[Transbronchial needle aspiration as a diagnostic method in lung cancer and non-malignant mediastinal adenopathy]

The aim of the study was to assess the diagnostic yield of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) in mediastinal or hilar adenopathy in: lung cancer, staging of NSCLC, sarcoidosis and other non-malignant diseases.

Transbronchial needle aspiration was performed in 347 consecutive patients - 402 biopsies in groups of lymph nodes: subcarinal (7) - 179, all paratracheal (2R, 2L, 4R, 4L) - 168 and hilar (10R, 10L) - 55, with no real-time imaging guidance, preceded by computed tomography (CT), using 22-gauge needles. All negative results in NSCLC patients were verified by transcervical extended bilateral mediastinal lymphadenectomy (TEMLA) and the remaining patients underwent mediastinoscopy or thoracotomy.

TBNA technique was diagnostic in 67.1% of lung cancer patients and in 59.0% of patients with sarcoidosis. In the group of all lung cancer patients specificity was 100%, sensitivity 88.5%, accuracy 91.8% and negative predictive value 77.9% and in diagnosing of lymph nodes involvement in NSCLC was respectively 100%, 86.6%, 90.7% and 76.6%. The high diagnostic yield was comparable for all mediastinal groups. In 80% of NSCLC patients with false negative results of TBNA there was observed partial involvement of metastatic lymph nodes, confirmed by TEMLA.

The diagnostic value of TBNA is very high in diagnostics of lung cancer, NSCLC staging and sarcoidosis but much lower in lymphomas, tuberculosis and other non-malignant diseases.