Differential Diagnostic Value of Gastrointestinal Ultrasound Contrast Filling Method in Differentiating Gastric Tumors and Ulcers in the Elderly.

Objective: To evaluate the differential diagnostic value of the gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast filling method in distinguishing gastric tumors from gastric ulcers in elderly patients.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 274 elderly patients diagnosed with gastric diseases between January 2022 and October 2024, confirmed by endoscopic pathology as gastric tumors (n=82) or gastric ulcers (n=192). All underwent gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast filling. Differences in conventional ultrasound features (internal echo, calcification, morphology, classification) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound parameters [enhancement intensity (EI), time to peak (TTP), area under curve (AUC), arrival time (AT)] were compared. Spearman correlation assessed parameter-tumor relationships. ROC curves evaluated diagnostic performance.

Results: The tumor group showed higher rates of low internal echo, calcification, irregular morphology, and type II classification than the ulcer group (P<0.05). EI, TTP, AUC, and AT were significantly elevated in tumors (P<0.05), correlating positively with tumor occurrence (r=0.524-0.597, P<0.05). ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.947, with sensitivity 96.72% and specificity 98.91%.

Conclusion: Gastrointestinal ultrasound contrast filling effectively demonstrates both conventional and enhancement features of gastric lesions in the elderly, providing high sensitivity and specificity for differentiating gastric tumors from gastric ulcers.