Endoscopic measurement of variceal diameter

AIM: To measure in vitro diameter of imitational varices using a self-made endoscopic scale and confirm its accuracy and clinical feasibility. METHODS: A catheter was introduced into the endoscope accessory channel and attached to a zebra wire guide that was used as a stylet. The wire guide was fixed onto the tip of the catheter by a soft and thin string. By gently advancing the stylet into the catheter, the width of the opening loop at the tip of the endoscope approximated the diameter of the imitational varices. Measurements performed in vitro using this self-made endoscopic ruler were compared to measurements of simulative varices. RESULTS: At the handle, the sleeve moving distance ranged from 5 to 14 mm. There was no obvious proportional relationship between the sleeve movement distance and endoscopic measurement ruler. The results indicated that the gap between the endoscopic measurement and actual measurement of the object size tended to close. The in vitro measurement of the diameter of the simulative varices showed that the two kinds of measuring methods were not significantly different with respect to their accuracy (P = 0.8499). CONCLUSION: In vitro experiments confirmed that using a self-designed endoscopic ruler to measure the diameter of simulative varices was objective, accurate and feasible.