Endobronchial Ultrasound Guided Transbronchial Needle aspiration and EBUS Transbronchial needle biopsy- A comparative cross- sectional study

Background of the study: EBUS -TBNA (Endobronchial Ultrasound- Transbronchial Needle Aspiration) is a minimally invasive yet cost-effective procedure for the diagnosis of mediastinal, hilar lymphadenopathy and peri-bronchial lung parenchymal lesions of the lung. It is very helpful for both routine and advanced molecular diagnostic tests. Combined with Endobronchial Ultrasound Transbronchial Needle biopsy (EBUS TBNB), it helps in improving the diagnostic outcome of the same lesions. Materials and methods: This retrospective study was conducted between February 2023 and February 2024. Eighty patients with mediastinal, hilar, para-bronchial and para-tracheal mass lesions on chest computed tomography (CT) scan and suspected neoplastic and non- neoplastic cases were included to know about the application and diagnostic value of EBUS- TBNA. Results: The EBUS-TBNA exhibited a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value of 85.7%, 100%, 100%, 96.2% respectively. Chi square test was statistically significant (P= <0.01) when taking into account the cytological and histological analysis of the EBUS -TBNA and EBUS TBNB samples. Conclusion: EBUS TBNA is an extremely useful minimal invasive diagnostic modality with a high sensitivity and pecificity for mediastinal lymphadenopathy, peri-bronchial and parenchymal lung lesions.