Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), consisting of an endoscope with an attached ultrasound transducer on its tip, enables the visualization of bowel wall and structures surrounding the bowel. There are 2 types of EUS: radial scanning and curvilinear; the latter is ideal for fine needle aspiration (FNA). EUS-FNA is indicated for diagnosing both solid and cystic pancreatic lesions, submucosal lesions of the bowel, and staging of various intrathoracic and intraabdominal malignancies. Other indications include the evaluation of lymphadenopathy of unknown etiologies, left liver, and left adrenal gland lesions. Although the cytology of EUS-FNA is simitar to those obtained by conventional means, it is important to aware of the potential pitfalls including those that are more pertinent to EUS-FNA.