title: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of lymph nodes: the Hennepin County Medical Center experience.
abstract: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) allows for the sampling and diagnosis of lesions of the gastrointestinal system and adjacent tissues. It has also proved helpful with the sampling of lymphadenopathy both for the staging of malignancy and for the diagnosis of lymphadenopathy of other causes. We review our experience with EUS-guided FNA of lymph nodes. The cytology files were searched at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) for all cases of lymph nodes sampled by EUS. Clinical history, biopsy site, diagnosis, and follow-up information (including ancillary testing) were reviewed. Between January 1, 2000 and December 5, 2002, 217 lymph nodes from 185 different patients were sampled by EUS at HCMC. Biopsy sites included 62 mediastinal, 9 paraesophageal, and 146 intra-abdominal lymph nodes. Diagnoses were as follows: metastatic non-small cell carcinoma (n = 69); benign, reactive lymph node (n = 76); granulomatous lymphadenopathy (n = 18); malignant lymphoma (n = 7); atypical-suspicious for malignancy (n = 5); metastatic small cell carcinoma (n = 2); necrotic debris (n = 4), and foreign material (n = 1); 35 cases were nondiagnostic (16.1%) in 22 of 185 patients (11.9%). Ancillary tests including flow cytometry, cytogenetics, and cultures were performed. EUS-guided FNA of mediastinal and intra-abdominal lymph nodes provides diagnostic material from which ancillary testing may be performed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55415, USA. edstelow@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Edward B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Stelow
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Ricardo H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Bardales
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mallery
authors.forename: Bradley M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Linzie
authors.forename: Gretchen
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Crary
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Stanley
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods; D019160:Endosonography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged