The Diagnostic Yield of Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) Technique in Assessment of Mediastinal Lymph Nodes

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) technique provides a complementary assessment of the areas of mediastinal lymph node involvement, and allows sampling of suspected lymph nodes. But, the usefulness of EBUS-TBNA in assessing all areas of mediastinal lymph nodes is little known and it seems that such assess is dependent to various factors related to the patient's condition and especially the characteristics of local lymph nodes. We aimed to evaluate the utility of EBUS-TBNA in assessing mediastinal lymph nodes and the factors associated with this utility.Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 40 patients suspected to mediastinal lymphadenopathy scheduled for assessment by EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy. The diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA to mediastinal lymph nodes was evaluated and non diagnostic cases evaluated by mediastinoscopy .Results: In evaluation with EBUS-TBNA, the diagnostic yield of EBUS in assess to mediastinal lymph nodes including 34 out of 40 cases was equal to 85%. The size of lymph node (lower than 10mm), the area of sample (left and right upper paratracheal), and the nature of the lymph node sample (benign type) were associated with lower diagnostic yield for EBUS-TBNA.Conclusion: The diagnostic yield of EBUS in assessing mediastinal lymph nodes for sampling and diagnosis is 85%. This benefit is expected in the case of lesions larger than 10 mm, lesions of a malignant nature, as well as lesions in the inferior paratracheal and subcarinal stations.

Crown-Cut Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Aspiration Needle: First Real-World Experiences

Advancements in personalized medicine have increased the demand for quantity and preservation of tissue architecture of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) samples. These demands may be addressed by the SonoTip TopGain® needle, which has a 3-point crown-cut design that contrasts with the standard single bevel design of the ViziShot 2®. The objective was to compare the SonoTip TopGain® and ViziShot 2® needles by considering biopsy sample characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, and patient safety. The primary endpoint of the study was the number of high-power fields (HPFs) in the center of the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded cell block per sample. The lymph node with the highest probability for malignant infiltration based on size and sonographic appearance was chosen as the target lymph node for 20 patients. The same lymph node in each patient was sampled using both the ViziShot 2® and SonoTip TopGain® needles. The samples were measured, sliced, and analyzed by a pathologist. Sixteen patients were biopsied with both needles. Four patients could not be biopsied with the SonoTip TopGain® needle since it could not penetrate cartilage or be repositioned to bypass cartilage. HPFs and sample dimensions were significantly greater in the patients where sampling with the SonoTip TopGain® needle was possible (p = 0.007 and p = 0.005, respectively). Diagnostic accuracy and safety profiles were comparable. Significantly more material can be sampled using the SonoTip TopGain® needle when cartilage penetration can be avoided. This improves the yield for molecular workup in the era of personalized medicine.

Endobronchial Ultrasound Features for Evaluation of Mediastinal and Hilar Lymph Nodes

Background. The aim of the study was to evaluate the utility of Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) features included elastography and B-mode features for differentiating malignant from benign lymph nodes(LNs). Methods. 84 patients with 151 enlarged mediastinal and hilar LNs underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) were involved in the retrospective study from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. Scores of EBUS elastography, EBUS B-mode features and final pathological results were recorded. Receiver operating characteristics, univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to evaluate the diagnostic yield of elastography and B-mode features for malignant LNs. Results. Total 84 patients of 151 LNs were enrolled in the single center retrospective study, which included 108 malignant nodes and 43 benign nodes obtained from 59/25 patients respectively. EBUS elastography score 4-5 differentiated malignant LNs from benign nodes with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy 85.05%, 77.27%, 90.10%, 71.0% and 82.23% respectively. EBUS B-mode features round shape, heterogenenous echogenicity and absence of CHS showed statistical diagnostic yield by multivariate logistic analysis. ROC analysis suggested the combined AUC for elastography, round shape, absence of CHS and hetergeneous echogenicity was 0.849. Conclusions. EBUS features are effective for differentiating between benign and malignant LNs. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Qingdao medical college affiliated Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital (NO. 2014-111).

Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA): Technical Updates and Pathological Yield

Since the endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscope was introduced to clinical practice, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has become the procedure of choice to sample hilar and mediastinal adenopathy. Multiple studies have been conducted in the last two decades to look at the different technical aspects of the procedure and their effects on the final cytopathological yield. In addition, newer modes of ultrasound scanning and newer tools with the potential to optimize the selection and sampling of the target lymph node have been introduced. These have the potential to reduce the number of passes, reduce the procedure time, and increase the diagnostic yield, especially in rare tumors and benign diseases. Herein, we review the latest updates related to the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA and their effects on the final cytopathological yield in malignant and benign diseases.

Diagnostic value of endobronchial ultrasound elastography combined with rapid onsite cytological evaluation in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

Background Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) elastography has been used in EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) to identify malignant lymph nodes based on tissue stiffness. Rapid onsite cytological evaluation (ROSE) has been widely utilized for onsite evaluation of sample adequacy and for guiding sampling during EBUS-TBNA. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of combined EBUS elastography and ROSE in evaluating mediastinal and hilar lymph node status. Methods Retrospective chart review was performed from December 2018 to September 2020. Patient demographics, EBUS elastography scores, and ROSE, pathologic, and clinical outcome data were collected. The EBUS elastography scores were classified as follows: Type 1, predominantly nonblue; Type 2, partially blue and partially nonblue; and Type 3, predominantly blue. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to compare the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio for evaluation of malignant lymph nodes among the EBUS elastography, ROSE, and EBUS combined with ROSE groups. Results A total of 245 patients (345 lymph nodes) were included. The sensitivity and specificity of the EBUS elastography group for the diagnosis of malignant lymph nodes were 90.51% and 57.26%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity in the ROSE group were 96.32% and 79.05%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of EBUS elastography combined with ROSE were 86.61%, 92.65%, 11.78, and 0.14, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.942. Conclusions Combining EBUS elastography and ROSE significantly increased the diagnostic value of EBUS-TBNA in evaluating mediastinal and hilar lymph node status compared to each method alone.

The Impact of Core Tissues on Successful Next-Generation Sequencing Analysis of Specimens Obtained through Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration

The success rate of next-generation sequencing (NGS) with specimens obtained through endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) among patients with lung cancer as well as the related clinical factors remain unclear. We aimed to determine the optimal number of punctures and core tissues during EBUS-TBNA for NGS in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as well as the association of chest computed tomography (CT) and EBUS findings with successful NGS. We retrospectively reviewed 156 consecutive patients with NSCLC who underwent EBUS-TBNA for NGS (OncomineTM Dx Target Test). Using the receiver operating characteristic curve, we calculated the optimal numbers of punctures and core tissues for NGS and evaluated CT and EBUS findings suggestive of necrosis and vascular pattern within the lesion. The success rate of NGS was 83.3%. The cut-off value for the number of core tissues was 4, and the sensitivity and specificity of successful NGS were 73.8% and 61.5%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the number of core tissues (≥4) was the sole predictor of successful NGS. CT and EBUS findings were not associated with successful NGS. Bronchoscopists should obtain sufficient core tissues for successful NGS using EBUS-TBNA specimens.