Factors Affecting the Learning Curve in the Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Sampling of Solid Pancreatic Lesions: A Prospective Study
Marcel Razpotnik,
Simona Bota,
Mathilde Kutilek,
Gerolf Essler,
Christian Urak,
Julian Prosenz,
Jutta Weber-Eibel,
Andreas Maieron,
Markus Peck-Radosavljevic
Affiliations
Marcel Razpotnik
Departement of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (IMuG), Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology and Emergency Medicine (ZAE) with Centralized Endoscopy Service, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
Simona Bota
Departement of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (IMuG), Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology and Emergency Medicine (ZAE) with Centralized Endoscopy Service, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
Mathilde Kutilek
Departement of Internal Medicine 2, Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Rheumatology, University Hospital St. Pölten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria
Gerolf Essler
Departement of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (IMuG), Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology and Emergency Medicine (ZAE) with Centralized Endoscopy Service, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
Christian Urak
Departement of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (IMuG), Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology and Emergency Medicine (ZAE) with Centralized Endoscopy Service, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
Julian Prosenz
Departement of Internal Medicine 2, Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Rheumatology, University Hospital St. Pölten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria
Jutta Weber-Eibel
Departement of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (IMuG), Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology and Emergency Medicine (ZAE) with Centralized Endoscopy Service, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
Andreas Maieron
Departement of Internal Medicine 2, Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Rheumatology, University Hospital St. Pölten, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, St. Pölten, Austria
Markus Peck-Radosavljevic
Departement of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology (IMuG), Hepatology, Endocrinology, Rheumatology and Nephrology and Emergency Medicine (ZAE) with Centralized Endoscopy Service, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt, Austria
Background/Aims: Endosonography is associated with a long learning curve. We aimed to assess variables that may influence the diagnostic outcomes in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration/biopsy (EUS-FNA/B) of solid pancreatic tumors regarding the level of endoscopists' experience. Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing EUS-guided puncture of solid pancreatic tumors (eight endosonographers, including six trainees) were prospectively enrolled. An experienced endosonographer was defined as having performed at least 250 EUS examinations, including 75 FNA/Bs. The final diagnosis was determined by cytopathology, histopathology, or clinical follow-up. Results: In total, 283 EUS-FNA/Bs of solid pancreatic tumors (75.6% malignant) in 239 patients (median age 69 years, 57.6% males) were enrolled. Trainees performed 149/283 (52.7%) of the interventions. Accuracy and sensitivity for detecting malignancy were significantly higher in the expert group than in the trainee group (85.8% vs 73.2%, p=0.01 and 82.5% vs 68.4%, p=0.02). Solid lesions evaluated by an expert using FNB needles showed the best odds for a correct diagnosis (odds ratio, 3.07; 95% confidence interval, 1.15 to 8.23; p=0.02). More experienced endoscopists achieved better accuracy in sampling via the transduodenal approach (86.7% vs 68.5%, p<0.001), in the sampling of malignant lesions (82.5 vs 68.4, p=0.02), and in the sampling of lesions located in the pancreatic head (86.1 vs 69.1, p=0.02). In cases involving these factors, we observed a moderate improvement in the diagnostic accuracy after 40 attempts. Conclusions: Transduodenal approach, pancreatic head lesions, and malignancy were recognized as the most important clinical factors affecting the learning curve in EUS-FNA/B of solid pancreatic lesions.
