PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Pablo Sanchez
AU  - Fredy Rodriguez
AU  - Juan Berto
AU  - Maria Sanchez-Carpintero
AU  - Juan Pablo de Torres
AU  - Ana Belen Alcaide
AU  - Arantxa Campo
AU  - Luis Seijo
AU  - Javier Zulueta
TI  - Modified technique for endobronquial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle sampling of the mediastinum
DP  - 2012 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P279
VI  - 40
IP  - Suppl 56
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P279.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P279.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2012 Sep 01; 40
AB  - BackgroundThe endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a method of endoscopic diagnosis for study of mediastinal involvement. Fine needle capillarity sampling has been applied in other organs and not for transbronchial sampling. We present our results using capillarity sampling techinque at our institution.MethodsWe included all patients undergoing EBUS exploration between January 1 to August 31 of 2011 in the Pulmonology Department at Clinica Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain. The samples were collected by capillarity (FNC). No suction was applied with the Vaclock syringe and the inner stylet was never completely removed, as dictated by the classical technique.ResultsForty-four patients (75% male) were included in the study. EBUS exploration of the mediastinum identified lymphadenopathy or mediastinal masses in 38 patients (86,4%). More than one lymph node was sampled in 23 patients (52,3%). The analysis of samples reported that all punctures in Lymph nodes with the capillarity tech nique provided adequate and representative material for interpretation, with a diagnostic yield of 86.8%. The diagnostic sensitivity achieved with EBUS-FNC for adequate sameples was 88%, and 84,1% considering all samples. Complications were reported in only two patients (4.5%).View this table:Performance of EBUS-FNC with respect to site puncturedConclusionsOur study suggests that the modified technique (EBUS-FNC) is safe and comparable in terms of efficacy and sample adequacy to EBUS-TBNA yields. Furthermore, it is arguably simpler than the classical technique.