Current Endoscopic Ultrasound Perspectives from 2012 Digestive Disease Week Meeting

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) was one of the leading topics in 2012 DDW meeting and some new progresses were highlighted at the EUS monothematic symposium during the period. Although EUS-fine needle aspiration (FNA) has increased the accuracy of EUS in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases and biliary diseases, controversies still exit in its application such as safety, cost effectiveness and the choice of needle. Meanwhile, EUS may also function as a therapeutic approach, and more and more digestive diseases could be treated with interventional EUS. This report will focus on the above aspects and some progresses of interventional EUS discussed in the meeting.