Diagnostic procedures for submucosal tumors in the gastrointestinal tract

Table 2 Endoscopic ultrasonographic criteria for malignancy in different SMTs

Reference	Tumor type	Criteria fordetermining theSMT as malignantor borderline	Size	Irregularborders	Abnormalregionallymphnodes	Heterogeneouscho pattern		Shape notoval/round	Ulcer
						Cysticspaces	Echo-genicfoci
Ando et al 2002[30]	GIST	Size > 5 cm and at least 1 of the 2 other features:	> 5 cm	Yes	-	Yes	-	-	-
Nickl et al 2002[20]	Hypo- echoic SMTs	1 or more of the features:	> 3 cm	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Brand et al 2002[24]	SMTs in general	2 or more of the features or 1 and clinical symptoms (pain, dysphagia, weight loss, hemorrhage)	> 3 cm	Yes	-	Heterogeneous echo pattern		-	-
Rösch et al 2002[12]	SMTs in general	2 or more of the features:	> 3 cm	Yes	Yes	Heterogeneous echo pattern		-	-
Palazzo et al 2000[23]	GIST	2 or more of the features:	-	Yes	Yes	Yes	-	-	-
Chak et al 1997[115]	GIST	2 or more of the features:	> 4 cm	Yes	-	> 4 mm	> 3 mm	-	-

Nickl and coworkers[20] had the highest sensitivity rate (100%) while Palazzo and coworkers[23] had the highest specificity rate (88%). -: means that this feature was not part of the criteria in the given study.