Real time endoscopic ultrasound elastography and strain ratio in the diagnosis of solid pancreatic lesions

AIM To evaluate the accuracy of the elastography score combined to the strain ratio in the diagnosis of solid pancreatic lesions(SPL). METHODS A total of 172 patients with SPL identified by endoscopic ultrasound were enrolled in the study to evaluate the efficacy of elastography and strain ratio in differentiating malignant from benign lesions. The semi quantitative score of elastography was represented by the strain ratio method. Two areas were selected, area(A) representing the region of interest and area(B) representing the normal area. Area(B) was then divided by area(A). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value(PPV), negative predictive value(NPV), and accuracy were calculated by comparing diagnoses made by elastography, strain ratio and final diagnoses.RESULTS SPL were shown to be benign in 49 patients and malignant in 123 patients. Elastography alone had a sensitivity of 99%, a specificity of 63%, and an accuracy of 88%, a PPV of 87% and an NPV of 96%. The best cut-off level of strain ratio to obtain the maximal area under the curve was 7.8 with a sensitivity of 92%, specificity of 77%, PPV of 91%, NPV of 80% and an accuracy of 88%. Another estimated cut off strain ratio level of 3.8 had a higher sensitivity of 99% and NPV of 96%, but with less specificity, PPV and accuracy 53%, 84% and 86%, respectively. Adding both elastography to strain ratio resulted in a sensitivity of 98%, specificity of 77%, PPV of 91%, NPV of 95% and accuracy of 92% for the diagnosis of SPL. CONCLUSION Combining elastography to strain ratio increases the accuracy of the differentiation of benign from malignant SPL.

Role of endoscopic ultrasound and cyst fluid tumor markers in diagnosis of pancreatic cystic lesions

BACKGROUND Pancreatic cystic lesions(PCLs) are common in clinical practice. The accurate classification and diagnosis of these lesions are crucial to avoid unnecessary treatment of benign lesions and missed opportunities for early treatment of potentially malignant lesions.AIM To evaluate the role of cyst fluid analysis of different tumor markers such as cancer antigens [e.g., cancer antigen(CA)19-9, CA72-4], carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA), serine protease inhibitor Kazal-type 1(SPINK1), interleukin 1 beta(IL1-β), vascular endothelial growth factor A(VEGF-A), and prostaglandin E2(PGE2)], amylase, and mucin stain in diagnosing pancreatic cysts and differentiating malignant from benign lesions.METHODS This study included 76 patients diagnosed with PCLs using different imaging modalities. All patients underwent endoscopic ultrasound(EUS) and EUS-fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) for characterization and sampling of different PCLs.RESULTS The mean age of studied patients was 47.4 ± 11.4 years, with a slight female predominance(59.2%). Mucin stain showed high statistical significance in predicting malignancy with a sensitivity of 87.1% and specificity of 95.56%. It also showed a positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 93.1% and 91.49%, respectively(P < 0.001). We found that positive mucin stain, cyst fluid glucose, SPINK1, amylase, and CEA levels had high statistical significance(P < 0.0001). In contrast, IL-1β, CA 72-4, VEGF-A, VEGFR2, and PGE2 did not show any statistical significance. Univariate regression analysis for prediction of malignancy in PCLs showed a statistically significant positive correlation with mural nodules, lymph nodes, cyst diameter, mucin stain, and cyst fluid CEA. Meanwhile, logistic multivariable regression analysis proved that mural nodules, mucin stain, and SPINK1 were independent predictors of malignancy in cystic pancreatic lesions.CONCLUSION EUS examination of cyst morphology with cytopathological analysis and cyst fluid analysis could improve the differentiation between malignant and benign pancreatic cysts. Also, CEA, glucose, and SPINK1 could be used as promising markers to predict malignant pancreatic cysts.

Cronkhite-Canada syndrome:First case report from Egypt and North Africa

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal(GI)polyposis is a rare condition in GI diseases.To date about 500 cases of Cronkhite-Canada syndrome(CCS)have been reported worldwide.CASE SUMMARY We report a 60-year-old female patient who presented with dyspepsia,abdominal pain,and weight loss of 1-year duration.Her physical examination showed alopecia and onychodystrophy.Upper endoscopy revealed diffuse markedly thickened gastric mucosa involving the whole stomach with thickened gastric rugae and numerous polypoidal lesions.Histopathological examination showed marked hyperplasia of the foveolar glands with inflammatory cell infiltration.Endoscopic ultrasound showed a significantly hypertrophic mucosa and muscularis mucosa,while the submucosa and the muscularis propria were spared,favouring its benign nature.Colonoscopy showed multiple sessile polyps scattered at different parts of the colon.Histopathological examination revealed tubular adenomatous polyps with low-grade dysplasia.Differential diagnoses included CCS,Menterier disease(MD),other polyposis syndromes,lymphoma,amyloidosis,and gastric malignancies.The presence of alopecia,nail dystrophy,GI polyposis,markedly thickened gastric mucosa and folds,abdominal pain,weight loss,and marked foveolar gland hyperplasia;all was in favour of CCS.Lymphoma was excluded due to sparing of the muscularis propria.The presence of colonic polyps and antral and duodenal infiltration,and the absence of hypoproteinaemia decreased the possibility for MD.CONCLUSION The patient was diagnosed as having CCS.