Correlation Between Endosonography and Cytopathology in the Diagnosis of Pancreatic Masses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Pancreatic cancer is among the deadliest malignancies, with an increasing incidence and a 5-year survival rate below 10%. Due to the lack of sensitive and specific diagnostic markers, its identification remains challenging. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) has become an invaluable staging tool, particularly when CT scans fail to reveal masses. When combined with fine needle aspiration (FNA) or fine needle biopsy (FNB), EUS facilitates diagnostic confirmation.

This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2023 at Shahid Sadoughi University of Yazd and involved 110 patients. Data on age, gender, pathology diagnosis, and findings from EUS, FNA, and FNB were retrospectively collected and analyzed using SPSS version 22.

Of the 110 patients, 74 (67%) were male and 36 (33%) were female, with a mean age of 61.5 years. Adenocarcinoma was the predominant diagnosis, accounting for 70% of cases. The most common clinical presentations were abdominal pain (observed in 75% of patients), jaundice, and weight loss. There was 85% agreement between EUS and pathological results. A malignant mass was identified in 69% of FNA cases, with the pancreatic head most frequently involved. Notably, diagnostic concordance between FNA and FNB reached complete agreement (100%) in lesions located in the pancreatic tail.

The robust correlation between EUS and cytopathological findings and the outstanding agreement between FNA and FNB underscore the pivotal role of integrating these techniques for accurate pancreatic mass diagnosis. These findings validate the current diagnostic practices and provide new insights that can potentially improve patient outcomes.