PURPOSE: To determine the value of a thickened gastric wall detected during transabdominal sonography (TAS) in the diagnosis of gastric cancer. METHOD: This prospective study comprised 312 patients who underwent both TAS and endoscopy. Transverse TAS scanning was performed using a 3.5-MHz curved transducer to measure gastric wall thickness in the antrum and body of the stomach. Based on endoscopic and histologic findings, we classified the patients into 3 groups: normal or benign disease (BD), early gastric cancer (EGC), and advanced gastric cancer (AGC). TAS findings were then compared. RESULTS: The thickness of the gastric wall was 4.9 +/- 1.6 mm in 262 patients with BD, 5.6 +/- 2.4 mm in 21patients with EGC, and 10.3 +/- 4.7 mm in 29 patients with AGC (p < 0.01). A gastric wall thickness of greater than 7 mm had a 75.0% sensitivity, 92.6% specificity, 50.0% positive predictive value, and 97.4% negative predictive value in the diagnosis of AGC. CONCLUSION: Although not suitable as a screening method for gastric cancer, a thickening of the gastric wall of >7 mm may be a marker for AGC.
PURPOSE: To determine the value of a thickened gastric wall detected during transabdominal sonography (TAS) in the diagnosis of gastric cancer. METHOD: This prospective study comprised 312 patients who underwent both TAS and endoscopy. Transverse TAS scanning was performed using a 3.5-MHz curved transducer to measure gastric wall thickness in the antrum and body of the stomach. Based on endoscopic and histologic findings, we classified the patients into 3 groups: normal or benign disease (BD), early gastric cancer (EGC), and advanced gastric cancer (AGC). TAS findings were then compared. RESULTS: The thickness of the gastric wall was 4.9 +/- 1.6 mm in 262 patients with BD, 5.6 +/- 2.4 mm in 21patients with EGC, and 10.3 +/- 4.7 mm in 29 patients with AGC (p < 0.01). A gastric wall thickness of greater than 7 mm had a 75.0% sensitivity, 92.6% specificity, 50.0% positive predictive value, and 97.4% negative predictive value in the diagnosis of AGC. CONCLUSION: Although not suitable as a screening method for gastric cancer, a thickening of the gastric wall of >7 mm may be a marker for AGC.