Published online Jul 21, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i27.8458
Peer-review started: December 22, 2014
First decision: January 8, 2015
Revised: February 10, 2015
Accepted: March 27, 2015
Published online: July 21, 2015
Endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a useful and relatively safe tool for the diagnosis and staging of pancreatic cancer. However, there have recently been several reports of tumor seeding after EUS-FNA of adenocarcinomas. A 78-year-old man was admitted to our hospital due to upper gastric pain. Examinations revealed a 20 mm mass in the pancreatic body, for which EUS-FNA was performed. The cytology of the lesion was adenocarcinoma, and the stage of the cancer was T3N0M0. The patient underwent surgery with curative intent, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy with S-1. An enlarging gastric submucosal tumor was found on gastroscopy at 28 mo after surgery accompanied by a rising level of CA19-9. Biopsy result was adenocarcinoma, consistent with a pancreatic primary tumor. Tumor seeding after EUS-FNA was strongly suspected. The patient underwent surgical resection of the gastric tumor with curative intent. The pathological result of the resected gastric specimen was adenocarcinoma with a perfectly matched mucin special stain result with the previously resected pancreatic cancer. This is the first case report of tumor seeding after EUS-FNA which was surgically resected and inspected pathologically.
Core tip: This manuscript is the first case report about tumor seeding after endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) which was surgically resected and inspected pathologically. EUS-FNA is a widely performed procedure; however, there are no clear guidelines indicating the selection of treatments in cases of tumor seeding after the procedure, as this adverse event is relatively rare. This manuscript may help in the selection of patients undergoing EUS-FNA, and clarifies the points we should be careful about after the procedure.