Diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration in pancreatic cystic lesions.

INTRODUCTION

Despite advances in imaging techniques, in many cases they are insufficient to establish the diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL). There are few publications in our setting that evaluate the combination of several methods obtained by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The aim of the study was to evaluate the overall utility of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of PCL.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Retrospective study based on a database updated prospectively of a cohort of patients referred for EUS-FNA due to PCL detected in an imaging test. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic yield of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cytology and viscosity were studied to detect mucinous lesions.

RESULTS

From November 2013 to April 2018, 122 EUS were performed for PCL. EUS-FNA was performed in 94/122 (77%) and 21/122 (17.2%) patients were operated on. We included 33/122 patients who had diagnostic confirmation by histology, imaging (serous cyst with typical pattern) or clinical evolution. The study of the ROC curve determined the cutoff point ≥419 ng/ml to differentiate mucinous/non-mucinous cystic lesions. The diagnostic yield of CEA was 87.5% (21/24), cytology 81.8% (27/33) and viscosity 84.4% (27/32). The three parameters in combination obtained the best result (30/33, 90.9%).

CONCLUSION

The combination of CEA analysis, cytology and viscosity of pancreatic fluid obtained by EUS-FNA increases the performance in the diagnosis of mucinous pancreatic cystic lesions, with it being greater than 90%.