Revista de Bioingeniería y Tecnología Médica

Echotip Procore is a Brand-New Ultrasound Needle Available for Endobronchial Ultrasound

Zhong Lipeng

The use of real-time Endobronchial Ultrasound–Guided Trans Bronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) for invasive mediastinal staging of Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) is well-established. For mediastinal staging, needle-based approaches are currently suggested as a first-line diagnostic modality. A thorough understanding of mediastinal anatomy is required for accurate EBUS-TBNA systematic staging. Unless a higher station lymph node is positive for malignant cells by fast on-site cytology examination, this evaluation begins at the N3 lymph nodes and progresses through the N2 and N1 lymph node stations. Any lymph node station having a visible lymph node or a lymph node greater than 5 mm in short axis can be sampled objectively to identify EBUS-TBNA targets. Three passes per station are well-established approaches, as is the use of quick on-site cytology examination with detection of diagnostic material (tumors or lymphocytes) up to five passes. It's possible that more than three passes are required to obtain enough tissue for molecular profiling. EBUS-TBNA has similar operational characteristics to mediastinoscopy. In the case of a negative EBUS-TBNA and a high posterior likelihood of N2 or N3 involvement, mediastinoscopy should be considered.