Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-guided FNA) is an increasingly used diagnostic modality for the investigation of pancreatobilliary disease, staging of malignancy, and diagnosis and sampling of other gastrointestinal and para-gastrointestinal disease. Because of this, pathologists will be increasingly confronted with cytologic sampling obtained by this procedure and will be asked to recognize the numerous entities that can be sampled and to provide the most precise and accurate diagnoses possible.

This course is directed to practicing pathologists, including cytopathologists, fellows in cytopathology, and resident pathologists involved with EUS-guided FNA. The aim of this course will be to present: (1) A brief discussion of the history and methodology of EUS-guided FNA; (2) A discussion of the role of the pathologist in this procedure; (3) A discussion of methods that may be employed by the pathologist to optimize the diagnostic capabilities of the test; and (4) A discussion of the cytologic and ancillary findings that can be used to diagnose the common and not-so-common disease entities that can be sampled by EUS-guided FNA.

A CD-ROM of images from cases sampled by EUS-guided FNA will be available for mailing to pre-registrants for the course. These cases will be discussed throughout the course to aid in the description of diagnostic criteria for certain entities and useful ancillary methods that may be used to come to the correct diagnoses. Following the course, participants will receive a CD-ROM that contains more images and Powerpoint files of the lectures given with appropriate references.

Upon completion of the course, participants should: (1) Understand the utility of EUS-guided FNA; (2) Understand the role of the pathologist in assisting EUS-guided FNA and methods that the pathologist can use to optimize his/her diagnostic capabilities; and (3) Understand the cytologic features and use of ancillary testing in the diagnosis of lesions sampled by EUS-guided FNA.