Endobronchial ultrasound in real life: primary diagnosis and mediastinal staging of lung cancer in patients submitted to thoracic surgery.

Background: Since the first articles published for over 10 years ago, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) has gained a strong scientific backing and has been incorporated into routine medical practice in pulmonology and thoracic surgery centers. How is EBUS performing outside the scientific environment, as a diagnostic and mediastinal staging tool in a subset of patients that undergo thoracic surgery, is an interesting question.

Methods: This study evaluated consecutive patients who, during the period from January 2010 to August 2012, were submitted to EBUS and later to thoracic surgery.