UNASSIGNED: Standard suction technique (SST), slow-pull technique (SPT), and wet suction technique (WEST) of EUS-FNA are designed to improve the diagnostic yields of solid and solid-cystic lesions. We conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized crossover trial to compare SST, SPT, and WEST on specimen quality and diagnostic accuracy using a 22G needle.
UNASSIGNED: Patients with solid or solid-cystic lesions referred for EUS-FNA at four tertiary hospitals from December 2017 to August 2019 were considered eligible. All lesions were sampled using a 22G needle by the three techniques performed consecutively in a randomized order. The primary outcome was quality of the specimen acquired by each technique regarding blood contamination, tissue integrity and cellularity for diagnosis, graded on a predefined scale. The secondary outcomes were the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA and the incidence of adverse events. ClinicalTrial. gov registration number: NCT03567863.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 300 patients (mean age, 60.6 years, 188 men) were enrolled. WEST was superior (mean score 4.02 ± 1.51) over SST (3.67 ± 1.57, P = 0.018), but comparable to SPT (3.83 ± 1.55, P = 0.370) in overall specimen quality evaluation. WEST produced better tissue integrity (1.42 ± 0.74) and higher cellularity (1.32 ± 0.80) than SST and SPT. SPT (1.43 ± 0.69) was superior to SST (1.27 ± 0.72, P = 0.004) and WEST (1.28 ± 0.71, P = 0.006) in avoiding blood contamination. WEST achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 74.7%, higher than SST (64.4%, P = 0.007) and SPT (65.0%, P = 0.012). One bleeding event occurred with a pancreatic lesion.
UNASSIGNED: WEST was comparable to SPT and superior to SST in the overall quality of the specimen and achieved highest diagnostic yield.

UNASSIGNED: Standard suction technique (SST), slow-pull technique (SPT), and wet suction technique (WEST) of EUS-FNA are designed to improve the diagnostic yields of solid and solid-cystic lesions. We conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized crossover trial to compare SST, SPT, and WEST on specimen quality and diagnostic accuracy using a 22G needle.
UNASSIGNED: Patients with solid or solid-cystic lesions referred for EUS-FNA at four tertiary hospitals from December 2017 to August 2019 were considered eligible. All lesions were sampled using a 22G needle by the three techniques performed consecutively in a randomized order. The primary outcome was quality of the specimen acquired by each technique regarding blood contamination, tissue integrity and cellularity for diagnosis, graded on a predefined scale. The secondary outcomes were the diagnostic yield of EUS-FNA and the incidence of adverse events. ClinicalTrial. gov registration number: NCT03567863.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 300 patients (mean age, 60.6 years, 188 men) were enrolled. WEST was superior (mean score 4.02 ± 1.51) over SST (3.67 ± 1.57, P = 0.018), but comparable to SPT (3.83 ± 1.55, P = 0.370) in overall specimen quality evaluation. WEST produced better tissue integrity (1.42 ± 0.74) and higher cellularity (1.32 ± 0.80) than SST and SPT. SPT (1.43 ± 0.69) was superior to SST (1.27 ± 0.72, P = 0.004) and WEST (1.28 ± 0.71, P = 0.006) in avoiding blood contamination. WEST achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 74.7%, higher than SST (64.4%, P = 0.007) and SPT (65.0%, P = 0.012). One bleeding event occurred with a pancreatic lesion.
UNASSIGNED: WEST was comparable to SPT and superior to SST in the overall quality of the specimen and achieved highest diagnostic yield.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to develop a deep learning-based segmentation system for rapid on-site cytopathology evaluation (ROSE) to improve the diagnostic efficiency of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) biopsy.
METHODS: A retrospective, multicenter, diagnostic study was conducted using 5345 cytopathological slide images from 194 patients who underwent EUS-FNA. These patients were from Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (109 patients), Wuxi People\'s Hospital (30 patients), Wuxi Second People\'s Hospital (25 patients), and The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University (30 patients). A deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) system was developed to segment cell clusters and identify cancer cell clusters with cytopathological slide images. Internal testing, external testing, subgroup analysis, and human-machine competition were used to evaluate the performance of the system.
RESULTS: The DCNN system segmented stained cells from the background in cytopathological slides with an F1-score of 0·929 and 0·899-0·938 in internal and external testing, respectively. For cancer identification, the DCNN system identified images containing cancer clusters with AUCs of 0·958 and 0·948-0·976 in internal and external testing, respectively. The generalizable and robust performance of the DCNN system was validated in sensitivity analysis (AUC > 0·900) and was superior to that of trained endoscopists and comparable to cytopathologists on our testing datasets.
CONCLUSIONS: The DCNN system is feasible and robust for identifying sample adequacy and pancreatic cancer cell clusters. Prospective studies are warranted to evaluate the clinical significance of the system.
BACKGROUND: Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation; Nanjing Medical Science and Technology Development Funding; National Natural Science Foundation of China.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) was developed with the aim of further improving the diagnostic performance of endoscopic ultrasound. Although novel puncture needles have been specifically designed for collecting sufficient tissue specimens, clinical studies have indicated no clear difference in diagnostic performance between these novel needles and conventional puncture needles. Recently, a needle with Franseen geometry was developed specifically for EUS-FNA biopsy. Due to the characteristic shape of its tip, the Franseen needle is expected to be effective for scraping tissues, thus potentially increasing the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA biopsy. We plan to carry out a prospective, multicenter, open-labeled, controlled trial to compare conventional and Franseen needles in terms of the diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA for evaluating the malignancy of pancreatic mass lesions.
METHODS: The study will enroll 520 patients with pancreatic mass managed at any of 21 participating endoscopic centers. Lesion samples obtained using 22G conventional and Franseen needles will be assessed to compare the efficacy and safety of these two types of needles in EUS-FNA for evaluating the malignancy of mass lesions in the pancreas. Tissue samples will be fixed in formalin and processed for histologic evaluation. For the purpose of this study, only samples obtained with the first needle pass will be used for comparing the: (i) accuracy of the malignancy diagnosis, (ii) sensitivity and specificity for the malignancy diagnosis, (iii) procedure completion rate, (iv) sample cellularity, and (v) incidence of complications. Patient enrollment begins on July 17, 2018.
CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of this study may provide insight into the optimal needle choice for evaluating the malignancy of pancreatic solid lesions, thus aiding in the development of practice guidelines for pancreatic diseases.
BACKGROUND: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR), UMIN000030634. Registered on 29 December 2017. http://www.umin.ac.jp/ Version number: 01.2017.12.28.

BACKGROUND: Telecytopathology for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has been shown to be an alternative to rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE). Gastroenterologists (endosonographers) performing EUS-FNA can be trained to evaluate a specimen for adequacy. This study examined the ability of an endosonographer with focused cytopathologic training to assess the adequacy of pancreatic FNA specimens and transmit diagnostic images to a remotely located cytopathologist as compared to an experienced cytotechnologist.
METHODS: This was a retrospective study of consecutive pancreatic lesions sampled by EUS-FNA reviewed by an endosonographer and a cytotechnologist. The participants were assessed based on their ability to (1) determine adequacy, (2) locate and transmit representative cell groups, (3) provide a preliminary diagnosis, and (4) provide concordance with actual diagnosis.
RESULTS: 105 consecutive cases of EUS-FNA of the pancreas were analyzed, including: adenocarcinoma (n = 39), cyst (n = 17), neuroendocrine neoplasia (n = 7), pancreatitis (n = 14), benign pancreas (n = 9), other neoplasms (n = 6), suspicious/atypical (n = 3), and nondiagnostic (n = 10). The cytotechnologist demonstrated superiority in accuracy 92.7% versus 70% (P = 0.003) and subcategorization 95.0% versus 76% (P = 0.007). There was no difference in \"broad\" categorization (benign/malignant) between the endosonographer and cytotechnologist, 98% and 98.2% (P = 0.946), respectively. Also, there was no difference with regard to adequacy assessment (P = 0.29). A steady learning curve for the endosonographer was demonstrated in their cytologic assessment (P = 0.041). The endosonographer was shown to be able to remotely transmit diagnostic images to a pathologist.
CONCLUSIONS: An endosonographer with limited training can examine for specimen adequacy, transmit images, and demonstrate representative cell groups. Larger studies are required though preliminary results are encouraging.

BACKGROUND: Chronic pancreatitis (CP), pancreatic cancer (PCa), and autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) often present as a pancreatic mass. Accurate diagnosis is not always possible; up to 8% of surgical procedures are performed in benign pancreatic masses presumed to be malignant.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare clinical and imaging characteristics of resected focal type 2 AIP, CP, and PCa and identify factors that could improve preoperative differential diagnosis.
METHODS: Charts from patients that underwent pancreatic resection under suspicion of PCa between 2000 and 2014 were reviewed. Clinical and imaging data were recorded. Subjects were grouped as type 2 AIP, CP, and PCa.
RESULTS: We included 79 cases; 41 men, mean age of 57.3 years/old ± 15.6 SD. Pathology report was type 2 AIP (20%), CP (10%), and PCa (70%). According to international consensus criteria for AIP 11 cases were deemed probable type 2 and 5 as unspecific pancreatic mass. A nondilated main pancreatic duct (MPD) was associated with AIP (OR 9.3; 95% CI 3.05-28.7), p < 0.001; obstructive jaundice (OR 28.5; 95% CI 8.18-79.5); and a dilated MPD (OR 5.21; 95% CI 1.9-14.6) suggested malignancy.
CONCLUSIONS: In the setting of undetermined pancreatic focal mass, a nondilated MPD suggests the diagnosis of type 2 AIP.

UNASSIGNED: The ability to obtain adequate tissue of solid pancreatic lesions by EUS-guided remains a challenge. The aim of this study was to compare the performance characteristics and safety of EUS-FNA for evaluating solid pancreatic lesions using the standard 22-gauge needle versus a novel EUS biopsy needle.
UNASSIGNED: This was a multicenter retrospective study of EUS-guided sampling of solid pancreatic lesions between 2009 and 2015. Patients underwent EUS-guided sampling with a 22-gauge SharkCore (SC) needle or a standard 22-gauge FNA needle. Technical success, performance characteristics of EUS-FNA, the number of needle passes required to obtain a diagnosis, diagnostic accuracy, and complications were compared.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 1088 patients (mean age = 66 years; 49% female) with pancreatic masses underwent EUS-guided sampling with a 22-gauge SC needle (n = 115) or a standard 22-gauge FNA needle (n = 973). Technical success was 100%. The frequency of obtaining an adequate cytology by EUS-FNA was similar when using the SC and the standard needle (94.1% vs. 92.7%, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of EUS-FNA for tissue diagnosis were not significantly different between two needles. Adequate sample collection leading to a definite diagnosis was achieved by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd pass in 73%, 92%, and 98% of procedures using the SC needle and 20%, 37%, and 94% procedures using the standard needle (P < 0.001), respectively. The median number of passes to obtain a tissue diagnosis using the SC needle was significantly less as compared to the standard needle (1 and 3, respectively; P< 0.001).
UNASSIGNED: The EUS SC biopsy needle is safe and technically feasible for EUS-FNA of solid pancreatic mass lesions. Preliminary results suggest that the SC needle has a diagnostic yield similar to the standard EUS needle and significantly reduces the number of needle passes required to obtain a tissue diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Semiquantitative EUS-elastography has been introduced to distinguish between malignant and benign pancreatic lesions. This study investigated whether semiquantitative EUS-guided transient real time elastography increases the diagnostic accuracy for solid pancreatic lesions compared to EUS-FNA.
METHODS: This single centre prospective cohort study included all patients with solitary pancreatic lesions on EUS during one year. Patients underwent EUS-FNA and semiquantitative EUS-elastography during the same session. EUS and elastography results were compared with final diagnosis which was made on the basis of tissue samples and long-term outcome.
RESULTS: 91 patients were recruited of which 68 had pancreatic malignancy, 17 showed benign disease and 6 had cystic lesions and were excluded from further analysis. Strain ratios from malignant lesions were significantly higher (24.00; 8.01-43.94 95% CI vs 44.00; 32.42-55.00 95% CI) and ROC analysis indicated optimal cut-off of 24.82 with resulting sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 77%, 65% and 73% respectively. B-mode EUS and EUS-FNA had an accuracy for the correct diagnosis of malignant lesions of 87% and 85%. When lowering the cut-off strain ratio for elastography to 10 the sensitivity rose to 96% with specificity of 43% and accuracy of 84%, resulting in the least accurate EUS-based method. This was confirmed by pairwise comparison.
CONCLUSIONS: Semiquantitative EUS-elastography does not add substantial value to the EUS-based assessment of solid pancreatic lesions when compared to B-mode imaging.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration has a central role in the diagnostic algorithm of solid pancreatic masses. Data comparing the fine needle aspiration performed with different aspiration volume and without aspiration are lacking. We compared endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration performed with the 22 gauge needle with different aspiration volumes (10, 20 and 0 ml), for adequacy, diagnostic accuracy and complications.
METHODS: Prospective clinical study at four referral centres. Endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration was performed with a 22G needle with both volume aspiration (10 and 20 cc) and without syringe, in randomly assigned sequence. The cyto-pathologist was blinded as to which aspiration was used for each specimen.
RESULTS: 100 patients met the inclusion criteria, 88 completed the study. The masses had a mean size of 32.21±11.24 mm. Sample adequacy evaluated on site was 87.5% with 20 ml aspiration vs. 76.1% with 10 ml (p=0.051), and 45.4% without aspiration (20 ml vs. 0 ml p<0.001; 10 ml vs. 0 ml p<0.001). The diagnostic accuracy was significantly better with 20 ml than with 10 ml and 0 ml (86.2% vs. 69.0% vs. 49.4% p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: A significantly higher adequacy and accuracy were observed with the 20 ml aspiration puncture, therefore performing all passes with this volume aspiration may improve the diagnostic power of fine needle aspiration.