Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Mar;12(3):1085-1099.
doi: 10.21037/jtd.2019.10.76.

Convex probe endobronchial ultrasound: historical, contemporary, and cutting-edge applications

Sameer K Avasarala  1 , Carlos Aravena  1 , Francisco A Almeida  1
Affiliations
Review

Convex probe endobronchial ultrasound: historical, contemporary, and cutting-edge applications

Sameer K Avasarala et al. J Thorac Dis. 2020 Mar.

Abstract

The use of convex-probe endobronchial ultrasound (CP-EBUS) has revolutionized bronchoscopy. It has provided the option of a relatively safe, minimally invasive approach for the assessment of various intrathoracic diseases. In current practice, its most dramatic impact has been on the diagnosing and staging of lung cancer. It has served as an invaluable tool that has replaced mediastinoscopy in a variety of clinical scenarios. Many pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons consider CP-EBUS the most significant milestone in bronchoscopy after the development of the flexible bronchoscope itself. In this review, we summarize the historical aspects, current indications, technical approach, and future direction of CP-EBUS.

Keywords: Bronchoscopy; endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA); lung cancer; lymphadenopathy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: The series “Interventional Pulmonology” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Key features of RP-EBUS. (A) A RP-EBUS probe can be advanced through the working channel of the bronchoscope to obtain and a 360° greyscale image of parenchymal lesions, such as a lung nodule (B). RP-EBUS, radial probe endobronchial ultrasound.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Key features of CP-EBUS. (A) The CP-EBUS is an excellent tool for visualizing and sampling (B,C,D) intrathoracic lymph nodes. Color Doppler can be used to assess for vascularity prior to and during sampling (C,D). CP-EBUS, convex probe endobronchial ultrasound.
Figure 3
Figure 3
There are three CP-EBUS bronchoscopes currently available on the market: (A) Olympus©, (B) Fujifilm©, and (C) Pentax©. The most significant difference between the bronchoscopes is the viewing angle: (D) Olympus©, (E) Fujifilm©, and (F) Pentax©. CP-EBUS, convex probe endobronchial ultrasound.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Convex probe endobronchial ultrasound is useful in the management of a variety of mediastinal pathology. (A) A middle mediastinal mass noted on contrast-enhanced chest CT; (B) it was visualized and sampled successfully with the use of CP-EBUS; the cytological results were consistent with an esophageal duplication cyst. CP-EBUS, convex probe endobronchial ultrasound.
Video 1
Video 1
White light bronchoscopy reveals a tear in the membranous wall of the trachea due to mishandling of an EBUS bronchoscope. There is also evidence of scope induced damage in the distal portion of the posterior wall of the LMSB. EBUS, endobronchial ultrasound; LMSB, left main stem bronchus.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Yasufuku K, Nakajima T, Chiyo M, et al. Endobronchial ultrasonography: current status and future directions. J Thorac Oncol 2007;2:970-9. 10.1097/JTO.0b013e318153fd8d - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bade B, Furukawa B, Tanner NT. Convex probe endobronchial ultrasound. Semin Respir Crit Care Med 2014;35:636-44. 10.1055/s-0034-1395498 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Yasufuku K, Chiyo M, Sekine Y, et al. Real-time endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Chest 2004;126:122-8. 10.1378/chest.126.1.122 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fernandez-Villar A, Mouronte-Roibas C, Botana-Rial M, et al. Ten Years of Linear Endobronchial Ultrasound: Evidence of Efficacy, Safety and Cost-effectiveness. Arch Bronconeumol 2016;52:96-102. 10.1016/j.arbr.2015.08.008 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gompelmann D, Eberhardt R, Herth FJ. Endobronchial ultrasound. Endosc Ultrasound 2012;1:69-74. 10.7178/eus.02.003 - DOI - PMC - PubMed