OBJECTIVE. To study the efficacy and safety of endoscopic ultrasonography–guided fine-needle aspiration in the management of mediastinal diseases in Hong Kong.

DESIGN. Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

SETTING. University teaching hospital, Hong Kong.

PATIENTS. A total of 125 consecutive patients with various mediastinal and pulmonary lesions that underwent trans-oesophageal endoscopic ultrasonography–guided fine-needle aspiration from July 1998 to June 2007.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES. The diagnostic accuracy and safety of the procedure and its influence in patient management.

RESULTS. Malignancy was confirmed in 62 (50%) of the patients and excluded in 42 (34%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography–guided fine-needle aspiration in diagnosing mediastinal malignancies were 75% (95% confidence interval, 64-83%), 100% (90-100%), 100% (93-100%), 67% (54-78%), and 83%, respectively. Eighty-six (69%) of the patients had their initial plan of invasive investigations changed. Only one (0.8%) patient developed a septic complication in a mediastinal cyst after puncturing, and was treated surgically.

CONCLUSIONS. Trans-oesophageal endoscopic ultrasonography–guided fineneedle aspiration is a minimally invasive, effective, and safe method of diagnosing malignant mediastinal disease. It may reduce the need for other invasive investigations.

Key words: Biopsy, needle; Carcinoma, non–small-cell lung; Endosonography; Lung neoplasms; Mediastinum

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