Diagnostic concordance rate between histologic and cytologic specimens of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration in lung cancer: A single institution experience

Abstract

BackgroundThe aspirates from endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) were examined using the tissue core and cytology. We assessed that the tissue core was a more reliable specimen and attempted to analyze how many discrepancies were found between the two specimens. We investigated diagnostic concordance rate between histology and cytology. MethodsFrom January 2011 to December 2011, a total of 267 consecutive patients with lung cancer, who underwent EBUS-TBNA, were included in this retrospective study. ResultsOf the 267 lung cancer patients, 207 (77.5%) were men. The median age was 65 years old. The most common pathologic type was adenocarcinoma (120, 44.9%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (79, 29.6%). Among the 267 patients, 579 mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes were punctured. The right lower paratracheal (204, 35.2%) and subcarinal (172, 29.7%) lymph nodes were the most common nodal stations. Among the 579 lymph nodes, malignant cells were observed in 267 (46.1%) nodes, in either the histologic, cytologic or both slides: 209 in both histology and cytology, 37 in histology only, and 21 in cytology only slides. The diagnostic concordance rate between the tissue core and cytology was 90.0% (95% confidence interval CI, 87.1-92.2) ( = 0.79). ConclusionsThe diagnostic concordance rate between the histology and cytology of EBUS-TBNA in lung cancer was 90.0% (95% CI, 87.1-92.2) ( = 0.79).