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Clinical utility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration
R A Erickson1, L Sayage-Rabie, A Avots-Avotins
1Department of Medicine, Scott & White Clinic and Memorial Hospital, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, Texas 76508, USA.
Objective:
To assess our institution's initial experience with the clinical utility of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration.
Study Design:
Prospective analysis of the clinical utility of EUS-guided FNA.
Results:
Fifty-three patients underwent EUS-guided FNA of 64 sites, 28 for pancreatic masses, 15 for lymph nodes, 10 for solid lesions, 7 for cystic masses, 2 for submucosal masses and 2 for perigastrointestinal fluid. A cytopathologist was present during all procedures. An average of four passes (range, one to nine) was required to make a diagnosis in the 22 patients with pancreatic malignancies. There was one possible complication among the 53 patients. In 36 of the 53 patients, the combination of diagnostic EUS findings and cytologic diagnosis made a major change in the patient's management.
Conclusion:
Because of its ability to affect patient management, EUS-guided FNA will become a more commonly used procedure, especially at oncologic centers. Since the number of fine needle passes needed for diagnosis is quite variable, it is important to have a cytopathologist participate in these procedures.