[Evaluation of the Influence of the Experience and Training of EBUS-TBNA on Diagnostic Rate and Safety].

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has been widely used in Japan. The guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians has recommended that EBUS-TBNA should be performed by well-trained operators who can perform highly accurate procedures, but the indicators of the degree of experience and training are unclear. In our department, physicians who do not have enough experience perform EBUS-TBNA under the supervision of bronchoscopic instructors who have EBUS-TBNA techniques (Board Certified Member of the Japan Society for Respiratory Endoscopy) after guidance and training in EBUS-TBNA using a simulator as an operator and helper. In order to evaluate the influence of the experience and training of EBUS-TBNA on diagnostic accuracy and safety, we retrospectively compared the diagnostic accuracy and safety of EBUS-TBNA performed by physicians within one year of experience of EBUS-TBNA and those performed by physicians with more than one year of experience. A total of 111 cases (148 lesions) who were eventually diagnosed as having primary lung cancer and underwent EBUS-TBNA in our department between April 2014 and January 2016 were divided into two groups. Group A (43 cases, 57 lesions) was examined by third-year doctors within one year of experience of EBUS-TBNA, and group B (68 cases, 91 lesions) was examined by doctors with four or more years of experience and with more than one year of experience of EBUS-TBNA. Diagnostic rate, examination time, and complications were evaluated. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the diagnostic rate (A, 89.5% vs. B, 90.1%, P = 1.0) or examination time (A, 27 min vs. B, 23 min, P = 0.149), and no complications were observed in either group. This study suggests that even less-experienced physicians may safely perform EBUS-TBNA as well as moderately-experienced physicians with more than 1 year experience of EBUS-TBNA with similar diagnostic rates when proper training and supervision are supplied.

Efficacy and safety of ultrasound (US) guided percutaneous needle biopsy for peripheral lung or pleural lesion: comparison with computed tomography (CT) guided needle biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous needle biopsy is a useful diagnostic technique with short examination time and real-time monitoring at the bedside. However, there are only a few studies that report on thoracic lesions, whereas the computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy is well established. There is also limited data comparing US- and CT-guided biopsy. We aimed to clarify the efficacy and safety of US-guided biopsy for thoracic lesions adjacent to the chest wall. METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients who underwent US- or CT-guided percutaneous biopsies for thoracic lesions adjacent to the chest wall between April 2012 and December 2017. Clinical characteristics, lesion size, lesion-pleura contact arc length (LPCAL), diagnostic rate, and complications were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS: This study enrolled 61 US-guided and 70 CT-guided biopsies. No significant difference was found in age or sex. The lesion size and LPCAL in the US-guided group were significantly larger than those in the CT-guided group (P<0.0001). The diagnostic rate was marginally higher in the US-guided group (93.4%) than in the CT-guided group (84.3%) (P=0.101). When the median cut-off of the LPCAL was defined as 40 mm in all cases, the diagnostic rate for lesion size >40 mm was significantly higher in the US-guided group than in the CT-guided group (P=0.009). Complication rates were significantly lower in the US-guided group (3.3%) than in the CT-guided group (24.3%) (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: US-guided percutaneous needle biopsy for thoracic lesions adjacent to the chest wall is a feasible technique compared with CT-guided biopsy because of its higher diagnostic rate with a longer LPCAL and reduced complications.

The Successful Removal of a Broken Needle as an Unusual Complication of Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial Needle Aspiration (EBUS-TBNA): A Case Report and Literature Review.

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is recommended for the diagnosis of mediastinal lymph nodes by the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines; however, the guidelines state that this procedure should only be performed by a trained bronchoscopist. Complications related to needle malfunction during the EBUS-TBNA procedure have recently been reported. We herein describe a rare case involving the successful management of a needle breakage that occurred as an unusual complication of EBUS-TBNA. An 81-year-old male patient with a medical history of myocardial infarction was introduced to our institution to undergo an evaluation for mediastinal and right hilar lymphadenopathy on chest computed tomography (CT). We performed EBUS-TBNA in a 14×10 mm subcarinal lymph node station using a 22 G aspiration needle (NA-201SX-4022, Vizishot®, Olympus, Japan) for diagnosing and staging of the patient's lung cancer. After the second aspiration, we noticed that the needle tip was broken and that it was stuck in the right main bronchus. We immediately removed the broken needle tip from the right main bronchus by flexible bronchoscopy using an ID 8.5 mm tracheal tube without cuff inflation. The length of the needle tip was 13 mm and it was considerably bent. The EBUS scope did not suffer any apparent damage. The patient did not have any other procedure-related complications. Needle breakage during EBUS-TBNA is rare; however, inhaling or swallowing of a broken needle tip has the potential to cause serious complications. Bronchoscopists should therefore be aware of the possibility of needle breakage, which is an important complication during EBUS-TBNA.

[Factors Associated with Diagnostic Yield of Endobronchial Ultrasonography with a Guide Sheath for Peripheral Lung Cancer].

Endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) has recently been used for improved diagnostic yields for peripheral pulmonary lesions. This study retrospectively evaluated the factors related to the diagnostic yield of EBUS-GS for peripheral lung cancer. The medical records of 76 patients who had been diagnosed with lung cancer and had undergone bronchoscopy with EBUS-GS in our hospital between August 2014 and September 2015 were reviewed. The total diagnostic ratio of peripheral lung cancer was 71.1%. The following factors of the diagnostic yield were evaluated: location of pulmonary lesion; size; feature; bronchus sign; location of EBUS probe; EBUS detection; number of biopsies performed; procedure time; use of virtual bronchoscopic navigation; use of EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration with EBUS-GS; CT slice thickness; operator's years of medical experience; and specialized training in bronchoscopy at the National Cancer Center. In all cases, lesion size ≧ 20 mm (80.8% vs. 50.0%, P = 0.006), EBUS probe location "within" (90.0% vs. 50.0%, P < 0.001), EBUS detection (80.7% vs. 28.6%, P < 0.001), number of biopsies ≧ 5 (78.0% vs. 47.1%, P = 0.013), and bronchoscopy training (81.6% vs. 60.5%, P = 0.043) significantly contributed to an increase in the diagnostic yield. Following a multivariate analysis, EBUS probe location "within" was found to be the most significant factor affecting the diagnostic yield (odds ratio 14.10, 95% CI 3.53-56.60, P < 0.001), and bronchoscopy training was the second most significant factor (odds ratio 6.93, 95% CI 1.86-25.80, P = 0.004). EBUS probe location "within" and bronchoscopy training are the most important factors for improved diagnostic yield by bronchoscopy with EBUS-GS for peripheral lung cancer.