Role of endoscopic ultrasound in the diagnosis of patients with solid pancreatic masses.
Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is the most sensitive imaging procedure for the detection of small solid pancreatic masses and is accurate in determining vascular invasion of the portal venous system. Even compared to the new CT techniques, EUS provides excellent results in preoperative staging of solid pancreatic tumors. Compared to helical CT techniques, EUS is less accurate in detecting tumor involvement of the superior mesenteric artery. EUS staging and EUS-guided FNA can be performed in a single-step procedure, to establish the diagnosis of cancer. There is no known negative impact of tumor cell seeding due to EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA). Without FNA, EUS and additional methods are not able to reliably distinguish between inflammatory and malignant masses.
Department of Gastroenterology, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany. stefan.kahl@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
Stefan
S
Kahl
Peter
P
Malfertheiner
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology*; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*