Efficacy of endoscopic ultrasound fine needle aspiration in diagnosing the rare (non-adenocarcinoma) tumors of pancreas.

BACKGROUND: Five percent of pancreatic neoplasms are non- adenocarcinoma tumors. Clinical presentation and imaging characteristics of these tumors are similar to adenocarcinoma. This study aims at evaluating the results and efficacy of Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) in diagnosing the pancreatic non-adenocarcinoma tumor in patients with solid pancreatic mass.

METHODOLOGY: The present study which is of a descriptive, prospective and case series nature, has been studying the diagnostic value of EUS-FNA in pancreatic non-adenocarcinoma tumor in 60 patients with pancreatic solid neoplasm. Cytopathologic diagnosis founded on EUS-FNA accepted as final diagnosis in unresectable ones. But the reference standard for the final diagnosis in patients with resectable tumor was surgical pathology. In patients with non diagnostic EUS-FNA specimen, final diagnosis achieved by re-FNA, Computerized Tomography (CT) guided biopsy, or surgery.

RESULTS: Ten patients (17%) found to have non-adenocarcinoma tumor. Half of them were male. EUS-FNA was diagnostic in 8 cases (80%) including the 4 neuroendocrine tumors, one gastrointestinal stromal tumor, one mucinous neoplasm, one pseudopapillary tumor, and one geant cell tumor. Surgical pathology confirmed the EUS-FNA diagnosis in five patients that had resectable tumor. However EUS-FNA recognition accepted as final diagnosis in three patients that had unresectable tumor. EUS-FNA was non-diagnostic in one patient with pancreatic lymphoma and another patient with colon cancer metastasis.

CONCLUSION: EUS FNA is a safe and effective for diagnosing the solid non-adenocarcinoma tumors as well as adenocarcinomas of pancreas.