title: Fine needle aspiration biopsy of malignant lesions in and around the pancreas.
abstract: A simple method of percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of malignant lesions in and around the pancreas following radiological localization is described. Biopsy was performed in 28 patients. Twenty-three were eventually considered to have malignant disease and biopsy was positive in 19 of these (83%), including 16 of 18 patients with carcinoma of the pancreas (89%). One patient developed an exacerbation of pancreatitis following the procedure. Surgery became unnecessary in 5 of the 18 patients with positive biopsies. From these results and from a review of the literature on percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy, we believe that this is a simple, relatively painless, reasonably safe and reliable method of obtaining a preoperative diagnosis and advocate the procedure as desirable in all patients in whom malignant disease is suspected and can be localized radiologically.
mesh_terms: D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D005706:Gallbladder Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009366:Neoplasm Seeding; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography