Diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration for suspected pancreatic malignancy in relation to the size of lesions.

Background And Aim:   Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is an accurate method for cytological confirmation of pancreatic malignancy, but it has been unknown whether its diagnostic accuracy for pancreatic lesions was affected by their size, location, or size of needles. Our aim was to investigate the accuracy of EUS-FNA for suspected pancreatic malignancy in relation to these factors, especially to the size of lesions.

Methods:   In a tertiary referral center, EUS-FNAs for 120 suspected pancreatic malignancies in 115 patients based on other imaging studies were evaluated retrospectively.

Asymptomatic curable pancreatic ductal carcinoma detected during the follow-up of pancreatic cysts distinct from carcinoma.

Recent studies have reported that pancreatic ductal carcinomas are frequently found during the follow-up of pancreatic cysts distinct from carcinoma; however, the majority of them are detected in advanced stages. Therefore, the early detection of metachronous ductal carcinomas is one of the issues in the management of pancreatic cysts. A 25-mm pancreatic cyst in the pancreatic head was found during an annual check-up in a 70-year-old woman.

Combined brush cytology and stent placement in a single session for presumed malignant biliary stricture.

Background And Aim:   Biliary stricture may be benign or malignant and causes obstructive jaundice. Brush cytology is a simple technique for diagnosing the cause of biliary stricture; however, its sensitivity has been reported to be low. A technique that comprises diagnosing the cause of stricture with a satisfactory sensitivity and relieving jaundice is required.

Size of mural nodule as an indicator of surgery for branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas during follow-up.

Background: A mural nodule is a strong predictive factor for malignancy in branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas, but the nodule size has hardly been considered. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a mural nodule of 10 mm was appropriate as an indicator of surgery for IPMN during follow-up.

Methods: The follow-up outcomes of 100 patients who had branch duct IPMN without mural nodules or who had branch duct IPMN with mural nodules of less than 9 mm in a tertiary care setting were investigated retrospectively.

Improved diagnosis of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma with gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

Aim:   Two new imaging modalities have been developed recently that are directed at the focal liver lesions: gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). We investigated the usefulness of these modalities for the diagnosis of small (<2 cm), well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods:   A total of 15 nodules from 13 patients, which were histologically diagnosed as well-differentiated HCC, were subjected to this study.

Slight dilatation of the main pancreatic duct and presence of pancreatic cysts as predictive signs of pancreatic cancer: a prospective study.

Purpose: To prospectively determine whether slight dilatation of the main pancreatic duct and pancreatic cysts detected at ultrasonography (US) are predictive signs of pancreatic cancer.

Materials And Methods: The research protocol was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from all participants. One thousand fifty-eight subjects (age range, 36-80 years; mean, 61.

A natural course of main duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas with lower likelihood of malignancy.

Objectives: Main duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) of the pancreas include neoplasms with varying likelihood of progression to malignancy. The aim of this study was to investigate a natural course of main duct IPMNs with a lower likelihood of malignancy.

Methods: Twenty main duct IPMNs with a lower likelihood of malignancy, which was defined as mural nodule of less than 10 mm or no visualized mural nodule, and negative result of cytological examination of pancreatic juice, underwent regular ultrasound every 3 months.

Scraping cytology with a guidewire for pancreatic-ductal strictures.

Background: Strictures of the pancreatic duct may be caused by a variety of underlying pathologic conditions that imaging examinations often fail to define. Conventional procedures for acquisition of a specimen for cytology during ERCP have been limited in their ability to discriminate pancreatic-ductal strictures.

Objective: Our aim was to discriminate pancreatic-ductal strictures by a new technique of sampling material for cytodiagnosis: scraping cytology with a guidewire.