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. 2014 Jul 30:11:19.
doi: 10.4103/1742-6413.137760. eCollection 2014.

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

Emad Raddaoui  1 , Esam H Alhamad  2 , Shaesta Naseem Zaidi  1 , Fatmah F Al-Habeeb  1 , Maha Arafah  1
Affiliations

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

Emad Raddaoui et al. Cytojournal. .

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Cytology; endobronchial ultrasound-transbronchial fine-needle aspiration; fine-needle aspiration.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Granulomatous inflammation, cytology smear shows well-defined epithelioid cell granuloma (diff-quick stain, original magnification ×500)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cytology smear from lung adenocarcinoma metastatic into mediastinal lymph node (Papanicolau stain, original magnification ×500)
Figure 3
Figure 3
NonHodgkin's lymphoma, cell block preparation obtained from mediastinal lymph node by endobronchial ultrasound-fine needle aspiration (Hematoxylin and Eosin stain, original magnification ×400)
Figure 4
Figure 4
Cytology smear from small cell carcinoma of lung primary, metastatic into mediastinal lymph (diff quick stain, original magnification ×500)
Figure 5
Figure 5
Cytology smear from mediastinal lymph node reveals metastatic Adenocarcinoma of gastric origin (Papanicolau stain, original magnification ×500)
Figure 6
Figure 6
Cytology smear from mediastinal lymph node reveals metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (Papanicolau stain, original magnification ×500)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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