[Endobronchial ultrasound].

Area of Science:

• Pulmonology
• Medical Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) represents a significant advancement in pneumology.
• It enables visualization of bronchial walls and parabronchial structures, expanding diagnostic capabilities.
• EBUS offers two primary techniques: radial EBUS and ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the diagnostic value and clinical integration of EBUS in pulmonary medicine.
• To emphasize the role of EBUS in diagnosing mediastinal masses and staging lung cancer.
• To assess the efficacy of EBUS-TBNA in evaluating mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes.

Main Methods:

• Review of EBUS techniques, including radial EBUS and EBUS-TBNA.
• Analysis of diagnostic performance metrics for EBUS-TBNA in lung cancer staging.
• Integration of EBUS into current interdisciplinary lung cancer guidelines.

Main Results:

• EBUS is incorporated into routine practice due to its high diagnostic value, low effort, and low risk.
• EBUS-TBNA demonstrates high diagnostic importance in lung cancer staging.
• EBUS-TBNA shows a sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 100% for evaluating hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes in lung neoplasms.

Conclusions:

• Endobronchial ultrasound is crucial for diagnosing mediastinal masses and staging lung cancer.
• EBUS-TBNA is highly effective for lymph node evaluation in lung neoplasms.
• EBUS plays a vital role in modern lung cancer management guidelines.