Transcutaneous sonographically guided 18-gauge-needle biopsy of gastrointestinal tract wall lesions

Ultrasound-guided fine needle biopsy (USFNB) is a widely accepted procedure for diagnosis of abdominal and retroperitoneal space-occupying lesions. Gastrointestinal tract lesions, both inflammatory and/or neoplastic, may be accurately visualized by US; although the diagnosis of such lesions is conventionally obtained with endoscopic biopsy, the possibility to accurately obtain the diagnosis of gastrointestinal neoplasia by using a USFNB with 18 or usually 20–22-gauge has been reported. In this study we aimed to evaluate the safety and accuracy of USFNB using a 18-gauge aspiration needle (BIOMOL) in the diagnosis…