Acoustic and Intraluminal Ultrasonic Technologies in the Diagnosis of Diseases in Gastrointestinal Tract: A Review

Gastrointestinal (GI) auscultation (listening to sounds from stomach and bowel) has been applied for abdominal physical assessment for many years. This article evaluates the technique involved in listening to both bowel and stomach sounds and the significance of both normal and abnormal GI auscultation findings. Moreover, intraluminal ultrasonic techniques have been widely used for gastrointestinal disease diagnosis by providing intraluminal images since 1980s, this article also reviews the existing intraluminal ultrasonic technology for diagnosing of GI disorders.