Role of endoscopic ultrasonography with and without fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis and staging of lymphoma

Abstract

Diagnosis of lymphoma is frequently challenging. The complexity of the sub-classification of lymphomas along with the necessity of a high quality sample leads to costly and invasive procedures in order to achieve the correct diagnosis. Endoscopic ultrasound is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and staging of gastrointestinal neoplasms as well as those that involve structures in the vicinity of the digestive tract. Whereas most gastrointestinal lymphomas are diagnosed and sub-classified using endoscopic biopsies, those involving deep-seated organs or lymph nodes might be targeted by minimal invasive procedures as endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology. Endoscopic ultrasound is also an accurate tool for the local staging of gastrointestinal lymphomas and prediction of the response to Helicobacter pylori eradication. This review summarizes the indications and evidence of endoscopic ultrasonography with or without fine needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis and staging of lymphoma.