Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of lung cancer.
OBJECTIVE
We performed this study to evaluate the role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) in the pathologic diagnosis of lung cancer including lung masses as well as lymph nodes as targets.


METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 126 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA to diagnose radiologically suspected lung cancer. The patients had masses or lymph nodes that were highly suspicious for malignancy and accessible by EBUS-TBNA.


RESULTS
EBUS-TBNA was performed on 195 lesions (lymph nodes, n=151; lung masses, n=44). In 61 cases, other diagnostic methods had failed previous to EBUS-TBNA. In 118 patients, no definite endobronchial mucosal tumor invasion was observed. In eight patients with endobronchial tumor invasion, EBUS-TBNA was chosen due to tumor bleeding, necrosis, or difficult location for endobronchial biopsy. EBUS-TBNA confirmed 105 lung cancers, five other malignancies and six specific benign cases, demonstrating a diagnostic yield of 92.1% (116/126). Nine cases were diagnosed by other methods (lung cancer, n=2; other malignancies, n=2; benign cases, n=5). One case that was not confirmed by any diagnostic method was considered false negative. The sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of lung cancer were 97.2% (105/108) and 97.6% (123/126), respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
EBUS-TBNA targeting lymph nodes or masses highly suspicious for malignancy demonstrated high diagnostic value in the diagnosis of lung cancer. EBUS-TBNA is recommended for these cases, especially when other diagnostic methods have failed or are difficult.
Lee
Jeong Eun
JE
Department of Internal Medicine, Cancer Research Institute, Chungnam National University, 33 Munhwa-ro, Gung-gu, Daejeon, 301-721, Republic of Korea.
Kim
Hyae Young
HY
Lim
Kun Young
KY
Lee
Soo Hyun
SH
Lee
Geon Kook
GK
Lee
Hee Seok
HS
Hwangbo
Bin
B
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies