Stylet Use Does Not Improve Diagnostic Outcomes in Endobronchial Ultrasonographic Transbronchial Needle Aspiration: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasonographically guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of thoracic structures is a commonly performed tissue sampling technique. The use of an inner-stylet in the EBUS needle has never been rigorously evaluated and may be unnecessary.

Methods: In a prospective randomized single-blind controlled clinical trial, patients with a clinical indication for EBUS-TBNA underwent lymph node sampling using both with-stylet and without-stylet techniques.

Electromagnetic navigation transthoracic needle aspiration for the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules: a safety and feasibility pilot study.

Background: Pulmonary nodules remain a diagnostic challenge for physicians. Minimally invasive biopsy methods include bronchoscopy and CT guided transthoracic needle aspiration (TTNA). A novel electromagnetic guidance transthoracic needle aspiration (ETTNA) procedure which can be combined with navigational bronchoscopy (NB) and endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) in a single setting has become available.

A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Novel Sheath Cryoprobe for Bronchoscopic Lung Biopsy in a Porcine Model.

Background: Transbronchial forceps biopsy (FBx) has been the preferred method for obtaining bronchoscopic lung biopsy specimens. Cryoprobe biopsy (CBx) has been shown to obtain larger and higher quality samples, but is limited by its inability to retrieve the sample through the working channel of the bronchoscope, requiring the bronchoscope to leave the airway for sample retrieval.

Objective: We evaluated a novel device using a sheath cryobiopsy (SCBx).

A randomized controlled trial evaluating airway inspection effectiveness during endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopy.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) has revolutionized the evaluation of patients with mediastinal and hilar adenopathy. Limitations of conventional endobronchial ultrasound (C-EBUS) bronchoscopes include the inability to perform a complete airway inspection, low definition optics, and limited maneuverability. These limitations require the use of a standard bronchoscope to perform an airway examination prior to the EBUS procedure.

Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration (E-TTNA) for Sampling of Lung Nodules.

Lung nodule evaluation represents a clinical challenge especially in patients with intermediate risk for malignancy. Multiple technologies are presently available to sample nodules for pathological diagnosis. Those technologies can be divided into bronchoscopic and non-bronchoscopic interventions.