[Transbronchial fine needle biopsy in the diagnosis of parabronchial tumors]

Transbronchial fine needle biopsy was performed in 52 patients with hilar enlargement on chest radiography or pulmonary carcinoma at bronchoscopy. The diagnostic success was high. Most (85%) of the specimens were adequate for cytological examination and malignant cells were found in 17 aspirates. One further patient with mediastinal metastasis was revealed by mediastinoscopy. No complications followed the fine needle biopsy.