Feasibility of interventional endoscopic ultrasound using forward-viewing and curved linear-array echoendoscope: a literature review.

Oblique-viewing curved linear-array echoendoscopes are widely used for interventional endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), not only for diagnostic but also for therapeutic procedures. Recently, development of a forward-viewing curved linear-array echoendoscope (FV-ES) has been made. Several reports describe the usefulness of this new equipment for therapeutic interventional EUS, especially for pseudocyst drainage. A salient advantage of the FV-ES is that it enables the axial application of force during needle insertion and stenting. Furthermore, by attaching a cap device to the tip, the endoscope's capability can be expanded. Although the FV-ES has a narrower scanning range (90 deg) than that afforded by the oblique-viewing curved linear-array echoendoscope (180 deg), this characteristic reportedly does not hinder the performance of interventional EUS. The FV-ES might contribute to the advancement of interventional EUS.