Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) contributes to a triple-negative test in preoperative screening of pancreatic cysts

Contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasonography for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic masses: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Understanding the difference between malignant and benign pancreatic masses is critical in terms of diagnosis, although this is difficult to determine in clinical practice. The contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) technique was introduced in 2010, although, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there has been no systematic review or meta-analysis to date evaluating its diagnostic performance for the differentiation of pancreatic masses. The aim of the present study was to systematically evaluate the diagnostic performance of CH-EUS for the differentiation of pancreatic masses. Search key words and inclusion and exclusion criteria were initially presented. Two independent authors read and extracted the relevant information from the included studies. Disagreements were resolved through discussion with another two experienced authors. Metadisc and Stata software were used for the meta-analysis and the evaluation of bias. A total of 16 studies comprising 1,325 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio of CH-EUS were used to distinguish between malignant and benign tumors, and the values obtained were 93% [95% confidence interval (CI): 91-94%], 84% (95% CI: 80-87%), 5.58 (95% CI: 3.90-7.97), 0.09 (95% CI: 0.07-0.11) and 72.56 (95% CI: 48.93-107.60), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve was determined to be 0.96. No publication bias was identified in this meta-analysis. Taken together, these results confirm that CH-EUS has a high accuracy rate for distinguishing between benign and malignant pancreatic space-occupying lesions, and it may therefore be used as an effective diagnostic tool for pancreatic masses.

Imaging and Cytopathological Criteria Indicating Malignancy in Mucin-Producing Pancreatic Neoplasms: A Series of 68 Histopathologically Confirmed Cases

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to evaluate the performance of clinical, imaging, and cytopathological criteria in the identification of high-grade dysplasia/carcinoma (HGD/Ca) in pancreatic mucin-producing cystic neoplasms.

METHODS

Sixty-eight consecutive, histopathologically confirmed mucin-producing cystic neoplasms, evaluated by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration, were enrolled; specifically, 39 branch duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (BD-IPMNs), 21 main duct IPMNs, and 8 mucinous cystic neoplasms. The associations between HGD/Ca in histopathology and findings of endoscopic ultrasound and cytology, demographic, lifestyle, and clinical parameters were evaluated, separately in IPMNs and mucinous cystic neoplasms.

RESULTS

Age 65 years or more was associated with HGD/Ca in IPMNs. In BD-IPMNs, cyst diameter 3 cm or greater (sensitivity, 68.8%; specificity, 65.2%), a mural nodule (sensitivity, 56.3%; specificity, 78.3%), main pancreatic duct diameter 5 to 9 mm (sensitivity, 50.0%; specificity, 87.0%), and suspicious cytology (sensitivity, 81.3%; specificity, 100%) signaled the presence of HGD/Ca. Similarly, in main duct IPMNs, suspicious cytology predicted HGD/Ca with high sensitivity (88.9%) and excellent specificity (100%). Regarding cytopathological criteria, in BD-IPMNs, HGD/Ca was associated with a high nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio, background necrosis, presence of papillary structures, hypochromatic nuclei, hyperchromatic nuclei, and major nuclear membrane irregularities (thickening and/or indentations).

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical, imaging, and cytopathological criteria are useful in the identification of HGD/Ca in IPMNs.

The safety of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of pancreatic cystic lesions

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) is widely used in the evaluation of various pancreatic diseases including pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs). EUS-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of PCLs provides cyst fluid, which is used for the differentiation of PCLs. EUS-FNA of PCLs is a safe procedure with a low complication rate. Contrary to the concerns expressed by some investigators, preoperative EUS-FNA of mucinous PCLs is unlikely to increase the frequency of postoperative peritoneal seeding.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for the diagnosis of pancreatic cysts by combined cytopathology and cystic content analysis

Recent advances in imaging technology have resulted in an increase in incidental discoveries of pancreatic cystic lesions. Pancreatic cysts comprise a wide variety of lesions and include non-neoplastic cysts and neoplastic cysts. Because some pancreatic cysts have more of a malignant potential than others, it is absolutely essential that an accurate diagnosis is rendered so that effective care can be given to each patient. In many centers, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has emerged as the modality of choice that enables one to distinguish between mucinous and non-mucinous lesion, diagnose malignancy and collect cyst fluid for further diagnostic studies, such as pancreatic enzyme levels, molecular analysis and other tumor biomarkers. The current review will focus on EUS-guided FNA and the cytological diagnosis for pancreatic cysts.

Management of Incidental Pancreatic Cystic Lesions

BACKGROUND

Pancreatic cystic lesions (PCL) are common. They are increasingly detected as an incidental finding of transabdominal ultrasound or cross-sectional imaging. In contrast to other parenchymal organs, dysontogenetic pancreatic cysts are extremely rare. In symptomatic patients the most frequent PCL are acute and chronic pseudocysts. The majority of incidental cystic lesions, however, are neoplasias which have different risks of malignancy.

METHODS

PubMed was searched for studies, reviews, meta-analyses, and guidelines using the following key words: ('pancreatic cystic lesions' OR 'cystic pancreatic lesions' OR 'intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasia' OR 'mucinous cystic neoplasia' OR 'pancreatic cyst' OR 'pancreatic pseudocyst') AND (management OR treatment OR outcome OR prognosis OR diagnosis OR imaging OR 'endoscopic ultrasound' EUS-FNA OR EUS OR 'endoscopic ultrasonography' OR CT OR MRI). Retrieved papers were reviewed with regard to the diagnostic and therapeutic management of incidental PCL.

RESULTS

In addition to clinical criteria, transabdominal ultrasonography including contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, cross-sectional radiological imaging, and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) are used for diagnostic characterization and risk assessment. EUS plays an outstanding role in differential diagnosis and prognostic characterization of incidental PCL. In a single examination it is possible to perform high-resolution morphological description, perfusion imaging, as well as fine-needle aspiration of cyst content, cyst wall, and solid components. An international consensus guideline has defined worrisome and high-risk criteria for the risk assessment of mucinous pancreatic cysts, which are mainly based on the results of EUS and cross-sectional imaging. Nevertheless, despite diagnostic progress and guideline recommendations, differential diagnosis and management decisions remain difficult. This review will discuss problems in and approaches to the diagnosis of incidental PCL.

CONCLUSION

An evidence-based algorithm for the diagnosis of incidental PCL is proposed.

Analysis of VEGF/PlGF heterodimer level in pancreatic cyst fluid as a biomarker for serous cystadenoma

INTRODUCTION

Pancreatic cyst fluid (PCF) analysis provides valuable information in the preoperative evaluation of pancreatic cysts. Vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGF) and other proangiogenesis factors such a placental growth factor (PlGF) are promising biomarkers for identifying serous cystadenoma (SCA). VEGF-A has recently been reported as a SCA marker. We sought to assess the value of the VEGF-A/PlGF heterodimer as a potential biomarker of SCA in PCF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

PCF was analyzed for VEGF/PlGF and 7 additional proangiogenic markers including VEGF-A, VEGF-C, VEGF-D, TEK tyrosine kinase, endothelial (TIE-2), soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), PlGF, and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). True-positive or false-negative results were determined by histological confirmation of SCA and false-positive or true-negative results with confirmation of a non-SCA cyst by either cytology or histology, elevated carcinoembryonic antigen ≥192 ng/mL, elevated amylase ≥5000 U/L, or detected KRAS/GNAS mutations.

RESULTS

Forty-eight PCFs were analyzed; 1 was technically inadequate. Of the remaining 47, 3 (6%) contained measurable (>60 pg/mL) concentrations of VEGF/PlGF heterodimer: 1 pseudocyst, 1 cystic adenocarcinoma, and 1 SCA. Of 6 histologically confirmed SCAs, there was only 1 (17%) true positive. Six PCFs were not classifiable due to insufficient data, leaving 41 PCFs for performance calculations (33 true negative, 5 false negative, 1 true positive, and 2 false positive) yielding a sensitivity of 17% and specificity of 94%.

CONCLUSIONS

VEGF/PlGF heterodimer is present in low concentrations in PCF and is an insensitive biomarker for SCA. Additional study is required to determine clinical utility of heterodimeric VEGF/PlGF in combination with other proangiogenic markers.

Standardized terminology and nomenclature for pancreatobiliary cytology: The Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology Guidelines

The Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology has developed a set of guidelines for pancreatobiliary cytology including indications for endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, techniques of EUS-FNA, terminology and nomenclature of pancreatobiliary disease, ancillary testing and post-biopsy treatment and management. All documents are based on the expertise of the authors, a review of the literature, discussion of the draft document at several national and international meetings over an 18 month period and synthesis of online comments of the draft document on the Papanicolaou Society of Cytopathology web site [www.papsociety.org]. This document selectively presents the results of these discussions and focuses on a proposed standardized terminology scheme for pancreatobiliary specimens that correlate cytological diagnosis with biological behavior and increasingly conservative patient management of surveillance only. The proposed terminology scheme recommends a six-tiered system: Non-diagnostic, negative, atypical, neoplastic [benign or other], suspicious and positive. Unique to this scheme is the “neoplastic” category separated into “benign” (serous cystadenoma) or “other” (premalignant mucinous cysts, neuroendocrine tumors and solid-pseudopapillary neoplasms (SPNs)). The positive or malignant category is reserved for high-grade, aggressive malignancies including ductal adenocarcinoma, acinar cell carcinoma, poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas, pancreatoblastoma, lymphoma and metastases. Interpretation categories do not have to be used. Some pathology laboratory information systems require an interpretation category, which places the cytological diagnosis into a general category. This proposed scheme provides terminology that standardizes the category of the various diseases of the pancreas, some of which are difficult to diagnose specifically by cytology. In addition, this terminology scheme attempts to provide maximum flexibility for patient management, which has become increasingly conservative for some neoplasms.