Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration for the diagnosis of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenitis

Disseminated tuberculosis mimicking abdominal metastatic carcinoma: A case report

RATIONALE

Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) has long been a diagnostic challenge for clinicians, often requiring extensive workup and invasive procedures, with the risk of significant complications. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a minimally invasive and highly accurate diagnostic modality for the evaluation of mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenopathy and masses. Several reports on the utility of EUS-FNA as a favorable method for diagnosing extrapulmonary TB have been published.

PATIENT CONCERNS

A 54-year-old man complained of intermittent melena.

DIAGNOSES

18 fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography revealed suspected carcinoma metastasis. EUS-FNA did not reveal any evidence of malignancy.

INTERVENTIONS AND OUTCOMES

Laparoscopy was performed, and frozen section pathology during surgery showed granulomas with focal necrosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction was positive, but acid-fast bacilli staining was negative. Anti-TB treatment was initiated, and the patient was advised to visit the local TB dispensary regularly.

LESSONS

The presence of atypical inflammation of inadequate material or non-representative samples of extra-pulmonary TB was observed on EUS-FNA cytology. Mycobacterium tuberculosis polymerase chain reaction and acid fast bacilli should be performed to diagnose TB because of its higher sensitivity.

Causes of necrotic features in fine-needle aspirates from cervical lymph nodes

BACKGROUND

Lymph node fine-needle aspiration (LN FNA) cytology indicates necrosis in various diseases. Dominant necrotic features make the diagnosis of underlying conditions very difficult.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 460 patients who underwent cervical LN aspiration cytology that revealed necrotic findings at Keimyung University Dongsan Hospital in Daegu, Korea, from 2003-2017. Each specimen was evaluated and analyzed in association with the clinical findings, biopsy findings, and/or other ancillary tests, including acid-fast bacilli staining and molecular testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

RESULTS

When necrotic features were noted upon cervical LN FNA cytology, the most common pathologic LN FNA category was necrosis alone (31.5%). The second most common category was granulomatous inflammation (31.3%), followed by Kikuchi disease (20.0%) and malignant neoplasm (8.7%). In cases where the cervical LN FNA revealed necrosis alone, the most common final diagnosis was tuberculosis. In young patients, Kikuchi disease should be considered as one cervical LN FNA category, while metastatic carcinoma should be suspected in older patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Even when necrosis alone is observed in LN FNA cytology, it is important to determine the cause through further evaluation.

Left-sided portal hypertension caused by peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis misdiagnosed as pancreatic cancer: a case report and literature review

Background

Left-sided portal hypertension (LSPH) is an extremely rare clinical syndrome, and it is the only form of curable portal hypertension. It is primarily caused by pancreatic disease, and is associated with complications that cause spleen vein compression. Specific symptoms are often lacking, rendering it difficult to diagnose. Splenectomy is the main treatment for cases complicated by variceal bleeding, and the effects of treatment primarily depend on the condition of the primary disease.

Case presentation

The patient was a 29-year-old woman who was admitted to the hospital for repeated hematemesis and black stool. She had been misdiagnosed with pancreatic cancer 7 years prior. Combined imaging and endoscopic examination indicated varicose gastric fundus veins, a pancreatic mass, and enlarged peripancreatic lymph nodes. Laboratory investigations revealed reduced erythrocyte, platelet, and leukocyte counts, the interferon gamma release assay was positive, and liver function was normal. Abdominal exploration, splenectomy, varicose vein dissection, and lesion resection were performed via laparotomy. Postoperative biopsy analysis confirmed the diagnosis of lymph node tuberculosis. Based on the above-described factors, LSPH caused by peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis was a diagnosed.

Conclusions

Herein we describe the first reported case of LSPH caused by peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis. When left portal hypertension occurs simultaneously, peripancreatic lymph node tuberculosis is often misdiagnosed as pancreatic cancer. Further studies are necessary to develop a more favorable diagnostic method for pancreas masses and more advantageous therapy for LSPH, especially in cases caused by mechanical compression.

Diagnostic accuracy of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration: A single-center analysis

Background: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNAB) has become an important modality for identification of intra-abdominal masses. This study analyzed the accuracy of EUS-FNAB in a single medical center and explored factors related to positive diagnosis. Materials and methods: In total, 77 patients with EUS-FNAB were retrospectively reviewed from July 2016 to February 2020. "Atypical (tends to be neoplasm/malignancy)," "suspicious (first consider neoplasm/malignancy)," and "malignant" were defined as positive cytology. The final diagnoses were based on histopathologic examination. The positive rate of EUS-FNAB for the diagnosis of neoplasm and its associations with age, sex, target puncture mass size, liver function, tumor markers, albumin, hypertension, and diabetes were examined. Results: Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EUS-FNAB cytologic diagnoses in all patients were 77.9% (60/77), 76.1% (54/71), 100%, 100%, and 26.1% (6/23), respectively. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EUS-FNAB cytologic diagnoses in the pancreas were 80.0% (48/60), 79.3% (46/58), 100%, 100%, and 14.3% (2/14), respectively. The results of EUS-FNAB in pancreatic masses showed that the level of CA19-9 was higher in the true positive group than in the false-negative group (p<0.05). There were no factors associated with the true positive cytologic diagnoses (p>0.05). Conclusions: Our single-medical center study showed that EUS-FNAB is an accurate diagnostic procedure for the evaluation of intra-abdominal masses. Further follow-up is required to explore factors associated with the true positive cytology.

A case of liver hilar tuberculous lymphadenitis complicated by biliary stricture diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration

This report describes a case of liver hilar tuberculous lymphadenitis complicated by biliary stricture, diagnosed with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). A 44-year-old woman was referred to our center for further evaluation of abnormal liver function tests. Abdominal ultrasound/contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a 15-mm hypovascular mass with a weakly enhanced margin at the liver hilum. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography revealed dilatation of the intrahepatic bile ducts in the left lobe of liver and gradual narrowing of the left hepatic duct. Biliary stricture associated with enlarged hilar lymph nodes due to metastasis or malignant lymphoma was suspected, but calcification on chest CT and a positive T-SPOT test did not rule out tuberculosis. After transpapillary brush cytology of the bile duct stricture failed to confirm the diagnosis, EUS-FNA of hilar lymph nodes was performed and showed positive for the acid-fast bacillus and polymerase chain reaction for Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA as well as epithelioid granulomas on pathological evaluation. Those findings led to a diagnosis of hilar tuberculous lymphadenitis. The patient is under treatment with antituberculosis drugs. Abdominal tuberculous lymphadenitis is rare and some cases diagnosed as lymphadenopathy of unknown origin have required surgery. EUS-FNA is a safe and minimally invasive diagnostic method in such cases.

Peripancreatic Tuberculous Lymphadenitis Diagnosed via Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fine-needle Aspiration and Polymerase Chain Reaction

We performed endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) on a patient presenting with an asymptomatic peripancreatic mass-like lesion. The aspiration cytologic finding was class II. On positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), there were hot spots in the left supra-clavicular lymph node and the peripancreatic lesion. A whole biopsy of the left supra-clavicular lymph node revealed tuberculous lymphadenitis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using tissue obtained via EUS-FNA showed that the peripancreatic mass-like lesion was also positive for tuberculosis. We made a diagnosis of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenitis. In patients with enlarged lymph nodes, including those in the abdominal area, tuberculous lymphadenitis is a potential diagnosis.

Peripancreatic Tuberculous Lymphadenitis with Biliary Obstruction Diagnosed by Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fine-needle Aspiration Biopsy

A 57-year-old man with a history of tuberculosis (TB) was found to have a pancreatic head mass, accompanied by stenosis of the common bile duct. Due to the inherent difficulty in differentiating pancreatic carcinoma from an inflammatory mass, endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (EUS-FNAB) was thus performed. The pathological findings confirmed granuloma with caseous necrosis, and the results of the QuantiFERON TB2G test were positive. Accordingly, the patient was diagnosed with peripancreatic TB and thereafter was successfully treated with anti-TB therapy. Based on the findings of this case, we conclude that EUS-FNAB is a useful modality for the diagnosis of pancreatic TB.

A case of peripancreatic tuberculous lymphadenitis diagnosed by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration

Tuberculous lymphadenitis is a rare cause of obstructive jaundice. Here, we report the case of a 33-year-old male with obstructive jaundice caused by tuberculous lymphadenitis around the pancreatic head. The patient was born in China and had immigrated to Japan at 12 years of age. He presented with acute abdominal pain and jaundice. Findings from ultrasonography, computed tomography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were suggestive of a stenosis of the distal common bile duct caused by multiple low-density masses around the pancreatic head with a contrast-enhanced solid rim. We successfully diagnosed the mass as tuberculous lymphadenitis using endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA). The patient was treated with anti-tuberculous combination chemotherapy for 6 months, and subsequently exhibited clinical improvement. Thus, we found that EUS-FNA was a valuable minimally invasive method for diagnosing masses that cause icterus.

How can an endosonographer assess for diagnostic sufficiency and options for handling the endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration specimen and ancillary studies

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has become well established as a minimally invasive technique in diagnosing and staging various gastrointestinal, pancreaticobiliary, and retroperitoneal malignancies. The diagnostic accuracy of this procedure is significantly enhanced by the presence of on-site cytopathology. However, in many EUS centers, cytopathology is not readily available for on-site evaluation. This article is intended to assist the independent endosonographer in the assessment of diagnostic sufficiency and in specimen handling.

The utility of endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of infectious diseases-report of three cases

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a fast and minimally invasive methodology with a crucial impact on patients' management. It has an important and established role in the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal and abdominal malignancies, but little is discussed in the literature on the usefulness of this technique in the diagnosis of infectious diseases. In the current report, we present three different cases where EUS was essential for reaching the diagnosis of tuberculosis and paracoccidiodomicosis in cases otherwise seen as malignant. In conclusion, EUS was successful not only in obtaining enough cells for morphological analysis, but also for the production of cell blocks and assessment of the presence of the microorganisms by special stains. EUS allied to fine needle biopsy was an important tool in determining diagnoses of enlarged lymph nodes, revealing the diagnosis of infectious diseases in cases otherwise seen as malignant. The wide use of this methodology in cases such as those reported here cannot only rule out malignancy, but also aid critically ill patients by installing early proper therapy without the need for aggressive interventions.

Pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis presenting as hypoechoic mass and malignancy diagnosed by ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology

Background:

Pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis is an extremely uncommon disease, presenting as hypoechoic mass on ultrasonography and imaging mimicking malignancy. Consequently, it represents a diagnostic challenge.

Aims:

To study 14 unusual cases of pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis undergoing ultrasound-/endoscopic-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) in the 5-year period from 2006 to 2010.

Materials and Methods:

Endoscopic-guided FNAC was done in two cases, while ultrasound-guided FNAC was performed in 12 cases using 22-G needles via a percutaneous transabdominal approach. The aspirated material was quickly smeared onto glass slides, air dried, and wet fixed in 95% ethyl alcohol for subsequent Papanicolaou staining.

Results:

All pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis cases showed solid-cystic pancreatic mass. Smears showed epithelioid cell granulomas, multinucleated giant cells, mixed inflammatory cells and histiocytes against a necrotic background. The common anatomic locations were the head, peripancreatic, tail and body of the pancreas.

Conclusions:

Ultrasound-/endoscopic-guided FNAC is a safe, reliable and cost-effective method for preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis. Clinical symptoms and accurate diagnostic approach by ultrasound-/endoscopic-guided FNAC of pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis is needed to avoid performing redundant laparotomy. Despite its rarity, pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis should be considered for differential diagnosis of pancreatic and peripancreatic cystic mass in endemic developing countries.

Pancreatic tuberculosis mimicking malignancy diagnosed with endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration

A female presented to the physician with a history of right upper quadrant pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) scan dem-onstrated a multi-loculated solid lesion in the head of the pancreas concerning for a primary malignancy. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of the lesion was performed and cytology revealed no evidence of malignancy. The acid-fast bacilli culture was found to be positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and pancreatic tuberculosis was diagnosed.

Tuberculous lymphadenopathy mimicking pancreatic neoplasm

Abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is the sixth most common location of extrapulmonary TB involvement. Because its symptoms and signs are often nonspecific, laboratory and imaging findings mimic other diseases including carcinoma. Therefore, the diagnosis of abdominal TB is challenging. We herein report a case of 74-year-old woman who presented with abdominal pain, anorexia, and weight loss. She had been given a diagnosis of pancreatic head carcinoma. Laboratory data was unremarkable except for elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CA125, and sIL-2R. CT scan revealed multiple enlarged peripancreatic lymph nodes and concentric thickening of the ileocecal wall. Colonoscopy demonstrated deformed ileocecal valve and erosions. Histological examination showed epithelioid granulomas. Laparoscopy revealed numerous white tubercles diffusely covering the parietal peritoneum. Histopathological images of peripancreatic lymph node revealed large multiple caseating granulomas surrounded by Langhans_giant cells and epithelioid cells. Polymerase chain reaction and culture of the specimens were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculous lymphadenopathy, colitis, and peritonitis were finally diagnosed. She responded well to the antitubercular treatment.

Imaging of miscellaneous pancreatic pathology (trauma, transplant, infections, and deposition)

In this article's coverage of miscellaneous pancreatic topics, a brief review of pancreatic trauma; pancreatic transplantation; rare infections, such as tuberculosis; deposition disorders, including fatty replacement and hemochromatosis; cystic fibrosis; and others are discussed with pertinent case examples.

Pancreatic tuberculosis presenting with pancreatic cystic tumor: a case report and review of the literature

Pancreatic tuberculosis is a rare clinical entity, presenting as malignancy mimicking pancreatic mass. Therefore, it represents a diagnostic challenge. To date, ten cases have been reported in Korea. I report an additional case and review all Korean reports about pancreatic tuberculosis. A 57-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) revealed a 2.2x1.2 cm cystic mass in pancreatic body. She was followed for nine months, at which time a cystic mass was enlarged to 3.3x2.2 cm in size on the CT. An exploratory laparotomy was performed for the accurate diagnosis and to rule out the possibility of malignant change. Pathological examination of the resected specimen revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation with caseous necrosis and multinucleated giant cells, which was compatible with tuberculosis. Among the 11 cases of pancreatic tuberculosis, five cases were combined with pulmonary tuberculosis. The pancreatic tuberculosis frequently presented with multicystic pancreatic mass (81%) and the most common anatomic locations were the head (73%), tail (18%), and body (9%). Three cases were diagnosed by using US or EUS guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), and all cases were medically cured without exploratory laparotomy. In summary, pancreatic tuberculosis, despite its rarity, should be considered for differential diagnosis of pancreatic cystic mass in endemic countries. Clinical suspicion and accurate diagnostic approach including FNAB of pancreatic tuberculosis are needed to avoid performing unnecessary laparotomy.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in patients with lymphadenopathy suspected of recurrent malignancy after curative treatment

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of lymphadenopathy after treatment of malignancy is sometimes difficult, especially in patients whose treatment was deemed curative and without local recurrence or those who have increased serum levels of related tumor markers. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) as a diagnostic tool in patients with lymphadenopathy after curative treatment of malignancy.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with mediastinal, intraabdominal, or pelvic lymphadenopathy after curative treatment of malignancy who were referred to our hospital between October 2003 and September 2007 were enrolled in this study.

RESULTS

A total of 62 patients were included. The lymph nodes were located at the mediastinum in 22 patients, intraabdomen in 38 patients, and intrapelvis in 2 patients. From the pathological findings of the FNA sample, 31 patients (50%) were confirmed to have recurrence of the prior malignancy, and 9 patients (15%) were diagnosed as having a different new malignancy. The remaining 22 patients (35%) were shown to have no recurrence or no other malignancies. However, 1 of them was later diagnosed with recurrence by open laparotomy. The overall sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of the EUS-FNA were 97%, 100%, 98%, 100%, and 97%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Lymphadenopathy after treatment of malignancy is not a definitive sign of recurrence. Therefore, pathological sampling and diagnosis are essential for determining the appropriate treatment. For this purpose, EUS-FNA is a safe, convenient, and minimally invasive procedure with high diagnostic value.

Pancreatic cytopathology: a practical approach and review

CONTEXT

Pancreatic cytopathology plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of patients with solid and cystic lesions of the pancreas.

OBJECTIVE

To serve as a practical guide to pancreatic cytopathology for the practicing pathologist. Data Sources.-A comprehensive assessment of the medical literature was performed.

CONCLUSIONS

We review pancreatic cytopathology, with specific discussions of its role in patient management, specimen types and specimen processing, specific diagnostic criteria, and the use of ancillary testing and advanced techniques.