Published online Oct 28, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i40.6182
Peer-review started: June 8, 2020
First decision: July 25, 2020
Revised: August 5, 2020
Accepted: September 17, 2020
Article in press: September 17, 2020
Published online: October 28, 2020
Processing time: 141 Days and 20.7 Hours
Endoscopic ultrasound-guided minimally invasive tissue acquisition can be performed by two approaches as follows: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) and endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB). These have been evolved into leading approaches and widely used for the histological diagnosis of tumors in the gastrointestinal tract and adjacent organs. However, the role of EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB in disease diagnosis and evaluation remains controversial. Although the incidence of surgery-associated complications remains low, the consequences of needle tract seeding can be serious or even life-threatening. Recently, increasing case reports of needle tract seeding are emerging, especially caused by EUS-FNA. This complication needs serious consideration. In the present work, we integrated these case reports and the related literature, and summarized the relevant cases and technical characteristics of needle tract seeding caused by EUS-FNA and EUS-FNB. Collectively, our findings provided valuable insights into the prevention and reduction of such serious complication.
Core Tip: This paper integrates for the first time the case reports and related literature of needle tract seeding caused by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration or biopsy, and summarizes in detail the case characteristics of needle tract seeding, including the time interval, tumor location, effective detection methods, the relationship between treatment and prognosis, and the risk factors that may lead to needle tract seeding. Our findings provide valuable insights for preventing and reducing such serious complications.