Endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS)-guided drainage of peripancreatic fluid collections (PFCs) is a well described alternative to surgery or percutaneous drainage. However, it is limited by the requirement for a large working channel that allows multiple plastic stent placement, which is only commercially available on therapeutic linear echoendoscopes. Herein, we describe the drainage of PFCs with a single self-expandable metal stent (SEMS) using a single-step technique and standard linear echoendoscope. Seven cases were identified during a retrospective chart review, and included all patients who had undergone EUS-guided drainage of PFCs during a 6-month period. The mean age was 46 years (range 25 - 70 years) and all patients were symptomatic. The mean diameter of PFCs was 8 cm (range 4.1 - 12.5 cm). Previous percutaneous drainage had failed in three patients. A total of 10 PFCs were drained. Three patients had two cysts drained by the same stent and one patient had two separate procedures to drain two distinct cysts. The SEMS was in place for a mean of 13 weeks (range 4 - 34 weeks). Successful placement of SEMS was achieved in all seven cases. Patients were followed for a mean of 18 weeks (range 7 - 35 weeks), and symptom improvement was achieved in all cases. Complete resolution of PFC was achieved in 9 /10 cysts. No complications were encountered. Single-step EUS-guided drainage of PFCs using a single 10-mm SEMS and a standard linear echoendoscope appears to be a feasible endoscopic technique with excellent technical and clinical success rates.

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) has become a fundamental tool in obtaining cytopathological diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. When sampling solid lesions of the pancreas, the endosonographer can use two suction techniques to enhance tissue acquisition; the dry and the wet suction techniques. The standard dry suction technique relies on applying negative pressure suction on the proximal end of the needle after the stylet is removed with a pre-vacuum syringe. The wet suction technique relies on pre-flushing the needle with saline to replace the column of air with fluid followed by aspiration the proximal end by using a prefilled syringe with saline. A new modified wet suction technique (hybrid suction technique) relies on preloading the needle with saline, but having continuous negative pressure with a pre-vacuum syringe to avoid manual intermittent suction. Tissue acquisition can be enhanced by applying fluid dynamic principles to the current aspiration techniques, such as the column of water used in the needle of the wet technique. In this review, we will focus on EUS-FNA using the wet suction technique for sampling of pancreatic solid lesions.