Diagnosis of submucosal tumors by injecting a water soluble contrast medium: diagnosis of tumors and clinical presumption of their development patterns.

So far there have been no clinical methods claiming reasonable estimation of the patterns of submucosal tumors. In an attempt to shed some light on this difficult task, we have elaborated an endoscopical procedure; injecting a water soluble contrast medium into the submucosa and immediately applying roentgenography, we have obtained an X-ray image of the object lesion, visualizing its frontal and lateral aspects, which could help us outline the intramural characteristic of the tumor, informing us of its development mode. The device suggests its far-reaching contributions to the possible diagnosis of submucosal tumors prior to treatment and confirmation of their indications adequate for endoscopical treatment. Our method may potentially represent an ideal step to the consummation of endoscopic treatment of tumors, the success of which is dependent on the prevention of major bleeding and perforation.