Stent Scraping for Histology: An Alternative Method for Obtaining Tissue to Rule Out Neoplasia
Author Information
Author(s): JEROME H. SIEGEL, ANNAMALI VEERAPPAN, ROMULO PRUDENTE, FRANKLIN E. KASMIN, SETH A. COHEN
Primary Institution: Beth Israel Medical Center North Division
Hypothesis
Can scraping tissue from occluded stents improve the diagnosis of cancer in the biliary tree and pancreas?
Conclusion
The stent scraping method significantly increased the diagnostic yield for adenocarcinoma compared to traditional cytology methods.
Supporting Evidence
- 12 of 16 scraped samples were positive for adenocarcinoma.
- Cytology specimens were positive in only 4 of the 16 specimens analyzed.
- The method is simple, useful, and specific.
Takeaway
Doctors can scrape tissue from blocked stents to check for cancer, which works better than just taking samples from the fluid.
Methodology
Tissue was scraped from occluded stents after flushing with saline, and samples were prepared for histological examination.
Limitations
The method requires a delay for stent occlusion, and the diagnosis may take time.
Participant Demographics
16 patients (9 men, 7 women, mean age 65 years, age range 47-83 years)
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