The value of flexible transbronchial needle aspiration in the diagnosis of stage I sarcoidosis.

Study Objectives: Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) during flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is the recommended procedure for diagnosing sarcoidosis in most cases, although its yield in stage I disease is reported to be not as high as when parenchymal involvement is radiologically evident. We undertook this study to assess the diagnostic value of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) in sarcoidosis presenting with hilar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy (stage I).

Design: Retrospective review of bronchoscopy procedures performed over a 6-year period for the diagnostic workup of hilar and/or mediastinal lymphadenopathy, as detected by chest radiographs.