Role of Elastography during EBUS-TBNA in the determination of lymph node rigidity as a predictive tool of malignancy and benignity

EBUS-TBNA (Endobronchial ultrasound) is a minimally invasive procedure that has gained considerable importance in recent years, especially for the evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes in lung cancer staging.Elastography is a ultrasound technique able to provide during EBUS evaluations on the rigidity of a tissue, and / or lymph node adjacent to the bronchial tree.Two types of elastography are available: strain elastography(SE) and Shear wave elastography(SWE).From July 2017 to Dicember 2018 100 patients with lymph node disease associated with or without lung lesions were selected and 130 lymph nodes were sampled with EBUS-TBNA. Elastographic evaluation was performed before TBNA. Determination of lymph node rigidity as a predictive tool of malignancy and benignity was considered as primary end point of the study.In this preliminary study authors evaluated the correlation between the rigidity of the lymph nodes by strain elastography during EBUS and the SUV to the PET and the cytological evidence obtained through the sampling of the structures subjected to EBUS-EUS-TBNA in order to consider the role of elastography in progress of EBUS-EUS TBNA as a predictive tool of malignancy, benignity in mediastinal lymph node diseases.The results of the preliminary study allow authors to state that elastography during EBUS can be effectively used to identify the stiffness of mediastinal lymph nodes in lung diseases. This minimally invasive method can complete EBUS-TBNA and provide guidanc...
Source: European Respiratory Journal - Category: Respiratory Medicine Authors: Tags: Lung cancer Source Type: research