Endoscopic Ultrasonograpic Findings of Benign Mediastinal and Abdominal Lymphadenopathy Confirmed by EUS-guided Fine Needle Aspiration.
OBJECTIVE
Distinguishing benign and malignant lymph nodes by the findings of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) is still controversial. We tried to evaluate EUS findings of benign mediastinal and abdominal lymphadenopathy (BLAP) confirmed by EUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA).


METHODS
A total of 37 patients with enlarged mediastinal or abdominal lymph nodes (diameter >/=1 cm) were enrolled and EUS-FNA was performed. Final diagnosis was based on FNA cytology and follow up imaging studies (CT scans or EUS).


RESULTS
Thirteen patients were confirmed to have BLAP by EUS-FNA. Causes of BLAP were as follows; (i) extrapulmonary tuberculosis in six cases including patients with postoperative states due to cervical cancer and advanced gastric cancer, (ii) Kikuchi disease in one case, (iii) hypereosinophilic syndrome in one case, (iv) reactive hyperplasia in five cases including patients with postoperative states due to thyroid cancer, lung cancer, and EGC with ESD. EUS findings of BLAP revealed that median lymph node size was 24.7 mm. Lymph nodes were oval or round shaped in 9 cases, sharp borders in 9 cases, hypoechoic echo pattern in 7 cases, heterogenous internal echo pattern in 7 cases. Other findings included internal septation, calcification, multiplicity, attachment to the gastrointestinal tract wall, and conglomeration.


CONCLUSIONS
EUS findings of BLAP were not different from those of malignant lymphadenopathy previously reported in other studies.
Song
Hae Jung
HJ
Institute for Digestive Research, Digestive Disease Center, SoonChunHyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
Jin-Oh
JO
Eun
Soo Hoon
SH
Cho
Young Deok
YD
Jung
In Seop
IS
Cheon
Young Koog
YK
Moon
Jong Ho
JH
Lee
Joon Seong
JS
Lee
Moon Sung
MS
Shim
Chan Sup
CS
Kim
Boo Sung
BS
Jin
So Young
SY