Endoscopic ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation 
of pancreatic cystic neoplasia

Summary

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation/lavage of pancreatic cystic neoplasia is a new method of local ablative treatment, when highly concentrated ethylalcohol is injected into the cyst. The principle of the method is the chemical lysis of neoplastic cells in inner lining of the cyst with subsequent regression of cystic neoplasia. Recently, the method has been used mostly in clinical trials, that have confirmed efficacy in 33–79%. The authors present a video-case report of an older patient with significant comorbidities and pancreatic cystic neoplasia, that was treated by ethanol ablation. The authors discuss hitherto published papers dealing with EUS-guided ethanol ablation of pancreatic cysts, especially the efficacy and safety of the method.

Key words:
endosonography – endoscopic ultrasound-guided ethanol ablation – ethanol lavage – pancreatic cystic neoplasia