Endoscopic ultrasonography‐guided biopsy using a Franseen needle design: Initial assessment

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recently, a 22-gauge (G) needle with a Franseen tip design was developed for endoscopic ultrasonography-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB). The present study evaluated the performance of the Franseen biopsy needle in EUS-guided tissue acquisition. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent EUS-FNB using the Franseen needle. Lesions were sampled using either the Franseen needle only or after failed diagnostic fine-needle aspiration (FNA). After rapid onsite evaluation (ROSE), two dedicated passes were carried out for histological assessment using the cell block technique. Main outcomes were: (i) rates of diagnostic adequacy for ROSE and histological diagnosis; and (ii) quality of histology as determined by total tissue area and tumor percentage in tissue. RESULTS: ) and median tumor percentage in tissue was 73.9% (IQR = 44-97.6). Rates of technical success and adverse events were 96.7 and 3.3%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Preliminary data suggest that the Franseen needle yields diagnostic material for ROSE and histology in >95% of patients.