Utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in diagnosing non-specific inflammatory intrathorcacic lymphadenitis

Abstract

Background and objective: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has emerged as a minimally invasive technique for diagnosing intrathoracic malignancies and some benignancies; however, there are no data available on the utility of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of non-specific inflammatory intrathoracic lymphadenitis.

Methods: A prospective analysis was performed from 104 patients with enlarged lymphadenopathy suspected of non-specific lymphadenitis referred for EBUS-TBNA between October 2009 and March 2012. Rapid on-site cytological evaluation was not adopted. Microbiological tests were carried out in all patients. Patients were excluded from the study if there was other diagnosis being defined.

Results: One hundred ninety-one lesions were aspirated in 94 patients with enlarged mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes within reach of EBUS-TBNA, which were diagnosed as non-specific intrathorcacic lymphadenitis by pathology and clinical follow-up. According to EBUS-TBNA pathologies, 94 patients were categorized into four kinds: (i) inflammatory cell infiltrates and/or noncaseating necrosis in 38 cases; (ii) granuloma formed by epithelioid cells and/or fiber hyperplasia in 13 cases; (iii) lymph node tissue/lymphocyte without obvious abnormal lesions in 41 cases; (iv) inadequate sample in 2 cases. Bacterial and/or fungal smears and cultures were carried out in all 94 patients (100%), with pathogens being found in 4 (4.3%) cases. All patients (100%) underwent acid-fast staining and culture for mycobacterium tuberculosis to exclude tuberculosis. No procedure-related complication was observed.

Conclusions: EBUS-TBNA can provide pathological and microbiological evidences for diagnosing non-specific inflammatory intrathoracic lymphadenopathy, and it is a safe and effective first-line investigation for ruling out malignancies and other benign diseases.

Keywords: endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS); intrathoracic lymphadenopathy; non-specific inflammation; pathology; transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA).