A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in differentiating the origin, nature and extension of submucosal tumor. During the period from Oct. 1986 to July 1988, there were fourteen patients suspected to have a submucosal tumor (SMT) in upper gastrointestinal (UGI) panendoscopy. Of the 14 patients, all underwent EUS, 9 had a UGI barium meal study, and 13 received a panendoscopic biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy of the different modalities was 85.7%, 66.7%, 23.1% for EUS, UGI barium meal study and panendoscopic biopsy respectively. This study disclosed that the EUS was much more usefulness in the diagnosis of UGI tract submucosal tumors. Owing to its high resolution, it is suitable in delineating the nature, origin and extension of submucosal tumors.