzat R, and Alzamzamy AE contributed to resources; Hassan Z, Miutescu B, Pawlak KM and Qawasmi A contributed to writing-review and editing; Pawlak KM created the figures; Ghoneem E, Elmeligui A, Okasha HH and Gadour E contributed to writing the final manuscript; Elmeligui A, Okasha HH and Gadour E contributed to supervision; Gadour E contributed to project administration; All authors read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Eyad Gadour, CCST, FRCP, MBBS, MRCP, Associate Professor, Consultant Physician-Scientist, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, King Abdulaziz Hospital-National Guard, King Abdullah Military City, Al Mubarraz, Ahsa 31982, Saudi Arabia. eyadgadour@doctors.org.uk
Received: December 20, 2023
Revised: April 3, 2024
Accepted: May 28, 2024
Published online: June 28, 2024
Processing time: 188 Days and 17.2 Hours
Abstract

The gallbladder (GB) is a susceptible organ, prone to various pathologies that can be identified using different imaging techniques. Transabdominal ultrasound (TUS) is typically the initial diagnostic method due to its numerous well-established advantages. However, in cases of uncertainty or when a definitive diagnosis cannot be established, computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging may be employed to provide more detailed information. Nevertheless, CT scans may sometimes offer inadequate spatial resolution, which can limit the differentiation of GB lesions, particularly when smaller yet clinically relevant abnormalities are involved. Conversely, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) provides higher frequency compared to TUS, superior spatial resolution, and the option for contrast-enhanced harmonic imaging, enabling a more comprehensive examination. Thus, EUS can serve as a supplementary tool when conventional imaging methods are insufficient. This review will describe the standard EUS examination of the GB, focusing on its endosonographic characteristics in various GB pathologies.

Keywords: Endoscopic ultrasound; Linear endoscopic ultrasound; Gallbladder anatomy; Gallbladder pathologies; Therapeutic endoscopic ultrasound

Core Tip: Gallbladder pathologies can pose a health challenge to clinicians and patients when poorly examined. Linear endoscopic ultrasound has clinical and therapeutic significance when examining the gallbladder.