Abstract
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS—FNA) has been recognized worldwide as a useful modality to enhance the accuracy of biopsy, diagnosis and treatment of lesions with few complications, since Vilmann reported the first procedure. In this article, the learning tools, indications and contraindications, essential anatomy, sedation, pitfalls and knack, the choice of the needles, and patient care after EUS-FNA procedures are described, including the history and present status of EUS-FNA in the Medical University of South Carolina. EUS—FNA clearly enhances the accuracy compared with EUS imaging alone, and has the potential to influence the correct diagnosis of the patients' conditions, which will contribute to the choice of the most appropriate therapeutic approach. The authors believe that EUS-FNA should be more prevalent in Japan, including therapeutic procedures using the EUS-FNA technique such as celiac plexus injection, pseudocyst, biliary duct drainage, and so on.
