Diagnostic yield and therapeutic impact of fine-needle aspiration biopsies guided by endoscopic ultrasound in pancreatic lesions.

BACKGROUND AND AIM The correct approach and treatment in a patient with a pancreatic lesion detected by imaging is not easy. Recently, the endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) biopsy is becoming a useful tool. The aim of the study is to evaluate the diagnostic yield and therapeutic impact of EUS-FNA in pancreatic lesions. METHODS Fifty-three patients with focal pancreatic lesions underwent EUS-FNA from March 2005 to March 2006. The final diagnosis was confirmed by the histological analysis from the surgical specimen and/or clinical follow-up for at least 6 months. RESULTS . Fifty-two patients were evaluated. Forty-seven useful samples for histological evaluation were obtained. Adequate samples were obtained in 83.3% (5/6) for lesions < 20 mm, 100% (19/19) for lesions from 20 to < 40 mm and 85.1% (23/ 27) for those > or = 40 mm. To differentiate between benign/malignant disease the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA were 97.3% (95% CI: 84.9-99.1), 100% (95% CI: 66-100), 100% (95% CI: 88-100), 90% (95% CI: 57-96) and 97.8%, respectively. There was a change in the initial diagnosis in seven patients (14.8%). No complications were reported. CONCLUSIONS EUS-FNA is a useful and safe method with high predictive values to differentiate between malignant and benign pancreatic lesions.