Effectiveness of ex situ telecytology using mobile terminals for endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA)

Abstract

By endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA), cytotechnologists obtain and prepare specimens and stain them with Diff-Quik in an endoscopic room. In most facilities, doctors specializing in cytology then diagnose them. Such doctors are dispatched to various facilities, which increases the burden on specialists and laboratories. Here, we propose EUS-FNA as a system in which a cytotechnologist upon discovery of an atypical cell at the site takes a picture of it using a smartphone with an ocular lens. The cytotechnologist then sends the image to a cytology specialist, who then diagnoses it. It was found that pancreatic ductal cancer, anaplastic pancreatic cancer, and solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPT) were all detected from images. In EUS-FNA, a simplified telecytological system using mobile terminals, was found to be effective for on-site cytological diagnosis.