Work

#156 - Clinical Utility of Systematic Liver Assessment During Endoscopic Ultrasound

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction and Objectives Systematic omission of hepatic assessment during endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) restricts the detection of subclinical alterations capable of modifying prognostic stratification and therapeutic decisions. To characterize EUS-detected hepatic findings according to baseline status and quantify the clinical utility of protocolized hepatic exploration. Materials and Methods A retrospective, analytical, cross-sectional study involving 112 patients stratified into three groups: no known liver disease (n=67), non-advanced chronic liver disease (n=34), and cirrhosis (n=11). Bivariate tests and multivariate binary logistic regression were employed. Results Morphological alterations were found in 40.3% of the undiagnosed group, with tangible clinical impact in 14.9%. Capsular irregularity predominated in the chronic liver disease group compared to baseline (76.5% vs. 13.4%; p<0.001). Portal diameter increased progressively with disease severity (10.0 vs. 14.0 vs. 16.0 mm; p=0.013). Baseline hepatic status was the strongest independent predictor of capsular irregularity (aOR Group 2: 19.5; aOR Group 3: 36.2; p<0.001). Conclusions Protocolized integration of hepatic exploration during EUS identifies structural alterations with demonstrated prognostic relevance, supporting its standardization as a secondary screening tool

Source: Annals of Hepatology

DOI: 10.1016/j.aohep.2026.102397