title: Clinical utility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess our institution's initial experience with the clinical utility of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Scott & White Clinic and Memorial Hospital, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College of Medicine, Temple, Texas 76508, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Erickson
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sayage-Rabie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Avots-Avotins
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D003560:Cysts / Q000473:pathology*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results