Combination of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration with standard bronchoscopic techniques enhanced the diagnosis yields of pulmonary tuberculosis patients with lymphadenopathy.

AIM: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) was reported to be useful for diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) lymphadenitis, although its indication remains unclear for suspicious pulmonary TB patients. To clarify the role of EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of immunocompetent TB patients with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy, we compared two diagnostic modalities: traditional bronchoscopy alone and EBUS-TBNA combined with bronchoscopy.

METHODS: We retrospectively studied 175 patients of suspicious pulmonary TB with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy in a single institute (Tongji University, Shanghai, China) from January 2010 to May 2011.

RESULTS: Ninety-seven patients underwent traditional bronchoscopy alone while 78 received the combined diagnostic techniques. Sensitivity and specificity were 18.1% and 100%, respectively, in the bronchoscopy group alone, and 80% and 92.3%, respectively, in the EBUS-TBNA combination group (absolute increase in sensitivity, 61.9%; P<0.001; 95% CI, 48.7-75.1%). In the combination group, EBUS-TBNA alone was diagnostic of TB in 42 patients (64.6%, 95% CI, 53-76.2%). Bleeding without hemodynamic instability developed in two patients during the procedure of EBUS-TBNA and no hospitalization prolongation happened in the both arms.

CONCLUSION: Combination of EBUS-TBNA with standard bronchoscopic technique is safe and significantly increases the diagnostic yield in patients of suspicious pulmonary TB with lymphadenopathy.