Diagnostic ability of EUS-FNB with a novel fork-tip needle for upper gastrointestinal subepithelial tumors

The diagnostic yield of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle biopsy (EUS-FNB) remains suboptimal for subepithelial lesions (SEL) of the gastrointestinal tract. A novel FNB needle has been developed to increase diagnostic yield by procuring tissue suitable for histological processing. This study was conducted to assess the diagnostic ability of a novel fork-tip needle. Data from consecutive patients with SEL in the upper gastrointestinal tract who underwent EUS-FNB using the 22-gauge needles were retrieved. A total of 27 patients (mean age: 61years, 48% male) underwent EUS-FNB at our institution between August 2020 and January 2022. The location of the lesions was as follows: esophagus 7, stomach 19, and duodenum 1. The median size of the lesions was 20 (8-82) mm, and the median number of passes was 3 (2-6). Histopathological diagnosis with immunohistochemical staining was achieved in 81.5%, and no adverse events were encountered. When the lesions smaller than 20 mm were excluded, the diagnostic yield was 92.9% (13/14). EUS-FNB using the novel fork-tip needle showed a favorable procurement yield and diagnostic ability.