Malignant pleural mesothelioma diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

Tuberc Respir Dis (Seoul). 2013 Feb;74(2):74-8. doi: 10.4046/trd.2013.74.2.74. Epub 2013 Feb 28.

Abstract

A 61-year-old woman came to the hospital with dyspnea and pleural effusion on chest radiography. She underwent repeated thoracentesis, transbronchial lung biopsy, bronchoalveolar lavage, and thoracoscopic pleural biopsy with talc pleurodesis, but diagnosis of her was uncertain. Positron emission tomography showed multiple lymphadenopathies, so she underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of mediastinal lymph nodes. Here, we report a case of malignant pleural mesothelioma that was eventually diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. This is an unusual and first case in Korea.

Keywords: Bronchoscopy; Diagnosis; Lymph Nodes; Mesothelioma; Ultrasonography.