Endoscopic Ultrasound

The Endoscopic Ultrasound program at Wake Forest Baptist is one of the largest in the Southeast. The gastroenterology team at our Digestive Health Center has special facilities and training to conduct this specialized procedure through which digestive problems can be diagnosed. The results of this technique can help you and your physician determine the best way to treat your specific symptoms.

Endoscopic ultrasound utilizes an ultrasound device within a flexible tube to study the deeper layers of such internal organs as the pancreas, stomach, esophagus, bile duct, duodenum, and gallbladder; a similar procedure is used to diagnose rectal cancer.  However, the most significant and most powerful aspect of this technique is the ability to make a tissue diagnosis in the setting of certain types of pancreatic tumors, such as adenocarcinoma. Gastroenterologists at our Digestive Health Center are also able to aspirate cyst fluid for analysis to help distinguish malignant cysts from those that are benign through this outpatient procedure.