Review
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 28, 2007; 13(24): 3301-3310
Published online Jun 28, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i24.3301
Diagnostic procedures for submucosal tumors in the gastrointestinal tract
Laura Graves Ponsaing, Katalin Kiss, Annika Loft, Lise Ingemann Jensen, Mark Berner Hansen
Laura Graves Ponsaing, Mark Berner Hansen, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology K, Bispebjerg University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark
Katalin Kiss, Department of Pathology, Herlev University Hospital Gentofte, Denmark
Annika Loft, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark
Lise Ingemann Jensen, Department of Radiology, Bispebjerg University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Laura Graves Ponsaing, MD, Department of Surgical Gastroenterology K, Bispebjerg University Hospital of Copenhagen, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400 Copenhagen NV, Denmark. laura@graves-ponsaing.dk
Telephone: +45-28775376
Received: December 7, 2006
Revised: December 13, 2006
Accepted: December 20, 2006
Published online: June 28, 2007
Abstract

This review is part one of three, which will present an update on diagnostic procedures for gastrointestinal (GI) submucosal tumors (SMTs). Part two identifies the classification and part three the therapeutic methods regarding GI SMTs. Submucosal tumors are typically asymptomatic and therefore encountered incidentally. Advances in diagnostic tools for gastrointestinal submucosal tumors have emerged over the past decade. The aim of this paper is to provide the readers with guidelines for the use of diagnostic procedures, when a submucosal tumor is suspected. Literature searches were performed to find information on diagnostics for gastrointestinal submucosal tumors. Based on the searches, the optimal diagnostic procedures and specific features of the submucosal tumors could be outlined. Standard endoscppy, capsule endoscopy and push-and-pull enteroscopy (PPE) together with barium contrast X-ray do not alone provide sufficient information, when examining submucosal tumors. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and fluorodeoxyglucose-labeled positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) are recommended as supplementary tools.

Keywords: Submucosal tumor; Diagnosis; Endoscopy; Endoscopic ultrasonography; Computed tomography; Magnetic resonance imaging; Positron emission tomo-graphy; Capsule endoscopy; Push-and-pull enteroscopy