Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Fine-Needle Aspiration of Mediastinal Lymph Nodes: A Single Institution's Early Learning Curve

Benchmarking cytology support for ROSE during endoscopic and bronchoscopic procedures

INTRODUCTION

There has been an increase in endoscopic and bronchoscopic biopsies as minimally invasive methods to obtain specimens from gastrointestinal (GI) or pancreatobiliary lesions and thoracic or mediastinal lesions, respectively. As hospitals undertake more of these procedures, it is important to consider the staffing implications that this has on cytopathology laboratories with respect to support for rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Volume and time data from endoscopic ultrasound and bronchoscopic procedures (including endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspirations and small biopsies with touch preparation) in the GI suite, bronchoscopy suite, or operating room were reviewed for 2 months at 2 different medical centers with ROSE services provided by cytologists or fellows physically present at the procedure and cytopathologists located remotely using telecytology. Statistical analysis was performed to investigate significant trends based on the location of the biopsies and other factors.

RESULTS

A total of 16 proceduralists performed 159 procedures and submitted 276 different specimens during 16 total weeks at 2 institutions. The total ROSE time for the on-site personnel to cover these procedures was 109.3 hours (bronchoscopy, 62.3 hours [57%]; GI, 29.8 hours [27%]; OR, 17.2 hours [16%]), which represents an average of 0.69 hour (41.4 minutes) per procedure or 0.40 hour (24.0 minutes) per part, with the shortest procedure times per sample recorded during bronchoscopy. When stratified by practice volume for individual proceduralists, the average time per specimen sample submitted was shorter for proceduralists with high volume practices and was most pronounced during bronchoscopy procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Endoscopic and bronchoscopic procedures account for an increasing amount of the ROSE time for the cytology team. On average, each ROSE procedure takes 0.69 hour (41.4 minutes) or approximately 0.40 hour (24.0 minutes) per specimen, with shorter time requirements for specimens obtained in bronchoscopy procedures and for operators with high volume practices for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspirations. This provides important benchmarking data to calculate staffing needs for cytology to provide ROSE support for different proceduralists.

Deep Learning Using Endobronchial-Ultrasound-Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration Image to Improve the Overall Diagnostic Yield of Sampling Mediastinal Lymphadenopathy

Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer-related death worldwide. An accurate nodal staging is critical for the determination of treatment strategy for lung cancer patients. Endobronchial-ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has revolutionized the field of pulmonology and is considered to be extremely sensitive, specific, and secure for lung cancer staging through rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE), but manual visual inspection on the entire slide of EBUS smears is challenging, time consuming, and worse, subjective, on a large interobserver scale. To satisfy ROSE’s needs, a rapid, automated, and accurate diagnosis system using EBUS-TBNA whole-slide images (WSIs) is highly desired to improve diagnosis accuracy and speed, minimize workload and labor costs, and ensure reproducibility. We present a fast, efficient, and fully automatic deep-convolutional-neural-network-based system for advanced lung cancer staging on gigapixel EBUS-TBNA cytological WSIs. Each WSI was converted into a patch-based hierarchical structure and examined by the proposed deep convolutional neural network, generating the segmentation of metastatic lesions in EBUS-TBNA WSIs. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research on fully automated enlarged mediastinal lymph node analysis using EBUS-TBNA cytological WSIs. We evaluated the robustness of the proposed framework on a dataset of 122 WSIs, and the proposed method achieved a high precision of 93.4%, sensitivity of 89.8%, DSC of 82.2%, and IoU of 83.2% for the first experiment (37.7% training and 62.3% testing) and a high precision of 91.8 ± 1.2, sensitivity of 96.3 ± 0.8, DSC of 94.0 ± 1.0, and IoU of 88.7 ± 1.8 for the second experiment using a three-fold cross-validation, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed method significantly outperformed the three state-of-the-art baseline models, including U-Net, SegNet, and FCN, in terms of precision, sensitivity, DSC, and Jaccard index, based on Fisher’s least significant difference (LSD) test (p<0.001). For a computational time comparison on a WSI, the proposed method was 2.5 times faster than U-Net, 2.3 times faster than SegNet, and 3.4 times faster than FCN, using a single GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, respectively. With its high precision and sensitivity, the proposed method demonstrated that it manifested the potential to reduce the workload of pathologists in their routine clinical practice.

Comparison of the efficiency of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration using a 22G needle versus 25G needle for the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis in patients with lung cancer: a prospective randomized, crossover study

Background

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is generally performed for the diagnosis of hilar/mediastinal lymph node metastasis in patients with lung cancer. Recently, a 25-gauge (G) needle became available, but robust evidence of its usefulness in routine clinical practice is still lacking.

Methods

A prospective randomized crossover trial was performed, in which patients with suspected hilar/mediastinal lymph node metastasis of lung cancer underwent EBUS-TBNA. The primary endpoint was the rate of yield histology specimens containing malignant cells.

Results

From December 2018 to February 2020, 102 patients were randomly assigned to EBUS-TBNA using a 22G needle first, followed by a 25G needle (n=50) or EBUS-TBNA using a 25G needle first, followed by a 22G needle (n=52). There was no difference in the diagnostic yield of malignancy between the histology specimens obtained by using the 22G and 25G needles (75% vs. 75%, respectively, P=0.37). The sizes of the tissue samples (16.4 vs. 4.9 mm², respectively) and number of malignant cells in the tissue samples (626 vs. 400, respectively) were both significantly higher when using the 22G needle than when using the 25G needle.

Conclusions

No significant difference in the diagnostic yield between the 22G and 25G needles was observed for the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis of lung cancer, suggesting that needles of either gauge could be used for the biopsy. However, we would recommend use of the 22G needle, because it provided larger specimens and specimens containing larger numbers of malignant cells.

Trial Registration

University hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry (ID: UMIN000036680).

Learning Curve of C-Arm Cone-beam Computed Tomography Virtual Navigation-Guided Percutaneous Transthoracic Needle Biopsy

Objective

To evaluate the learning curve for C-arm cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) virtual navigation-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) and to determine the amount of experience needed to develop appropriate skills for this procedure using cumulative summation (CUSUM).

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 2042 CBCT virtual navigation-guided PTNBs performed by 7 novice operators between March 2011 and December 2014. Learning curves for CBCT virtual navigation-guided PTNB with respect to its diagnostic performance and the occurrence of biopsy-related pneumothorax were analyzed using standard and risk-adjusted CUSUM (RA-CUSUM). Acceptable failure rates were determined as 0.06 for diagnostic failure and 0.25 for PTNB-related pneumothorax.

Results

Standard CUSUM indicated that 6 of the 7 operators achieved an acceptable diagnostic failure rate after a median of 105 PTNB procedures (95% confidence interval [CI], 14–240), and 6 of the operators achieved acceptable pneumothorax occurrence rate after a median of 79 PTNB procedures (95% CI, 27–155). RA-CUSUM showed that 93 (95% CI, 39–142) and 80 (95% CI, 38–127) PTNB procedures were required to achieve acceptable diagnostic performance and pneumothorax occurrence, respectively.

Conclusion

The novice operators' skills in performing CBCT virtual navigation-guided PTNBs improved with increasing experience over a wide range of learning periods.

Are there differences among operators in false-negative rates of endosonography with needle aspiration for mediastinal nodal staging of non-small cell lung cancer?

BACKGROUND

Endosonography with needle aspiration (EBUS/EUS-NA) is recommended as the first choice for mediastinal nodal assessment in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). It is important to maintain adequate negative predictive value of the procedure to avoid unnecessary additional surgical staging, but there are few studies on the influence of operator-related factors including competency on false negative results. This study aims to compare the false negative rate of individual operators and whether it changes according to accumulation of experience.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study of NSCLC patients who were N0/N1 by EBUS/EUS-NA and confirmed by pathologic staging upon mediastinal lymph node dissection (n = 705). Patients were divided into a false negative group (finally confirmed as pN2/N3) and a true negative group (pN0/N1). False negative rates of six operators and whether these changed according to accumulated experience were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were 111 (15.7%) false negative cases. False negative rates among six operators ranged from 8.3 to 21.4%; however, there were no statistical differences before and after adjustment for patient characteristics and procedure-related factors (P = 0.346 and P = 0.494, respectively). In addition, false negative rates did not change as each operator accumulated experience (P for trend = 0.632).

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that there would be no difference in false negative rates regardless of which operator performs the procedure assuming that the operators have completed a certain period of observation and have performed procedures under the guidance of an expert.

Evaluation of Appropriate Mediastinal Staging among Endobronchial Ultrasound Bronchoscopists

RATIONALE

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) has transformed mediastinal staging in lung cancer. A systematic approach, beginning with lymph nodes contralateral to the primary tumor (N3), is considered superior to selective sampling of radiographically abnormal nodes. However, the extent to which this recommendation is followed in practice remains unknown.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the frequency with which pulmonologists, pulmonary fellows, and interventional pulmonologists endoscopically stage lung cancer appropriately.

METHODS

Bronchoscopists currently performing EBUS were surveyed about their practice patterns, procedural volume, and self-confidence in EBUS skills; they then performed a proctored simulated staging EBUS. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants who appropriately initiated ultrasonographic evaluation with the N3 nodal stations in a simulated patient undergoing EBUS for mediastinal staging.

RESULTS

Sixty physicians (22 interventional pulmonologists, 18 general pulmonologists, and 20 pulmonary fellows) participated in the study. The rates of appropriate staging by study group were 95.5% (21 of 22) for interventional pulmonologists, 44.4% (8 of 18) for general pulmonologists, and 30.0% (6 of 20) for pulmonary fellows (P < 0.001). Increased procedural volume correlated with appropriate staging practices (P < 0.001). Within each group, we assessed the concordance between self-confidence in EBUS and simulation performance. Among interventional pulmonologists, the concordance was 95.4%, followed by 61.1% for general pulmonologists and 40.0% for pulmonary fellows.

CONCLUSIONS

General pulmonologists and pulmonary fellows were less likely than interventional pulmonologists to perform appropriate EBUS staging. In addition, the lack of concordance between self-confidence and appropriate staging performance among noninterventionists signals a need for improved dissemination of guidelines for EBUS-guided mediastinal staging.

Role of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of bronchogenic carcinoma: Experience of a single institution in China

OBJECTIVES

  To evaluate diagnostic yield and the safety of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes and intrapulmonary masses.

METHODS

  Between July 2009 and February 2010, 95 patients with mediastinal/hilar lymphadenopathy and/or intrathoracic peritracheal or peribronchial masses detected with computed tomography underwent EBUS-TBNA. One hundred and twelve samples were obtained from lymph nodes (LNs) and 11 samples were obtained from intrapulmonary lesions. All patients had cytological evaluation by smears and/or tissue evaluation of aspiration specimens.

RESULTS

  Out of the 95 patients, 60 had lung cancer, 58 of these patients were diagnosed using EBUS-TBNA without onsite cytology assistance, false negative in 2 cases. Sensitivity the of convex probe EBUS-TBNA method in distinguishing benign from malignant lymph nodes or thoracic mass was 96.67%. In the absence of any major complications the procedure was uneventful.

CONCLUSIONS

  EBUS-TBNA seems a safe and effective technique in the diagnosis making bronchogenic carcinoma for mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes (LNs) and intrapulmonary masses.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration: Determinants of adequacy

Background

This study aims to evaluate the factors influencing the adequacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration specimens.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of 1,700 endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration samples obtained from 822 patients (500 males, 322 females; mean age 56±13 years; range 16 to 83 years) was performed between March 2011 and March 2014 at our center. Variables potentially associated with sampling adequacy, such as all cytological materials and procedure notes (lymph node and/or lesion size, localization, needle pass number, and slide number) were examined.

Results

The overall specimen adequacy was 79.8%. The specimen adequacy was associated with needle pass number (p≤0.001). Adequacy rate was 66.9% for one needle pass and 85.8% for three needle passes. According to the sampling regions, adequacy rates showed a difference [69.2%-85.8%; (p≤0.005)]. In the multivariate logistic regression analysis of subcarinal (7) lymph node station, patient age (odds ratio, 0.983; 95% confidence interval, 0.966-1.000; p=0.049) and number of slides (odds ratio, 1.240; 95% confidence interval, 1.062-1.448; p=0.006) were independent determining factors of specimen adequacy. While independent determinants of specimen adequacy for the right paratracheal (4R) region were lymph node size (odds ratio, 1.486; 95% confidence interval, 0.973-2.268; p=0.067) and number of slides (odds ratio, 1.418; 95% confidence interval, 1.146-1.756; p=0.001), they were lymph node size (odds ratio, 1.594; 95% confidence interval, 0.960-2.645; p=0.071) and number of needle passes (odds ratio, 2.277; 95% confidence interval, 1.360-3.811; p=0.002) for the right interlobar (11R) region. Independent determinant of specimen adequacy for the left paratracheal (4L) lymph node station was the number of needle passes (odds ratio, 1.656; 95% confidence interval, 0.955-2.869; p=0.072).

Conclusion

During endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspirations, particularly when rapid on site evaluation cannot be applied, consideration of factors affecting adequacy according to lymph node localizations may increase the chance for obtaining materials with suitable quality for cytologic evaluation.

Learning curve and advantages of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration as a first-line diagnostic and staging procedure

Background

Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) is now the standard for mediastinal lymph node staging of lung cancer. Training and maintenance of technical skills is very important in order to apply new techniques in clinical use.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed of patients who underwent EBUS‐TBNA from November 2009 to December 2015. We assessed the learning curve, accuracy (%), and whether this procedure shortened the duration of lung cancer staging.

Results

The EBUS‐TBNA learning curve continued to improve beyond 120 procedures. Diagnostic accuracy was similar between benign and malignant populations. There was no difference in the learning curve between the groups. Non‐small cell lung cancer patients who underwent EBUS‐TBNA as the first investigative procedure underwent fewer subsequent investigative procedures (1.47 vs. 2.05; P < 0.001), and had a shorter staging duration (4.52 vs. 11.05 days; P = 0.006) compared to those who underwent other procedures for the first investigation.

Conclusion

EBUS‐TBNA should be one of the preferred options for lung cancer diagnosis and staging because it reduces the staging duration compared to the use of other invasive procedures in initial investigation.

Influence of trainee involvement on procedural characteristics for linear endobronchial ultrasound

Background

Linear endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a safe and effective method for the diagnostic sampling of mediastinal lymph nodes. However, there is a learning curve associated with the procedure and operator experience influences diagnostic yield. We sought to determine if trainee involvement during EBUS influences procedural characteristics, complication rate, and diagnostic yield.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of 220 subjects who underwent an EBUS procedure at our center from December 2012 to June 2013. Procedures were performed by six different interventional pulmonologists with substantial experience with EBUS or by a trainee under their direct supervision. Procedural characteristics and complications were recorded. Diagnostic yield and specimen adequacy were compared between groups.

Results

EBUS was performed in 220 patients with a trainee involved (n = 116) or by staff physician alone (n = 104). Patient characteristics, and the number and size of lymph node stations sampled were similar. EBUS duration was longer (16.0 vs. 13.7 minutes; P = 0.002) and the total dose of lidocaine used was higher (322.3 vs. 304.2 mg; P = 0.045) when a trainee was involved. The rate of adequate specimens sampled was comparable between the groups (92.0 vs. 92.0%; P = 0.60). Diagnostic yield was lower when a trainee was involved in the EBUS procedure (52.6 vs. 68.3%; P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Trainee involvement significantly increased EBUS duration and the dose of local anesthesia used for the procedure. Diagnostic yield was lower when a trainee was involved. Factors accounting for this difference in yield, despite adequate samples being obtained, warrant further investigation.

Training and proficiency in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration: A systematic review

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is currently the modality of choice for evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. However, there is still uncertainty regarding the training methodology and the number of procedures required to attain proficiency in EBUS. Herein, we performed a systematic review of studies selected from PubMed, EmBase and Scopus databases describing the training and assessment of proficiency during EBUS, specifically studies investigating various methods for training, its outcome and the number of procedures required to overcome the learning curve for EBUS. Twenty-seven (simulator-based learning (n = 8), tools for assessing competence in EBUS-TBNA (n = 5) and threshold numbers needed to attain proficiency in EBUS-TBNA (n = 16)) studies were identified. An EBUS simulator accurately stratified individuals based on the level of experience in performing EBUS. Training received on a simulator was comparable with traditional apprentice-based training. Importantly, skills acquired on a simulator could be transferred to real-world patients. The number needed to overcome the initial learning curve of EBUS varied from 10 to 100 in individual studies with a mean of 37-44 procedures. Tools such as EBUS-STAT (EBUS skill and task assessment tool) and EBUSAT (EBUS skill and assessment tool) were effective in evaluating the EBUS trainees. We conclude that an EBUS simulator or EBUS assessment tools can objectively assess the training of an EBUS trainee. Simulator-based training is a useful modality in EBUS training. The number of procedures needed to overcome the initial learning curve is about 40. Centres involved in EBUS training could incorporate simulator-based training in their curriculum before allowing operators to perform EBUS on patients.

Specimen acquisition training with a new biosimulator in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

Training for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has focused on the procedure itself; however, the techniques for obtaining adequate sample are also important for achieving a pathological diagnosis as well as for molecular testing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a biosimulator for training subjects in adequate sample acquisition during EBUS-TBNA.A total of 19 bronchoscopists voluntarily participated in this study. A biosimulator (ArtiCHEST, HARADA Corporation, Tokyo, Japan) was used for the training. After a 10-minute briefing, the first pass was performed by pairs of trainees. The trainees then received a 30-minute lecture that focused on the acquisition of samples using EBUS-TBNA. The trainees next performed their second pass under the supervision of the trainers. Each participant obtained a cytological smear that was coded and evaluated for quantity as well as quality by an independent cytotechnologist.The trainees had an average of 5.9 years of bronchoscopy experience. With regard to the quantity evaluation, 9 (47.4%) subjects sampled a greater number of lymphocytes on the second pass than on the first, whereas 2 were better on the first pass, and the others sampled roughly the same amount both times. With regard to the quality assessment, 9 (47.4%) subjects obtained better quality samples on the second pass, whereas the quality of the first and second pass was deemed to be roughly the same for the remaining subjects.A biosimulator can be used to train doctors in specimen acquisition and evaluate their skills with sampling using EBUS-TBNA.

Evaluation of cytology in lung cancer diagnosis based on EBUS-TBNA

AIMS

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) is a relatively new modality that can be used to guide transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of mediastinal lymph nodes. At present, researches on the sensitivity and specificity of cytopathology based on the EBUS-TBNA are deficient; therefore, we want to evaluate the value of cytology based on the EBUS-TBNA in this article.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We reviewed the 379 cases that underwent the EBUS-TBNA in Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital from April 2010 to May 2011. Discarding the 139 cases with insufficient cells, we analyzed the remaining 240 cases that had enough cells on the smears.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 15.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL) was used for data analysis. A P value of <0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

We found that the cytologic diagnosis of sensitivity and specificity reached 94.52% and 95.12%, respectively. The sensitivity of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma was up to 88.24%, 100.00%, and 96.00%, respectively. The specificity of squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma reached to 100.00%, 100.00%, and 99.25%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Here, we report that the cytological examination of EBUS-TBNA should be acknowledged as a simple, fast, and safe procedure that provides a reasonable sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis in lung cancer.

Using stroke thrombolysis to describe the role of repetition in learning a cognitive skill

OBJECTIVE

To empirically describe how independent physicians develop a new cognitive clinical skill through repetition using the initiation of a stroke thrombolysis programme as a model.

METHODS

This was a retrospective cohort study from April 2009 to March 2013. The setting was a single-centre, Canadian tertiary-care community hospital. The participants were 52 physicians with no prior formal training in stroke thrombolysis assuming a new role of being front-line hyperacute stroke physicians. The main outcome measures were: time needed to accrue experience, door-to-needle time (DTN), with achievement of expertise defined as an average of ≤ 60 minutes, computed tomography (CT)-to-needle time (CTN), with achievement of expertise defined as an average of ≤ 35 minutes, usage of an outside expert stroke telemedicine service, and complication rates with intracranial haemorrhage (ICH).

RESULTS

Seven hundred and fifteen cases of hyperacute stroke were seen over the 4-year study period. On average, a physician saw 0.025 cases per hour of code stroke coverage provided; only seven (13.5%) accrued more than 20 code stroke cases and only six (11.6%) ordered thrombolysis more than 10 times. By regression analysis, the average first DTN was 81.0 minutes (95% confidence interval [CI], 77.1-84.9 minutes) and incrementally improved linearly by 0.259 minutes per case seen (95% CI, 0.182-0.337 minutes per case). An estimated 71 cases needed to be seen for the average physician to achieve expertise. Results using CTN were highly similar. Overall, physicians used the external stroke telemedicine providers 23.2% of the time for their first five cases, a rate that decreased to about 5% by the 45th case. Over time, ICH rates were kept at expected benchmarks.

CONCLUSIONS

Accruing sufficient experience of a new cognitive clinical skill can be challenging for independent physicians, with expertise gradually emerging in a largely linear fashion only after much repetition.

Utility of endobronchial ultrasound-guided-fine-needle aspiration and additional value of cell block in the diagnosis of mediastinal granulomatous lymphadenopathy

Background:

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration is a minimally invasive technique for diagnosis of mediastinal lesions. Although most studies have reported the utility of EBUS-FNA in malignancy, its use has been extended to the benign conditions as well.

Objective:

To evaluate the diagnostic yield and cytologic accuracy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) in cases of clinically and radiologically suspected granulomatous diseases.

Patients and Method:

From May 2010 to April 2015, 43 of 115 patients who underwent EBUS-FNA at one center for radiologically and clinically suspicious granulomatous lesions, and with no definite histological diagnosis, were included in this retrospective study.

Results:

When the histological diagnosis was taken as the gold standard, the sensitivity of EBUS-FNA was 85% and specificity was 100% with the positive predictive value of 100. The combined diagnostic sensitivity of EBUS-FNA and transbronchial lung biopsy was 100%. In 4 cases, cell block provided an exclusive morphological diagnosis of sarcoidosis which was noncontributory by EBUS-FNA.

Conclusion:

Our study supports the use of EBUS-FNA, by virtue of being a safe, minimally invasive, and an outpatient procedure, in the diagnosis of granulomatous mediastinal lymphadenopathy, thereby obviating more invasive testing in a significant number of patients. Also, cell block provides additional data in the diagnosis in these benign mediastinal diseases.

A Prospective Clinical Trial of Telecytopathology for Rapid Interpretation of Specimens Obtained During Endobronchial Ultrasound-Fine Needle Aspiration

BACKGROUND

Cytopathologic interpretation of endobronchial ultrasound with fine needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) samples by a pathologist can be time-consuming and costly, and an onsite cytopathologist may not always be readily available. A telecytopathology system was instituted and evaluated to examine the effect on operative time for EBUS.

METHODS

A prospective study was performed of sequential patients undergoing EBUS-FNA for the evaluation of mediastinal lymphadenopathy. Specimens for the control group were transported to the pathology laboratory, followed by remote cytologic interpretation. In a subsequent cohort, a telecytopathology system was used with intraoperative transmission of real-time live video microscopy to a remote cytopathologist (TCP group). The primary outcome was time to confirmation of cytology results.

RESULTS

Of 46 patients entered into the study, 23 underwent traditional analysis (control group), and 20 were analyzed using telecytopathology (TCP group). Lung cancer was the most common malignancy in both groups (12 TCP, 12 control). There was no difference in mean number of lymph node stations sampled (1.3 TCP vs 1.8 control, p = 0.76). Use of TCP was associated with fewer needle passes (4.9 vs 7.3, p = 0.02) and fewer slides for interpretation (8.4 vs 13.5, p = 0.01) per procedure. Time to result confirmation was significantly shorter in the TCP group (19.0 vs 46.7 minutes, p < 0.001). A diagnostic specimen was obtained in 70% of patients in the TCP group compared with 65% in the control group (p = 0.5). False-negative rates in patients undergoing EBUS-FNA and mediastinoscopy were similar between the two groups (0 in TCP vs 2 in control, p = 0.49). Mean procedural costs (excluding cost of the telecytology system and operating room time) were equivalent between the two groups ($888 TCP vs $887 control).

CONCLUSIONS

Telecytopathology provides rapid interpretation of EBUS-FNA samples with diagnostic accuracy comparable to traditional methods, shortens procedure time, and is a more efficient model for delivery of on-site EBUS-FNA interpretation.

Educating the next generation of pulmonary fellows in transbronchial needle aspiration. Leading the blind to see

Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) remains an invaluable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of mediastinal and hilar abnormalities, specifically in the evaluation of patients with lung cancer. Training in TBNA has remained integral in pulmonary fellowship programs, but unfortunately the training methods, volumes, and outcomes have been variable. This has subsequently led to wide variations in practice patterns, diagnostic yield, and operator confidence. The introduction of endobronchial ultrasound-guided TBNA appears to have stimulated a resurgence in training and performance of TBNA. However, with this new technology, many questions have surfaced regarding training methods, volumes, and who should receive training. Within this context, we describe the history, current state, and future directions of the education of TBNA during pulmonary fellowship training.

Endobronchial ultrasound learning curve in interventional pulmonary fellows

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Little published data exist regarding the learning curve for endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA). We sought to assess the improvement in skill as trainees learned EBUS-TBNA in a clinical setting.

METHODS

This is a multicentre cohort study of EBUS-TBNA technical skill of interventional pulmonology (IP) fellows as assessed with EBUS-TBNA computer simulator testing every 25 clinical cases throughout IP fellowship training.

RESULTS

Nine fellows from three academic centres in the United States and Canada were enrolled in the study. Ongoing improvements were seen for EBUS-TBNA efficiency score and percentage of lymph nodes correctly identified on ultrasound exam, even after 200 clinical cases. Expert-level technical skill was obtained for EBUS efficiency score and for percentage of lymph nodes correctly identified on ultrasound exam at a median of 212 and 164 procedures, respectively; however, 33% of fellows did not achieve expert-level technical skill for either metric during their fellowship training. Significant variation in learning curves of the fellows was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Significant variation is seen in the EBUS-TBNA learning curves of individual IP fellows and for individual procedure components, with ongoing improvement in EBUS-TBNA skill even after 200 clinical cases. These results highlight the need for validated, objective measures of individual competence, and can assist training programmes in ensuring adequate procedure volumes required for a majority of trainees to successfully complete these assessments.

Training in and experience with endobronchial ultrasound

BACKGROUND

Diagnosing mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy and staging lung cancer with endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) are on the rise, but uncertainty surrounds the optimal number of cases needed to achieve acceptable yields.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the threshold at which EBUS-TBNA reaches adequate yields among trainees and skilled bronchoscopists.

METHODS

We reviewed all EBUS-TBNAs performed at our medical center since implementing the use of EBUS (n = 222).

RESULTS

EBUS-TBNAs were performed in 222 patients (344 nodes). The percentage of adequate specimens sampled (diagnostic specimens or nodal tissue) rose from 66% in 2008 to 90% in 2012 (p < 0.01) and cancer yield improved from 34% in 2008 to 48% in 2012 (p < 0.01). Attending physicians who performed an average of more than 10 procedures per year had higher yields compared to those who performed fewer than 10 procedures per year (86 vs. 68%, p < 0.01). The yield of trainees also improved with every 10 procedures (79, 90 and 95%, p < 0.001) and that of attending physicians with experience (1-25 procedures: 78% yield, 26-50 procedures: 87% yield and 50+ procedures: 90% yield; p < 0.01). Among trainees, failure rates declined steadily.

CONCLUSION

EBUS-TBNA yield (malignant and benign) increases with increasing experience amongst experienced bronchoscopists and trainees as early as the first 20-25 procedures. Pulmonary trainees had a rapid decline in failure rates. These findings suggest that in an academic environment a minimum of 20-25 procedures is needed to achieve acceptable yields.

Staging lung cancer: role of endobronchial ultrasound

Accurate staging is the first step in the management of lung cancer. Nodal staging is quite important for physicians to be able to judge the primary operability of patients harboring no distant metastasis. For many years, mediastinoscopy has been considered a "gold standard" modality for nodal staging. Mediastinoscopy is known to be a highly sensitive procedure for mediastinal staging and has been performed worldwide, but is invasive. Because of this, clinicians have sought a less invasive modality for nodal staging. Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a minimally invasive modality for diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. EBUS-TBNA is a needle biopsy procedure that has accessibility compatible with the reach of the convex-probe EBUS scope, so N1 nodes are also assessable. The diagnostic yield is similar to that of mediastinoscopy, and the core obtained by the dedicated needle biopsy can be used for histological assessment to determine the subtypes of lung cancer. The samples can also be used to test for various biomarkers using immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction for DNA/complementary DNA, and in situ hybridization, and the technique is useful for selecting candidates for specific molecular-targeted therapeutic agents. According to the newly published American College of Chest Physicians guideline, EBUS-TBNA is now considered "the best first test" for nodal staging in patients with radiologically suspicious nodes. Appropriate training and thorough clinical experience is required to be able to perform correct nodal staging using this procedure.

Learning curve for endobronchial ultrasound‑guided transbronchial needle aspiration: experience of a community‑based teaching hospital

Endobronchial ultrasound‑guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‑TBNA) is a minimally invasive procedure. This procedure is useful for nodal staging of lung cancer and evaluating mediastinal lymphoma and granuloma. The present study was a retrospective analysis of our experience when EBUS‑TBNA was initially implemented. A total of 112 lymph nodes/masses (51 patients) were divided into two groups: The first and second 8 months. In the first group, 33 lymph nodes/masses (16 patients) were biopsied and tumor diagnoses were made in 9% of the cases (three lymph nodes/masses). The material was adequate to produce a cell block for microscopic analysis in 42% of cases. Subsequent tissue diagnoses were available in 50% of cases. Only one of the three malignant EBUS‑TBNA diagnoses (33%) was confirmed by histological examination. In the second 8 months, 79 lymph nodes (35 patients) were sampled. Tumor/granuloma diagnoses were achieved in 27% of the cases (21 nodes) (P=0.045 versus the first 8 months) and the obtained material was adequate for producing a cell block in 90% of cases (P<0.001 versus the first 8 months). Corresponding tissue diagnoses were available in 28% of cases. Correlation of EBUS-TBNA and histological examination for tumor/granuloma diagnosis was 100% (12/12, P=0.029 versus the first 8 months). Immunostains in the cell blocks indicated that all the metastatic adenocarcinomas were thyroid transcription factor‑1 (TTF‑1)+ and p63‑, and that all squamous cell carcinomas were TTF‑1‑, p63+ and cytokeratin 5/6 (CK5/6)+. Eight granulomata were identified, of which five were positive for Acid‑Fast Bacilli (AFB) stain and confirmed by culture or tissue biopsy. The remaining three granulomata were AFB‑negative. EGFR/KRAS mutation analysis was conducted in cell blocks of five adenocarcinomas, of which all provided sufficient diagnostic material. The findings showed a steep learning curve when EBUS‑TBNA was first adopted, reflected by an increased rate of tumor/granuloma diagnoses as well as an improved sample yield for cell block preparation in the second 8 months. TTF‑1, p63 and CK5/6 were useful biomarkers for distinguishing metastatic lung carcinomas.

Utility and diagnostic accuracy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration cytology of mediastinal lesions: Saudi Arabian experience

Objective:

The objective of this study is to evaluate the cytological accuracy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-TFNA) of the mediastinal mass/nodular lesions.

Study Design:

Over 3½ years from inception at King Khalid University Hospital, a retrospective analysis of the cytological diagnoses of all the EBUS-TFNA procedures performed in 80 patients who had mediastinal mass/nodular enlargement. Cytology results were reviewed and correlated with the histologic follow-up.

Results:

Of the 80 patients who underwent EBUS-TFNA, 15 cases (18.75%) were positive for malignancy, 48 cases (60%) negative for malignancy and 17 cases (21.25%) unsatisfactory. Of the 48 cases, which were negative for malignancy, 24 (50%) cases were of granulomatous inflammation. The overall diagnostic yield of our EBUS-TFNA specimen was 78.75%. Forty-seven cases (58.75%) of 80 cases had histological follow-up biopsies. Among them, 32 cases (68%) had the same cytological and histological diagnosis and 15 cases (31.09%) had discordance between the cytology and the follow-up histological diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for diagnosing granulomas by EBUS-TFNA are 77%, 82%, 83%, and 75% and for diagnosing malignancy are 71%, 100%, 100%, and 82%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Preliminary results show that cytological samples obtained through EBUS-TFNA are accurate and specific in making a diagnosis of the mediastinal mass/nodular lesions. Its optimum use depends on the effective collaboration between the cytotechnologist, pathologist, and the bronchoscopist.

Advanced bronchoscopic techniques in diagnosis and staging of lung cancer

The role of advanced brochoscopic diagnostic techniques in detection and staging of lung cancer has steeply increased in recent years. Bronchoscopic imaging techniques became widely available and easy to use. Technical improvement led to merging in technologies making autofluorescence or narrow band imaging incorporated into one bronchoscope. New tools, such as autofluorescence imagining (AFI), narrow band imaging (NBI) or fuji intelligent chromo endoscopy (FICE), found their place in respiratory endoscopy suites. Development of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) improved minimally invasive mediastinal staging and diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions. Linear EBUS proven to be complementary to mediastinoscopy. This technique is now available in almost all high volume centers performing bronchoscopy. Radial EBUS with mini-probes and guiding sheaths provides accurate diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions. Combining EBUS guided procedures with rapid on site cytology (ROSE) increases diagnostic yield even more. Electromagnetic navigation technology (EMN) is also widely used for diagnosis of peripheral lesions. Future development will certainly lead to new improvements in technology and creation of new sophisticated tools for research in respiratory endoscopy. Broncho-microscopy, alveoloscopy, optical coherence tomography are some of the new research techniques emerging for rapid technological development.

Diagnostic bronchoscopy--current and future perspectives

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Standard bronchoscopy has limited ability to accurately localise and biopsy pulmonary lesions that cannot be directly visualised. The field of advanced diagnostic bronchoscopy is rapidly evolving due to advances in electronics and miniaturisation. Bronchoscopes with smaller outer working diameters, coupled with miniature radial and convex ultrasound probes, allow accurate central and peripheral pulmonary lesion localisation and biopsy while at the same time avoiding vascular structures. Increases in computational processing power allow three-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomographic raw data to enable virtual bronchoscopy (VB), providing the bronchoscopist with a preview of the bronchoscopy prior to the procedure. Navigational bronchoscopy enables targeting of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) via a "roadmap", similar to in-car global positioning systems. Analysis of lesions on a cellular level is now possible with techniques such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal microscopy (CM). All these tools will hopefully allow earlier and safer lung cancer diagnosis and in turn better patient outcomes. This article describes these new bronchoscopic techniques and reviews the relevant literature.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for non-small cell lung cancer staging

Real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an established technique for invasive mediastinal staging of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Needle-based techniques are now recommended as a first-line diagnostic modality for mediastinal staging. Accurate performance of systematic staging with EBUS-TBNA requires a detailed knowledge of mediastinal anatomy. This examination begins at the N3 lymph nodes, progressing through the N2 and N1 lymph node stations, unless a higher station lymph node is positive for malignant cells by rapid on-site cytologic examination. Objective methods of identifying EBUS-TBNA targets include sampling any lymph node station with a visible lymph node or with a lymph node greater than 5 mm in short axis. Three passes per station or the use of rapid on-site cytologic examination with identification of diagnostic material (tumor or lymphocytes) up to five passes are well-established techniques. Obtaining sufficient tissue for molecular profiling may require performing more than three passes. The operating characteristics of EBUS-TBNA are similar to mediastinoscopy. However, mediastinoscopy should be considered in the setting of a negative EBUS-TBNA and a high posterior probability of N2 or N3 involvement.

Improved efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy in comparison to endobronchial ultrasound-guided miniforceps biopsy

OBJECTIVE

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) cytology and EBUS-miniforceps biopsy (MFB) have emerged as less invasive tools for evaluating mediastinal lymph nodes and pulmonary lesions. The aim of this study is to compare the diagnostic yields of EBUS-FNA cytology to EBUS-MFB.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective cohort study was performed by reviewing the database at our institution between December 12, 2010, and August 10, 2012. A total of 476 consecutive cases were identified. Of these, 227 patients had concurrent FNA and MFB taken during the procedure. The results and diagnostic yields of both techniques are calculated.

RESULTS

Of the 476 cases, the mean age was 62 ± 14 years with 53% being males. In 453 of the total cases, the less invasive FNA technique alone produced enough diagnostic cytology material negating the need for concurrent MFB. Of these FNA cases, 280 were diagnosed as malignant neoplasms. The diagnostic yield of EBUS-FNA cytology was comparable to EBUS-MFB (95% FNA and 94% MFB). There were discordant diagnoses between cytology and histology in 19 of the 227 (∼8.4%) cases.

CONCLUSIONS

EBUS-FNA cytology is a more efficacious diagnostic modality compared to EBUS-MFB.

Training perspective: the impact of starting an endobronchial ultrasound program at a major academic center on fellows training of transbronchial needle aspiration

The proliferation of endobronchial ultrasound as the standard of care in lymph node sampling has significantly impacted the way fellows are trained in transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA). To assess the impact of starting an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) program on fellows training of conventional TBNA (cTBNA), we reviewed all TBNAs performed at the Johns Hopkins Hospital from September 2006 until December of 2009. The number of nodes sampled, specimen adequacy, diagnostic yield, and fellow involvement were recorded. We found that the initiation of an EBUS program was associated with a significantly increased number of cases performed, as well as a significantly higher diagnostic yield, when compared with cTBNA. There was an associated significant decline in the number of cTBNA procedures performed by the pulmonary fellows, as well as the diagnostic yield and accuracy, when compared with EBUS. As interventional pulmonology fellowships and the overall use of EBUS become more prevalent, institutions will need to consider how to train their fellows in lymph node sampling.

Technical aspects of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is becoming a standard method for invasive mediastinal staging and for the diagnosis of paratracheal and peribronchial lesions. It is essential to understand the technical aspects of EBUS-TBNA to ensure safe and efficient procedures. In this review, we discuss the practical aspects to be considered during EBUS-TBNA, including anesthesia, manipulation of equipment, understanding mediastinal ultrasound images, target selection, number of aspirations needed per target, sample handling, and complications.

Attaining proficiency with endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

OBJECTIVES

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is becoming the preferred method of mediastinal staging for lung cancer. We investigated the learning curve for EBUS-TBNA using risk-adjusted cumulative sum (Cusum).

METHODS

A retrospective study of EBUS-TBNA was performed at a single academic institution for patients with mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy in the setting of proven or suspected lung cancer. A sampling pass was defined as a full retraction and repositioning of the aspiration needle. Rapid on-site evaluation was not available. To track proficiency, risk-adjusted Cusum analysis was performed using acceptable and unacceptable failure rates of 10% and 20%, respectively. Failure was defined as false negative or nondiagnostic results.

RESULTS

During the study period, 231 patients underwent EBUS-TBNA. Prevalence of mediastinal or hilar malignancy was 66.7% (154 out of 231). Sensitivity was 92.2% (142 out of 154), and negative predictive value was 87.9% (58 out of 66). Node size was identified as a significant predictor of EBUS-TBNA success by multiple regression. Risk-adjusted Cusum analysis demonstrated that the first and only unacceptable decision interval was crossed at 22 cases. Individual practitioner learning curves were highly variable, and the operator with the highest volume was the most consistently proficient.

CONCLUSIONS

In our experience, attainment of an acceptable failure rate for EBUS-TBNA required 22 cases. Node size is a predictor of EBUS-TBNA success. Risk-adjusted Cusum proved a powerful evaluative tool to monitor the training process of this new procedure.

[Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for lung cancer diagnosis and staging in 179 patients]

BACKGROUND

Linear endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an important minimally invasive procedure for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) staging. It is also a valid method for diagnosing extraluminal lesions adjacent to the tracheobronchial tree.

AIM

To evaluate our EBUS-TBNA performance regarding diagnostic yield, safety and learning curve for lung cancer diagnosis and staging.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All patients undergoing EBUS-TBNA for lung cancer diagnosis or staging were included. They were divided into three different groups: paratracheal and parabronchial masses sent for diagnosis (Group 1); peripheral lung lesions with abnormal mediastinal lymph nodes sent for diagnosis and staging (Group 2); NSCLC patients sent for mediastinal staging (Group 3). The learning curve was assessed for yield, accuracy, procedure time, size and number of lesions punctured per patient.

RESULTS

A total of 179 patients were included and 372 lesions were punctured. The overall yield and accuracy were 88% and 92.7%, respectively. In Group 1, EBUS-TBNA was performed in 48 patients and sensitivity was 86.1% and accuracy was 87.5%. For the 87 patients included in Group 2, yield was 86.7%, accuracy was 93.1% and cancer prevalence was 51.7%. The diagnostic yield and accuracy in Group 3 was 95% and 97.7% respectively. EBUS-TBNA practice led to an increase number of sites punctured per patient in a shorter time, without complications.

CONCLUSION

EBUS-TBNA is an effective method for diagnosing and staging lung cancer patients. The procedure is clearly safe. Handling and performance improves with the number of procedures executed.

Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration in mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathies

OBJECTIVES

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a relatively noninvasive technique that allows sampling of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes or masses under real-time and direct visualization, overcoming some of the problems associated with mediastinoscopy and blind TBNA. The goal of this study was to evaluate the yield of this technique in patients with and without malignant disease in a newly started EBUS program involving physicians not previously fully trained in interventional pulmonology.

METHODS

Between March 2010 and July 2011, 43 patients with enlarged lymph nodes (>1 cm on short axis) on chest computed tomography who underwent EBUS-TBNA were included in the study. Nondiagnostic results were confirmed with mediastinoscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the technique were assessed.

RESULTS

Among the 43 patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA, a correct diagnosis was made in 39 of the 43 patients (91%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values were 89%, 100%, 100%, and 67%, respectively. The success rate, complication rate, and 30-day mortality were 91%, 0%, and 0%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

EBUS-TBNA is a safe and effective approach with high diagnostic yield and minimal complications for diagnosing and staging of mediastinal/hilar lymph nodes. Satisfactory results can be obtained immediately by pulmonologists experienced in conventional bronchoscopy with the provision of additional training on the technique.

Hilar lymph node eroding into the pulmonary artery diagnosed by endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a novel minimally invasive procedure useful for the evaluation and diagnosis of mediastinal lymph nodes and the lung parenchymal lesions. A 75-year-old woman diagnosed as a case of infiltrating duct adenocarcinoma of left breast 15 years back for which she underwent a modified radical mastectomy followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The patient presented to us with haemoptysis. During EBUS, the enlarged left hilar lymph node was seen to be eroding into the left pulmonary artery leading to a filling defect in the left pulmonary artery. This filling defect was first sampled by EBUS-guided TBNA followed by sampling of left hilar lymph node. The results of cytomorphology revealed malignancy which was compatible with a metastasis from a carcinoma breast. EBUS-TBNA is a novel, safe and minimally invasive procedure with a few complications.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal lymphadenopathy: initial experience in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a new method for the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal lymph nodes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the preliminary results obtained with EBUS-TBNA in the diagnosis of lesions and mediastinal lymph node staging.

METHODS

We evaluated patients with tumors or mediastinal adenopathy, diagnosed with or suspected of having lung cancer. The procedures were performed with the patients under sedation or under general anesthesia. Material was collected by EBUS-TBNA, after which it was prepared on slides, fixed in either absolute alcohol (for cytology) or formalin (for cell-block analysis).

RESULTS

We included 50 patients (30 males). The mean age was 58.3 ± 13.5 years. We performed 201 biopsies of 81 lymph nodes or mediastinal masses (mean of 2.5 punctures/biopsy). The quantity of material was considered sufficient for cytology in 37 patients (74%), 21 (57%) of whom were thus diagnosed with malignancy. Of the remaining 16 patients, 1 was diagnosed with tuberculosis, 6 entered clinical follow-up, and 9 underwent further investigation (2 diagnosed with neoplasm-false-negative results). The yield was higher when the procedure was performed for diagnostic purposes, as well as being higher in patients with lesions in multiple stations and in biopsies involving the subcarinal lymph node station. One patient had endobronchial bleeding, which was resolved with local measures. There were no deaths among the patients evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS

This preliminary experience shows that EBUS-TBNA is a safe procedure. Our diagnostic yield, although lower than that reported in the literature, was consistent with the learning curve for the method.

Evaluation of a learning system for endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration

BACKGROUND

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an established modality for nodal staging in lung cancer; nevertheless, acquisition on effective fiberscope handling and puncture techniques remains challenging. Here, we present a novel EBUS-TBNA learning system protocol and evaluate the ability of physicians trained using this protocol to perform cytological diagnosis and histological sampling.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We designed a 5-step learning system as follows: (1) preparation, (2) probe insertion, (3) sonographic observation, (4) TBNA assistant, and (5) TBNA operator. Each trainee must accomplish the first 4 steps before beginning step 5. In step 5, EBUS-TBNA was performed in tandem by the trainee and supervisor. Diagnostic accuracy and success of histological sampling were recorded for each trial; results of the corresponding supervisor served as a control.

RESULTS

All 11 trainees entered step 5 after completing steps 1-4 over 5-10 trials. A total of 308 nodes were punctured in step 5. The overall accuracy of cytological diagnosis was 91.2% among trainees, and the histological sampling success rate was 85.4%. The diagnostic accuracy increased from 85.4% to 93.9% (p = 0.027) after 12 needle aspiration experiences. The sizes of nodes associated with success and failure were 13.6 and 11.1mm (p = 0.001), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our EBUS-TBNA learning system provided a satisfactory educational pathway for trainees and can be used to improve accessibility of EBUS-TBNA.

Thoroughness of mediastinal staging in stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer

INTRODUCTION

Guidelines recommend that patients with clinical stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) undergo histologic confirmation of pathologic lymph nodes. Studies have suggested that invasive mediastinal staging is underutilized, although practice patterns have not been rigorously evaluated.

METHODS

We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare database to identify patients with stage IIIA NSCLC diagnosed from 1998 through 2005. Invasive staging and use of positron emission tomography (PET) scanning were assessed using Medicare claims. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify patient characteristics associated with use of invasive staging.

RESULTS

Of 7583 stage IIIA NSCLC patients, 1678 (22%) underwent invasive staging. Patients who received curative intent cancer treatment were more likely to undergo invasive staging than patients who did not receive cancer-specific therapy (30% versus 9.8%, adjusted odds ratio, 3.31; 95% confidence interval, 2.78-3.95). The oldest patients (age, 85-94 years) were less likely to receive invasive staging than the youngest (age, 67-69 years; 27.6% versus 11.9%; odds ratio, 0.46; 95% confidence interval, 0.34-0.61). Sex, marital status, income, and race were not associated with the use of the invasive staging. The use of invasive staging was stable throughout the study period, despite an increase in the use of PET scanning from less than 10% of patients before 2000 to almost 70% in 2005.

CONCLUSION

Nearly 80% of Medicare beneficiaries with stage IIIA NSCLC do not receive guideline adherent mediastinal staging; this failure cannot be entirely explained by patient factors or a reliance on PET imaging. Incentives to encourage use of invasive staging may improve care.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in routine care - plenty of benign results and follow-up tests

BACKGROUND

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a widespread technique for tissue sampling from hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes (LN). The diagnostic yield of this method is reported to be very high even outside clinical trials. We aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA after its implementation at a University hospital.

METHODS

We analysed the first 100 consecutive patients who underwent an EBUS-TBNA procedure at our institution with respect to indication and cytological results. Sensitivity and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated on the basis of histological confirmation or follow-up.

RESULTS

From 03/2007 to 03/2008, EBUS-TBNA of 218 LNs was performed on the basis of chest computed tomography. The primary indication for EBUS-TBNA was lymphadenopathy of unknown cause with (44%) or without (37%) pulmonary nodule(s). Only 19% of patients had known cancer and underwent the procedure for (re-)staging. In 73% of patients a non-diagnostic cytology was reported. A diagnosis could be established in only 27% by EBUS-TBNA including four patients with sarcoidosis. Sensitivity and NPV were low with 61.4% and 76.7%, respectively. Diagnostic yield increased over time and was better in cancer patients than in patients with incidental lymphadenopathy.

CONCLUSION

Although EBUS-TBNA is reported to have a very high diagnostic yield in selected patients, the predominant finding in routine care, depending on the patient population, can be a non-diagnostic cytology result with the need for surgical procedures or follow-up studies. This should be considered in the approach to patients with mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy.

Diagnostic yield and efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in mediastinal lymphadenopathy

INTRODUCTION

Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an emerging minimally invasive option for pathologic examination of intrathoracic lymphadenopathy as well as for staging lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the diagnostic yield and possible learning curve effects on diagnostic performance using EBUS-TBNA in mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was performed on 243 consecutive patients who underwent EBUS-TBNA over a 4-year period. Demographic and clinical data and pathology results were analysed for different time frames in order to evaluate potential learning curve effects. The procedures were performed by two experienced bronchoscopists at a single university medical centre.

RESULTS

Samples were representative in 83% (200/243) of the patients. The overall diagnostic yield was 66% (n = 161/243). The diagnostic accuracy of EBUS-TBNA for detecting malignancy was 98.0% and for lung cancer 98.5%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for lung cancer stage ≥N1 and malignant disease were 100% for the first three studied periods and slightly less favourable in the most recent study period. Representative samples were obtained more frequently in the latter study periods (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

EBUS-TBNA is a safe method with a learning curve that is easily overcome, although previous experience with ultrasound may be necessary. The diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA is in accordance with previously reported yield of standard cervical mediastinoscopy. At present, however, the relationship between EBUS-TBNA and mediastinoscopy appears to be complementary rather than substitutive.