Background and study aims: Specimens collected by fine needle are microscopic and contain blood; therefore, the
presence of a target specimen within a sample is often difficult to confirm. Although
rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) during endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration
biopsy (EUS-FNA) is beneficial, many health care facilities are unable to apply this
technique due to a lack of cytopathologists.
The aim of this study was to develop and validate a device that detects the target
specimen within pancreatic tumor EUS-FNA samples.
Patients and methods: Fifty-eight consecutive patients with solid pancreatic masses were studied for a preliminary
case series at a tertiary-care university hospital (Tottori University Hospital, Yonago,
Japan). The material collected was checked with a target sample check illuminator
(TSCI) and was evaluated by one cytopathologist.
Results: The agreement rate between the TSCI and histopathology was 93.7 %. Further testing
procedures were not needed in 91.4 % of patients, and the mean number of needle punctures
was 1.2 after a single pass using TSCI. No adverse events were encountered with the
procedure.
Conclusions: With the introduction of the TSCI in EUS-FNA, it became possible to both collect
the minimum necessary target samples by EUS-FNA and to end further procedures, even
without performing ROSE.
