Abstract

To share the efficacy and success rates of the needle biopsies of pancreatic masses performed with various needle types under ultrasonography guidance in our department forms the purpose of our study. One hundred ultrasonography guided needle biopsies with various needle types of 18-22 G in size were applied to the patients with pancreatic masses betvveen 1993 May and 2005April. Mean age of the patients was 55.5 ± 12.0 years and woman/man ratio was 0.46. The pathological diagnosis was obtained from 82 patients. Tumor localizations were pancreatic head for 73%, corpus for 13%, tail for 9%, corpus-tail for 5% of the patients. Biopsies performed with computed tomography guided were excluded from the series. Needles used for 82 pancreatic biopsies were West-Cott 20 G in 65 cases, Sonopsy 21 G in 8 cases, Trucut 18 G in 7 cases, and VVest-Cott 22 G in two cases. The rates of accuracy were found 74.0%, 63.0%, 71.4%, and 50%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accu-racy rates were 70%, 100%, and 72.0%, respectively. No significant difference in accuracy was observed betvveen needles, and pancreatic localizations (p> 0.05). İn addition, success rates of cystic and soiid lesions were not different statistically (p= 0.05). No majör complication was observed. Ultrasonography guided needle biopsy is a useful method for diagnosis and management of pancreatic masses. The relationship betvveen pancreas and the adjacent main vascular structures should be considered befo-re the biopsy. If it is thought to be a saf e procedure, ultrasonography guided biopsy or computed tomography guided biopsy, if needed, for obese patients with too much abdominal air can be performed. Endoscopic ultrasonography guided biopsy is nee-ded for the patients with small pancreatic masses or vvhose diagnoses are not provided with repeated biopsies.