Table Info

Table 1.

This table outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using GIUS for various gastrointestinal conditions, highlighting its diagnostic strengths and limitations compared to other imaging methods

Condition	Advantages of GIUS	Disadvantages of GIUS
Acute appendicitis	Highly effective in children and thin adults Can visualize the inflamed appendix, assess for free fluid and local fat inflammation Can rule out other causes of right lower quadrant pain	May miss appendix if retrocecal Less sensitive than CT
Acute diverticulitis	Rapid assessment tool that helps identify inflamed diverticula and complications such as abscesses or perforations Useful in settings where immediate CT is unavailable	Less detailed than CT, particularly in obese patients or in visualizing smaller abscesses
Small bowel obstruction	Can quickly identify dilated bowel loops and the presence of fluid, potentially pinpointing the location of the obstruction Real-time evaluation of bowel peristalsis can help differentiate between mechanical ileus and paralytic ileus Ideal for serial examinations due to lack of radiation	Limited in differentiating between simple and strangulated obstructions; less detailed than CT in identifying the exact cause or level of obstruction
Intestinal ischemia	Can rapidly detect signs of ischemia such as bowel wall thickening and free fluid; useful for initial bedside evaluation CEUS can demonstrate the absence of vascularization in the thickened intestinal tract, providing critical information on the extent of ischemia	May not identify the cause of ischemia, such as arterial emboli or venous thrombosis Less sensitive and specific than CT
Intestinal perforation	Quick to perform and can identify free intra-abdominal air and fluid indicating perforation, guiding urgent surgical intervention Can also adeptly detect small air bubbles anterior to the liver	Less sensitive in detecting localized perforations compared to CT Less effective in pinpointing the exact location of the perforation compared to CT
Crohn’s disease	Useful in detecting and monitoring bowel wall thickening, abscesses, and other complications Non-radiative and can be repeated frequently for follow-ups	Less effective than MRI in visualizing deep structures and assessing fistulae or the full extent of intestinal involvement
Ulcerative colitis	Can assess bowel wall thickness and vascularization during flares and can be useful for quick evaluations during symptomatic periods	Does not provide detailed mucosal imaging as endoscopy and has limited utility in assessing deep ulcerations
Infectious enteritis	Quick, non-invasive assessment tool to evaluate bowel wall thickening and to differentiate from other causes of acute abdominal pain	Not specific for identifying pathogens Limited use in mild or early disease
Malabsorption and celiac disease	Helps identify complications such as bowel thickening, intussusception, or lymphoma in advanced cases	Not diagnostic for celiac disease or other specific malabsorption disorders
Masses and neoplastic lesions	Can quickly detect the presence and location of masses Useful for initial assessment and guiding further diagnostic procedures	Limited in characterizing the nature of lesions compared to CT, MRI and endoscopy, particularly with deep or small lesions
Common to all conditions	No radiation exposure (particularly beneficial for pediatric populations) Can be performed bedside during the clinical evaluation Can be frequently repeated for necessary follow-ups	Limited effectiveness in obese patients Highly operator-dependent

CEUS: contrast-enhanced ultrasound; GIUS: gastro-intestinal ultrasound

Declarations

Acknowledgments

During the preparation of this work, the authors used ChatGPT to generate the reference anatomical image for Video 1, which was then modified by the authors and included in Video 1. After using the tool/service, authors reviewed and edited the content as needed and take full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Author contributions

CF: Conceptualization, Project administration, Supervision, Visualization, Writing—original draft, Writing—review & editing. AT: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft. EF: Visualization, Writing—review & editing. FZ, FV, AB, and EM: Writing—review & editing. PA: Supervision, Writing—review & editing. All authors read and approved the submitted version.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All the images in the article were collected anonymously and there are no identifiable personal data, following local privacy policy (GDPR 679/2016) therefore the Local Ethical Committee (AVEN) exempted the ethical approval of this manuscript.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Consent to publication

Not applicable.

Availability of data and materials

All datasets for this study are included in the manuscript.

Funding

Not applicable.

Copyright

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