Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for Diagnosis of Mediastinal and Hilar Masses.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy of Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

STUDY DESIGN: Across-sectional validation study.

PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY: Department of Histopathology, Army Medical College, in collaboration with Department of Pulmonology, Military Hospital Rawalpindi, from March 2014 to March 2015.

METHODOLOGY: Cases of EBUS-TBNAcomprised of both TBNAs and cell block/biopsy of the same patients. Diagnosis was made on the TBNAslides and cell block/biopsy material. Taking biopsy/cell block as the gold standard, the data was analysed to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values, and diagnostic accuracy of EBUSTBNA.

RESULTS: The sensitivity of EBUS-TBNAwas found to be 96.5%; whereas, specificity and positive predictive values were 100%. The negative predictive value was calculated at 50%. Diagnostic accuracy of the procedure was found to be 96.67%.

CONCLUSION: EBUS-TBNA is a sensitive and a specific test and is accurate in diagnosing mediastinal and hilar pathologies.