Endoscopic ultrasonographic features of gastric linitis plastica in fifty-five Chinese patients

The objective of this study was to investigate the endosonographic appearance of gastric linitis plastica (GLP) and to study the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) for the T and N staging of GLP. EUS examinations of 55 patients with histologically proven GLP were retrospectively studied. In all patients, EUS showed that lesions involved at least one-third of the circumference of the stomach. Based on the findings of the EUS, the 55 patients were divided into two groups. There were 32 (58.2%) patients in the first group. EUS of this group showed that the five sonographic layers had disappeared and had been replaced by a hypoechogenic thickening of the gastric wall. There were 23 (41.8%) patients in the second group. EUS of this group showed that the first three sonographic layers were blurred and thickened, and the fourth layer was significantly thickened. The full thickness of the gastric wall was significantly thicker in first than in the second group of patients (P<0.01). The incidence of perigastric lesions was significantly higher in the first than in the second group of patients (P<0.01). Results for the 15 patients following preoperative EUS were compared postoperatively with histopathologic findings for T and N staging. The overall diagnostic accuracy of the T stage was 73.3% and of the N stage was 60.0%. In eight patients, we used EUS to assess a therapeutic response. No response was observed in five patients and a partial response in three. EUS images of GLP are characteristic. EUS is helpful in diagnosing GLP and for assessing the T and N stages.