Endoscopic ultrasound: a primer for pathologists

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration is a multi-step procedure that involves appropriate clinical indication and selection of needles, adapting evidence-based sampling techniques, and establishing reliable cytopathology support. Integrating cytopathology in the training curriculum and developing a more flexible platform of needles and echoendoscopes are likely to further advance the field of endosonography. This review aims to summarize the technical issues that are key to performing high quality endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration.