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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Substernal Thyroid Biopsy Using Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration
Published on: November 10, 2014
False-positive transcarinal needle aspirate in the evaluation of bronchogenic carcinoma
B W Carlin1, J H Harrell, P F Fedullo
1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California School of Medicine, San Diego.
Abstract:
Advances in the staging of regional mediastinal lymph node metastases from lung carcinoma include transcarinal needle aspiration. However, since most clinicians feel that documented tumor involvement of subcarinal nodes is a strong contraindication to aggressive surgical resection, a falsely positive carinal aspirate could deny a patient potentially curative resectional surgery. Herein, we present a case of a falsely positive transcarinal needle aspirate in which resectional surgery was carried out with a subsequent 34-month disease-free state.
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