title: Endoscopic ultrasound staging and guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in patients with resectable pancreatic malignancies: a single-center prospective experience.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endoscopic ultrasound staging and guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNA) is a highly accurate diagnostic method, useful in characterizing pancreatic lesions, obtaining definitive tissue diagnosis in patients with suspected pancreatic lesions, and providing accurate locoregional staging that enhances diagnostic certainty and evaluation of appropriateness of surgical intervention. The aims of this study were to evaluate the preoperative contribution of EUS staging and EUS-FNA in patients with suspected resectable pancreatic malignancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective study was conducted in a tertiary referral center. During a 54-month period, a total of 103 consecutive patients were prospectively evaluated with EUS and EUS-FNA. Enrolled in the study were patients with resectable pancreatic lesions, who underwent surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall operating characteristics of EUSFNA were sensitivity 96.7%, specificity 90.0%, positive predictive value 98.9%, negative predictive value 75.0%, and diagnostic accuracy 96.1%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EUS and EUS-FNA have a high accuracy and positive predictive value in the preoperative determination of resectability in pancreatic cancer.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Unit, General Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors: Ioannis
authors: I
authors: Karoumpalis
authors: Panagiotis
authors: P
authors: Sigalas
authors: Charitini
authors: C
authors: Salla
authors: Evanthia
authors: E
authors: Diakatou
authors: Vasileios
authors: V
authors: Balatsos
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Zografos
authors: Vasileios
authors: V
authors: Delis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*