ORIGINAL ARTICLE: EXPERIENCE OF ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND IN AN AUSTRALIAN TERTIARY HOSPITAL

There is minimal prospective data on endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) experience in Australia. This study aimed to review the recent EUS experience of a single Australian tertiary hospital. Data of all EUS carried out at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia were prospectively collected from August 2002 to September 2005. Patient demographics, indications, anatomical sites of EUS and fine-needle aspiration (FNA) were extracted from the database. A subset of 231 patients were involved in a prospective study to assess the clinical effect of EUS: with accuracy and outcomes data derived from surgical histology and pre-EUS and post-EUS questionnaires. Five hundred and sixty-one procedures were carried out for 526 patients. Men comprised 57% (n = 300). Mean age was 60 years (range, 19-92 years). The indications were (i) oesophageal 30.7% (n = 172); (ii) pancreaticobiliary 29.6% (n = 166); (iii) mediastinal and lung 20.7% (n = 116); (iv) gastric 15.9% (n = 89); and (v) duodenal 3.2% (n = 18). Endoscopic ultrasound-guided FNA was carried out in 30.3% procedures (170/561). Overall EUS accuracy was 84% (55/67 patients) and EUS-guided FNA accuracy was 88% (28/32 patients). There were no major complications. This is the largest reported Australian experience of EUS to date. Overall EUS was accurate, safe with no major complications or mortality and had useful outcomes. The role, expertise and accessibility of EUS in the Australian clinical setting are anticipated to continue to increase. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]