The utility of endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy (EBUS‐TBMC) for the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphoma

Abstract

Endobronchial ultrasound‐guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS‐TBNA) is a revolutionary tool for the diagnosis and staging of mediastinal disorders. Nevertheless, its diagnostic capability is reduced in certain disorders such as lymphoproliferative diseases. EBUS‐guided transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy (EBUS‐TBMC) is a novel technique that can provide larger samples with preserved tissue architecture, with an acceptable safety profile. In this case report, we present a middle‐aged gentleman with a huge anterior mediastinal mass and bilateral mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. He underwent EBUS‐TBNA with rapid on‐site evaluation (ROSE) followed by EBUS‐TBMC, all under general anaesthesia. Histopathological analysis showed discordance between EBUS‐TBNA and EBUS‐TBMC in which only TBMC samples provided adequate tissue to attain a diagnosis of primary mediastinal large B‐cell lymphoma. This case report reinforced the diagnostic role of EBUS‐TBMC in the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative diseases.