Identification of Specific Endobronchial Ultrasound Features to Differentiate Sarcoidosis From Other Causes of Lymphadenopathy.

OBJECTIVES: We hypothesized that specific endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) features may differentiate sarcoidosis from other causes of lymphadenopathy. METHODS: We conducted this retrospective observational study from January 2014 to January 2019 to analyze patients with intrathoracic lymphadenopathy who underwent EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. Ultrasound features, including nodal size, margin, echogenicity, the presence or absence of calcification, a central hilar structure, the coagulation necrosis sign, nodal conglomeration, and the septal vessel sign in the color Doppler mode were recorded and compared between 3 groups. RESULTS: Of the 90 included patients, 15 had a diagnosis of tuberculosis; 56 had a diagnosis of sarcoidosis; and 19 had a diagnosis of malignant lymph nodes by EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. The presence of nodal conglomeration (94.6% versus 60.0% versus 5.3%; P < .001), the septal vessel sign in the color Doppler mode (55.4% versus 13.3% versus 15.8%; P = .002), and a distinct margin (73.2% versus 13.3% versus 47.4%; P < .001) were significantly higher in the sarcoidosis group than in the tuberculosis lymphadenopathy and malignant lymph node groups. The presence of the coagulation necrosis sign (8.9% versus 93.3% versus 31.6%; P < .001) was significantly lower in the sarcoidosis group than in tuberculosis lymphadenopathy and malignant lymph node groups. A multivariate analysis showed that the presence of nodal conglomeration, the absence of coagulation necrosis, and the presence of the septal vessel sign in the color Doppler mode were independent predictive factors for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of nodal conglomeration, the absence of coagulation necrosis, and the presence of the septal vessel sign in the color Doppler mode in lymph nodes on EBUS are predictive of sarcoidosis.