Preoperative staging of non-small cell lung cancer: transesophageal US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of mediastinal lymph nodes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of transesophageal real-time ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in staging non-small cell lung carcinoma.


METHODS
Two patients (a 64-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman) with non-small cell lung carcinoma and mediastinal lymphadenopathy detected at computed tomography underwent preoperative evaluation with transesophageal real-time US-guided FNAB. Two aspirates were obtained from each patient.


RESULTS
Diagnostic tissue from a contralateral posterior mediastinal lymph node was obtained from the first aspirate in each case. Neither patient experienced a complication as a result of this technique, and both were subsequently referred for palliative therapy in light of these findings.


CONCLUSIONS
Real-time US-guided FNAB is useful in the preoperative staging of disease in selected patients with non-small cell lung cancer.
Wiersema
M J
MJ
Department of Medicine, St Vincent Hospitals, Indianapolis, Ind.
Kochman
M L
ML
Cramer
H M
HM
Wiersema
L M
LM
D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008482:Mediastinum; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional