Background: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is used most frequently to assess subcarinal nodes because of its technical ease. Objectives: We conducted a prospective observational clinical study to define the indications for TBNA use for subcarinal nodes (transcarinal needle aspiration, TCNA) related to the nodal size by computed tomography (CT) of the chest. Methods: One hundred and eight consecutive patients with lung cancer underwent TCNA at the time of initial diagnostic bronchoscopy within a 22-month period. Results: TCNA was positive in 21 of the patients. Only 1 of 75 patients (1%) with subcarinal nodes less than 10 mm in short-axis diameter by CT had a positive result. TCNA for enlarged nodes, 10 mm or greater, had a high positive yield of 61% (20/33). The procedure provided the only evidence of unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (stage IIIA-N2 disease) in 3 patients and the sole pathological evidence for malignancy in 5 patients. Conclusions: The high yield of positive TCNA results for enlarged subcarinal nodes contributes to the improvement of the overall diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy. We recommend that TCNA for enlarged subcarinal nodes on CT in patients with presumptive lung cancer should be performed routinely at the time of initial diagnostic bronchoscopy.

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Primary pulmonary leiomyosarcoma (PPL) is a very rare malignant tumor which arises from bronchial smooth muscle and vessels. We report 48-year-old male who was diagnosed to have a small lung nodule in the right upper lung field by chest X ray film (XP). A disk shape small nodule was identified in the posterior segment of the right upper lobe by chest CT. Transbronchial lung biopsy (TBB) specimen showed a cluster of dense spindle cells with irregular shape nucleus and some necrosis. 18FluoroDeoxyGlucosePositoron Emission CT (PET-CT) showed that the tumor had high value of the maximal standard uptake value (SUVmax) with no metastasis to the lymph nodes nor other organs. The right upper lobectomy and lymph node dissection were performed and microscopic examination of the specimen showed that the tumor was grade 2 leiomyosarcoma and there was no pleural invasion, nor lymph node metastasis. Post-operative staging of the tumor including its grade was Stage IIA. Immunohistochemical analysis of the specimen showed a clear transition from normal bronchial smooth muscle bundle to leiomyosarcoma in the bronchial wall. The bronchial vessels were fairly preserved. These finding suggested that the leiomyosarcoma developed from bronchial smooth muscle.

A 72-year-old woman was on dialysis for 44 years. Chest radiography revealed hazy opacity in the upper lung field (Figure 1A). Chest computed tomography (CT) showed patchy ground-glass opacities and fusion with overt calcification (Figure 1B). She had mild hypoxemia and impaired diffusing capacity. 99mTc-HMDP scintigraphy showed a prominent uptake in the lung fields corresponding to the patchy opacities (Figure 1C), indicating the accumulation of calcium in the lung parenchyma.

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