Effectiveness of focal vs. balloon radiofrequency ablation devices in the treatment of Barrett's esophagus.

Background And Aims: The safety and efficacy of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in treatment of Barrett's esophagus (BE)-associated dysplasia has been well established. The effectiveness of focal and balloon RFA devices has not been compared. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the effectiveness of focal and balloon RFA devices in the treatment of BE by calculating absolute and percentage change in BE length with RFA therapy by comparing pre- and post-treatment BE length.

The utility of lower endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for the diagnosis of benign and malignant pelvic diseases.

Background: The utility of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for the diagnosis of pelvic masses has been suggested but limited data are available in the literature regarding its diagnostic accuracy.

Goals: To report our institutional experience with EUS-FNA for the diagnosis of a variety of pelvic diseases.

Methods: Patients who were referred for the evaluation of pelvic lesions using lower EUS-FNA were included in this retrospective analysis if they had available surgical pathology (obtained after EUS) which was considered the gold standard against which the EUS-FNA findings would have been compared.