title: Usefulness of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions in a general hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the efficiency of guided bronchoscopy compared to blind techniques in the study of non-visible pulmonary lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A one-year, retrospective, study was conducted comparing two populations: Biopsies were either performed conventionally (FB-B) with the help of static images and the second where biopsies were performed after guidance (FB-EBUS). A 20-MHz radial-type ultrasound probe was used to obtain images. Sampling techniques, like bronchial brushing and transbronchial biopsies, were conducted in both populations by two separate bronchoscopists. If diagnosis was not achieved a surgical biopsy or observation followed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty patients appeared with non-visible lesions and were included in this study. Twenty were examined with the use of FB-EBUS and in 20 cases FB-B was conducted. At the FB-EBUS population a pathologic lesion was visualized in 16 cases (80%) and in 15 cases (75%) a diagnosis was achieved. All lesions that weren't visualized had a diameter less than 30 mm. At the FB-B population a diagnosis was achieved in 11 cases (55%). In pulmonary lesions with a diameter more than 30 mm, the diagnostic yield was 87, 5% using guidance and 61, 5% using FB-B and in lesions less than 30 mm 66, 67% and 42, 85% respectively. Moreover, left lower lobe was the most promising to obtain a diagnosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that in patients with a non-visible pulmonary lesion a diagnostic strategy involving the choice of EBUS-guided biopsy is a reasonable and effective choice.
authors.affiliation: Bronchoscopic Unit, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hellenic Air Force General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kokkonouzis
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lampaditis
authors.forename: Andriani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Charpidou
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kainis
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Syrigos
mesh_terms: D001999:Bronchoscopy; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D033401:Microscopy, Acoustic / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Endobronchial ultrasonography; bronchial brushing cytology; lung cancer; peripheral pulmonary lesions; transbronchial biopsy