• Hidenao Kayawake, Toyofumi F Chen-Yoshikawa, Satona Takana, Yoshito Yamada, Yojiro Yutaka, Daisuke Nakajima, Masatsugu Hamaji, Toshi Menju, Akihiro Ohsumi, and Hiroshi Date.
• Department of Thoracic Surgery, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
• J Thorac Dis. 2020 Mar 1; 12 (3): 573-580.

BackgroundsThe number of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) cases is increasing due to its less-invasiveness and usefulness. However, there are several unresolved issues, including the existence of incomplete cases and complications. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and diagnostic management of incomplete EBUS-TBNA cases.MethodsBetween July 2009 and December 2017, 424 patients underwent EBUS-TBNA for the diagnosis of suspected malignancy. Among them, we retrospectively reviewed the frequency, characteristics and diagnostic managements of incomplete cases of EBUS-TBNA.ResultsEBUS-TBNA was not completed in 16 patients (3.8%), all of whom underwent EBUS-TBNA cases under conscious sedation. The factors for incompleteness of EBUS-TBNA under conscious sedation were divided into two groups: impossibility to perform EBUS-TBNA under conscious sedation (n=8) and impossibility to perform safe needle biopsy (n=8). The former factor consisted of strong coughing reflex and insufficient sedation (n=5), frequent desaturation during EBUS-TBNA (n=2), and allergy to lidocaine (n=1), while the latter factor consisted of anatomical reasons (n=4), abundant blood flow in the target lesion (n=3), and invisibility of the target lesion due to airway deformation (n=1). Eventually, 10 out of 16 cases were histologically diagnosed as having malignancy by a surgical approach (n=5) and EBUS-TBNA under general anesthesia (n=5).ConclusionsAlthough the number was small, we did note some incomplete cases of EBUS-TBNA under conscious sedation. In incomplete cases under conscious sedation, EBUS-TBNA under general anesthesia and other surgical approaches can be considered as additional options.2020 Journal of Thoracic Disease. All rights reserved.

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