Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) of mediastinal lesions

Mediastinal endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a recognized diagnostic and staging procedure for non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). The aim of this study was to report the experience of mediastinal EUS in an Australian tertiary hospital.

A retrospective review was conducted on all patients undergoing mediastinal EUS from February 2002 until August 2007 at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne. Data were obtained from the EUS databases at St Vincent's Hospital and patient endoscopy reports. The results of EUS-FNA were compared with final diagnosis to calculate sensitivity and specificity. Surgical pathology or long-term follow-up was used to identify false positive or negative results.

One hundred forty-eight mediastinal EUS procedure were performed. Males comprised 63.5% and the mean age was 64.3 (range 27-85). Referrals (47%) were from respiratory physicians and 27% were from cardiothoracic surgeons. Indications for EUS-FNA included unexplained mediastinal lymphadenopathy and/or lung lesion for investigation and staging of known NSCLC. Full data were available on 124 (83.8%) cases. Data were analysed from a subset of 112 where FNA was performed. For each indication, EUS-FNA had a high sensitivity and specificity: staging of known NSCLC (sensitivity 92.9%, specificity 88.9%), mediastinal lymphadenopathy (sensitivity 100%, specificity 100%) and lung lesion (sensitivity 94.4%, specificity 85.7%). There were no major complications.

This large series of mediastinal EUS shows that it is an important and useful tool for the assessment of mediastinal pathology. It is safe and highly accurate, and should be incorporated into the staging algorithm for NSCLC.