Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration with on-site cytopathology versus core biopsy: a comparison of both techniques performed at the same endoscopic session.

BACKGROUND: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) with bedside cytopathology is the gold standard for assessment of pancreatic, subepithelial, and other lesions in close proximity to the gastrointestinal tract, but it is time-consuming, has certain diagnostic limitations, and bedside cytopathology is not widely available. AIMS: The goal of this study is to compare the diagnostic yield of EUS-guided FNA with on-site cytopathology and EUS-guided core biopsy. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with gastrointestinal mass lesions requiring biopsy at a tertiary medical center were included in this retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort. Two core biopsies were taken using a 22 gauge needle followed by FNA guided by a bedside cytopathologist at the same endoscopic session. The diagnostic yield and test characteristics of EUS core biopsy and EUS FNA with bedside cytopathology were examined. RESULTS: The mean number of passes was 3.2 for FNA, and the mean procedure time was 39.4 minutes. The final diagnosis was malignant in 92.3 %. Sensitivity and specificity were 83 % and 100 %, respectively, for FNA, and 91.7 % and 100 %, respectively, for core biopsy. Diagnostic accuracy was 92.3 % for FNA and 84.6 % for core biopsy. The two approaches were in agreement in 88.4 % with a kappa statistic of 0.66 (95 % confidence interval 0.33 - 0.99). CONCLUSIONS: An approach using two passes with a core biopsy needle is comparable to the current gold standard of FNA with bedside cytopathology. The performance of two core biopsies is time-efficient and could represent a good alternative to FNA with bedside cytopathology.

Future developments in biliary stenting.

Biliary stenting has evolved dramatically over the past 30 years. Advancements in stent design have led to prolonged patency and improved efficacy. However, biliary stenting is still affected by occlusion, migration, anatomical difficulties, and the need for repeat procedures. Multiple novel plastic biliary stent designs have recently been introduced with the primary goals of reduced migration and improved ease of placement. Self-expandable bioabsorbable stents are currently being investigated in animal models. Although not US Food and Drug Administration approved for benign disease, fully covered self-expandable metal stents are increasingly being used in a variety of benign biliary conditions. In malignant disease, developments are being made to improve ease of placement and stent patency for both hilar and distal biliary strictures. The purpose of this review is to describe recent developments and future directions of biliary stenting.

Does external beam radiation therapy improve survival following transarterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) improves survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Partial liver radiotherapy with modern techniques has been shown to be safe. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival value of external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with concurrent chemotherapy combined with TACE. METHODS: A University of Virginia Interventional Radiology patient log was used to identify patients treated with TACE ± another modality from 1999 through 2005. During this time, 44 patients received TACE for unresectable HCC, and 7 of these received adjuvant EBRT. Univariate analysis and multivariable proportional hazards survival modeling were used to identify factors impacting survival. RESULTS: We compared 37 patients receiving TACE alone to 7 receiving TACE and EBRT (5 with concurrent capecitabine). Unadjusted mean transplant-free survival times were TACE only = 376 days (standard error [SE] = 63 days), TACE + EBRT = 879 days (SE = 100 days). EBRT, TNM stage, and MELD score were important predictors for survival on univariate analysis (p < .10). The adjusted hazard ratio for transplant or death in the TACE + EBRT group was 0.15 (0.02-0.95, p = .026). CONCLUSION: EBRT with concurrent chemotherapy following TACE is feasible and well tolerated with modern treatment techniques. Further research should be directed toward determining the potential overall survival benefit of adjuvant EBRT with chemotherapy following TACE for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Obesity augments vasoconstrictor reactivity to angiotensin II in the renal circulation of the Zucker rat.

Obesity is an emerging risk factor for renal dysfunction, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Obese patients show heightened renal vasodilation to blockade of the renin-angiotensin system, suggesting deficits in vascular responses to angiotensin II (ANG II). This study tested the hypothesis that obesity augments renal vasoconstriction to ANG II. Lean (LZR), prediabetic obese (OZR), and nonobese fructose-fed Zucker rats (FF-LZR) were studied to determine the effects of obesity and insulin resistance on reactivity of blood pressure and renal blood flow to vasoconstrictors. OZR showed enlargement of the kidneys, elevated urine output, increased sodium intake, and decreased plasma renin activity (PRA) vs. LZR, and renal vasoconstriction to ANG II was augmented in OZR. Renal reactivity to norepinephrine and mesenteric vascular reactivity to ANG II were similar between LZR and OZR. Insulin-resistant FF-LZR had normal reactivity to ANG II, indicating the insulin resistance was an unlikely explanation for the changes observed in OZR. Four weeks on a low-sodium diet (0.08%) to raise PRA reduced reactivity to ANG II in OZR back to normal levels without effect on LZR. From these data, we conclude that in the prediabetic stages of obesity, a decrease in PRA is observed in Zucker rats that may lead to increased renal vascular reactivity to ANG II. This increased reactivity to ANG II may explain the elevated renal vasodilator effects observed in obese humans and provide insight into early changes in renal function that predispose to nephropathy in later stages of the disease.

Reduced plasma volume and mesenteric vascular reactivity in obese Zucker rats.

Obese Zucker rats (OZR) are mildly hypertensive with an apparently elevated sympathetic vasomotor tone compared with lean Zucker rats (LZR). Studies have also suggested enhanced adrenergic pressor reactivity in OZR but assumed comparable baroreflexes, or blood volume-to-body weight ratio, to LZR. In 15-wk-old OZR and LZR, we measured plasma volume and vascular reactivity to norepinephrine (NE) and phenylephrine (PE) with doses evaluated by body weight and plasma volume. Plasma volume measured by dye dilution (Evans blue; 200 microl of 0.5%) showed that OZR had comparable blood volumes to LZR but lower blood volume-to-body weight ratio (3.4 +/- 0.2 ml/100 g) than LZR (5.7 +/- 0.2 ml/100 g, P < 0.05). Ganglionic blockade (mecamylamine, 4 mg/kg) in isoflurane-anesthetized rats produced larger decreases in arterial pressure in OZR compared with LZR (52 +/- 2 vs. 46 +/- 2 mmHg). Pressor responses to NE (0.01-10 microg/kg) were exaggerated with doses analyzed by body weight but not analyzed by drug quantity. Pressor responses to PE (1-24 microg/kg) showed no difference with doses analyzed by body weight, but, analyzed by drug quantity, OZR showed a slight decrease in pressor reactivity. PE-induced increases in vascular resistance were exaggerated in the hindlimb circulation of OZR, normal in the renal circulation, and attenuated in the mesenteric circulation. The timing of the peak pressor response to PE corresponded with the increase in mesenteric vascular resistance, followed by rises in hindlimb and renal resistance. These data suggest that systemic adrenergic pressor reactivity is not enhanced in OZR, despite exaggerated vascular reactivity in the hindlimb of the OZR.