Endoscopy 2009; 41(2): 179-182
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1119474
Case report

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy for splenic tumor: a case series

T.  Iwashita1 , I.  Yasuda1 , H.  Tsurumi1 , N.  Goto1 , M.  Nakashima1 , S.  Doi1 , Y.  Hirose2 , T.  Takami3 , H.  Moriwaki1
  • 1First Department of Internal Medicine, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan
  • 2Department of Clinical Pathology, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan
  • 3Department of Immunopathology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan
Further Information

Publication History

submitted 18 September 2008

accepted after revision 7 December 2008

Publication Date:
12 February 2009 (online)

Splenic tumors are occasionally found in clinical practice but the diagnosis is often difficult if only serologic and imaging tests are used. Therefore, pathologic sampling is required in such cases. Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) provides a good image of the spleen through the gastric wall, and a transgastric EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) biopsy may be easier than the percutaneous approach. Furthermore, a large-gauge needle may raise the capability of EUS-FNA for the histopathologic diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of EUS-FNA using a large-gauge needle for a splenic tumor. Five patients with splenic tumor were subjected to EUS-FNA with a 19-gauge needle to obtain histopathologic materials. A pathologic sample was obtained in all cases, and the diagnoses were lymphoma (n = 2), sarcoidosis (n = 2), and inflammatory pseudotumor (n = 1). EUS-FNA using a 19-gauge needle is safe and useful for the diagnosis of splenic tumors.

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I. YasudaMD, PhD 

First Department of Internal Medicine
Gifu University Hospital

1-1 Yanagido
Gifu 501-1194
Japan

Fax: +81-58-2306310

Email: YASUDAIC@aol.com