Standard Imaging Methods Using a Convex Ultrasonic Endoscope for EUS-FNA

This is the revised second edition of “Standard Imaging Procedures Using a Convex Ultrasonic Endoscope for EUS-FNA”, which was published in 2006. The first edition has served as the “bible” of convex EUS for a long time not only in Japan but also in many countries. Since then, a wide range of improvements in imaging technology have brought new capabilities to the field, while ongoing development of EUS-related equipment has powered tremendous advances in interventional EUS technology. In the face of such rapid change, it was inevitable that there would be a growing impetus to review the standard techniques for convex EUS, eventually leading to the launch of the new Japanese Committee-Standard Imaging Technique for Convex EUS (JC-SITE) in July 2017.

Over the course of the next year and a half, extensive and intensive discussions were held, culminating in the publication of the book you now hold in your hands. This new second edition is distinguished from its predecessor by five main points in this revision: 1) conventional observation techniques have been updated and new ones added (e.g., in addition to the conventional aortic route in transgastric scanning, a new portal vein route has been elucidated), 2) learning efficiency has been enhanced by linking carefully selected videos to the descriptions, 3) “Tips” have been added to provide more detailed explanations where needed, 4) all illustrations have been updated and revised, and 5) a chapter that zooms in on the various devices has been included in order to enrich the reader’s understanding of the technology and the advances that have been made.

We hope that you will keep this handbook — as well as the linked vides — handy whenever you perform diagnosis and treatment using convex EUS. It’s an excellent source of preparation and review materials. The linked videos, which depict standard EUS scanning methods using easy-to-follow animation, are especially helpful.

Chock full of valuable information and explanatory material, this handbook is essential reading for endosonographers all over the world, and we hope that it will soon become the new “bible” of convex EUS.