title: Utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in patients with tuberculous intrathoracic lymphadenopathy: a multicentre study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has emerged as an important tool for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer but its role in the diagnosis of tuberculous intrathoracic lymphadenopathy has not been established. The aim of this study was to describe the diagnostic utility of EBUS-TBNA in patients with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy due to tuberculosis (TB).
  
  
  METHODS
  156 consecutive patients with isolated intrathoracic TB lymphadenitis were studied across four centres over a 2-year period. Only patients with a confirmed diagnosis or unequivocal clinical and radiological response to antituberculous treatment during follow-up for a minimum of 6 months were included. All patients underwent routine clinical assessment and a CT scan prior to EBUS-TBNA. Demographic data, HIV status, pathological findings and microbiological results were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  EBUS-TBNA was diagnostic of TB in 146 patients (94%; 95% CI 88% to 97%). Pathological findings were consistent with TB in 134 patients (86%). Microbiological investigations yielded a positive culture of TB in 74 patients (47%) with a median time to positive culture of 16 days (range 3-84) and identified eight drug-resistant cases (5%). Ten patients (6%) did not have a specific diagnosis following EBUS; four underwent mediastinoscopy which confirmed the diagnosis of TB while six responded to empirical antituberculous therapy. There was one complication requiring an inpatient admission.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EBUS-TBNA is a safe and effective first-line investigation in patients with tuberculous intrathoracic lymphadenopathy.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Respiratory Research, University College London, 5 University Street, London WC1E 6JJ, UK.
authors.forename: Neal
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Navani
authors.forename: Philip L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Molyneaux
authors.forename: Ronan A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Breen
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Connell
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jepson
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nankivell
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morris-Jones
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wickremasinghe
authors.forename: Ajit
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lalvani
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rintoul
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Santis
authors.forename: Onn Min
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Kon
authors.forename: Sam M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Janes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019160:Endosonography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009169:Mycobacterium tuberculosis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D035423:Thoracic Cavity; D014388:Tuberculosis, Lymph Node / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult