title: Endoscopic measurement of variceal diameter.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In vitro experiments confirmed that using a self-designed endoscopic ruler to measure the diameter of simulative varices was objective, accurate and feasible.
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Qun
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: En-Qiang
authors.initials: EQ
authors.lastname: Linghu
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Xiang-Dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Bin
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Jing-Yun
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Zhi-Qun Li, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chinese PLA 261 Hospital, Beijing 100094, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Du
mesh_terms: D057785:Catheters; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D016099:Endoscopy, Gastrointestinal / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000473:pathology*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
keywords: Endoscopic measuring ruler; Variceal diameter; Visual method