Background: The diagnosis of early chronic pancreatitis (CP) is difficult, and the role of EUS-FNA cytology for this indication remains unclear. The aim of this study is to determine the utility and the safety profile of EUS-guided Trucut biopsy (EUS-TCB) for the histologic diagnosis of suspected nonfocal CP.
Methods: After radial EUS, patients with suspected CP (> or =3 EUS criteria) underwent attempted transgastric EUS-TCB of the pancreas. Histopathologic specimens were examined by one pathologist and were classified as nondiagnostic, normal pancreas, and probable or definite CP. Within 1 week after EUS, ERCP was performed by an endoscopist blinded to the EUS results. The severity of CP by ERCP was stratified by the Cambridge classification. Agreement between tests for the diagnosis of CP was evaluated by a kappa statistic.
Results: Of 45 patients screened, 15 declined and 30 (12 men and 18 women, mean age 44 years) underwent diagnostic EUS. Of these, 18 (60%) had suspected CP and 16 underwent attempted biopsy. Calcific pancreatitis in two patients precluded EUS-TCB. EUS-TCB results were as follows: probable CP (1), normal pancreas (8), nondiagnostic (6), device malfunction (1). Complications after EUS-TCB occurred in two patients with normal pancreatic biopsies were the following: acute pancreatitis (1) and abdominal pain without pancreatitis (1), both of whom were hospitalized and discharged within 23 hours. Six patients refused ERCP and two (per protocol) did not undergo ERCP. For the remaining 22, agreement between diagnostic EUS and ERCP was moderate (kappa, 0.40). Agreement between EUS and ERCP with EUS-TCB were poor (kappa, 0) and fair (kappa, 0.25), respectively.
Conclusions: Transgastric EUS-TCB of suspected nonfocal CP infrequently demonstrates histologic CP in clinically suspected disease. Because of potential complications and limited diagnostic yield, this technique is not currently recommended for evaluation of these patients.