[Prospective comparative study of ERCP brush cytology and EUS-FNA for the differential diagnosis of biliary strictures].

Objective: To evaluate and to compare the diagnostic yield of ERCP brush cytology (ERCP) and EUS-FNA in patients with biliary strictures and evaluates the agreement between general pathologists (GP) and expert GI pathologists (GIP) in the final diagnosis of biliary strictures.

Methods: Patients with biliary strictures documented by ERCP were included. Brush cytology was performed and during EUS, only visible mass lesions or localized bile duct wall thickening were aspirated.

Cell block technique and cytological smears for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasms after endosonography-guided fine-needle aspiration.

Cytological smear is widely employed to analyse specimens obtained from endosonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), but false-negative or inconclusive results may occur. A better diagnostic yield can be obtained from processing cell blocks. We compared the effectiveness of the cell block technique and cytological smear in the diagnosis of pancreatic neoplasms.

Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration core biopsy: comparison between an automatic biopsy device and two conventional needle systems.

Background: endoscopic ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) allows cytologic and/or histologic diagnosis of lesions within or adjacent to the gastrointestinal tract. However, the amount of tissue obtained with a regular 22 gauge needle is not always satisfactory. With the development of a needle XNA-10J-KB (Shot-Gun) that resembles the automatic liver biopsy needle, it is expected that significant samples be obtained more frequently (core biopsy), optimizing histological analysis.

[Endoscopic ultrasound in the preoperative staging of gastric cancer: correlation with the surgical and/or pathological findings].

Background: Gastric adenocarcinoma is the major cause of death by cancer in Brazil. For the planning of the treatment and evaluation of the prognosis, the preoperative staging according to the TNM classification is very important.

Aim: To evaluate the results of endoscopic ultrasound for the T and N categories.

Diagnosis of pancreatic tumors by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration.

Aim: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for pancreatic solid tumors larger or smaller than 3 cm, and cystic lesions.

Methods: From January/1997 to December/2006, 611 patients with pancreatic tumors were subjected to EUS-FNA. The final diagnosis was obtained either by surgery (356 cases) or after a mean clinical follow-up of 11.