Role of Endoscopic Ultrasound-guided Fine-needle Aspiration in Adrenal Lesions: Analysis of 32 Patients

OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (EUS-FNAC) is a precise and safe technique that provides both radiological and pathological diagnosis with a better diagnostic yield and minimal adverse events. EUS-FNAC led to the remarkable increase in the detection rate of incidentaloma found during radiologic staging or follow-up in various malignancy or unrelated conditions. AIMS: We did this preliminary study with an aim to evaluate the role of EUS-FNA in diagnosing and classifying adrenal lesions, clinical impact, and compare the outcome with the previously published literature. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 32 consecutive cases (both retrospective and prospective) of EUS-guided adrenal aspirate performed over a period of 3.3 years. The indications for the aspirate in decreasing order were metastasis (most common carcinoma gall bladder) > primary adrenal mass > disseminated tuberculosis > pyrexia of unknown origin. On EUS, 28 cases revealed space occupying lesion or mass (two cases bilateral) and four cases revealed diffuse enlargement (two cases bilateral) with a mean size of 21 mm. RESULTS: The cytology reports were benign adrenal aspirate (43.8%), metastatic adenocarcinoma (15.6%), histoplasmosis (9.4%), tuberculosis (9.4%), round cell tumor (6.2%), adrenocortical carcinoma (3.1%), and descriptive (3.1%). Three cases (9.4%) yielded inadequate sample. The TNM staging was altered in 22.23% of the cases by result of adrenal aspirate. CONCLUSIONS: EUS-FNA of the adrenal gland is a safe, quick, and sensitive and real-time diagnostic technique, which requires an integrated approach of clinician, endoscopist, and cytopathologist for high precision in diagnosis. Although the role of EUS-FNA for right adrenal is not much described, we found adequate sample yield in all the four patients that underwent the procedure.