Table 3.
Diagnostic yield of different sampling techniques
| Biopsy (n = 201) | TBNA (n = 191) | Brushing (n = 187) | SVL (n = 72) | Aspiration (n = 356) | All (n = 363) | |
| Overall diagnostic yield | 122/201 (60.7) | 78/191 (40.8) | 43/187 (23.0) | 5/72 (6.9) | 29/356 (8.1) | 161/363 (44.4) |
| Endobronchial visibility | ** | ** | ** | ** | ** | |
| Non visible lesion | 9/36 (25.0) | 4/21 (19.0) | 13/68 (16.0) | 3/46 (6.5) | 5/130 (3.8) | 22/132 (16.7) |
| Constriction/compression | 22/48 (45.8) | 17/69 (24.6) | 5/49 (10.2) | 1/11 (9.1) | 2/88 (2.3) | 31/90 (34.4) |
| Visible lesion | 91/117 (77.8) | 57/101 (56.4) | 25/57 (43.9) | 1/15 (6.7) | 22/138 (15.9) | 108/141 (76.6) |
| Tumor size | * | ** | ||||
| <= 2 cm | 3/13 (23.1) | 4/16 (25.0) | 2/19 (10.5) | 0/13 (0.0) | 2/41 (4.9) | 7/41 (17.1) |
| > 2 cm and <= 3 cm | 15/24 (62.5) | 6/18 (25.0) | 4/35 (11.4) | 0/19 (0.0) | 6/59 (10.2) | 20/62 (32.3) |
| > 3 cm and <= 4 cm | 19/35 (54.3) | 12/24 (50.0) | 8/31 (25.8) | 1/13 (7.7) | 4/51 (7.8) | 25/53 (47.2) |
| > 4 cm | 85/129 (65.9) | 56/127 (44.1) | 29/102 (28.4) | 4/27 (14.8) | 17/205 (8.3) | 109/207 (52.7) |
| Distance to carina | * | * | * | |||
| <= 5 cm | 59/86 (68.6) | 40/93 (43.0) | 23/68 (33.8) | 0/12 (0.0) | 13/142 (9.2) | 78/144 (54.2) |
| > 5 cm | 44/88 (50.0) | 26/74 (35.1) | 17/102 (16.7) | 3/52 (5.8) | 12/165 (6.8) | 62/179 (34.6) |
| Indeterminate | 19/27 (70.4) | 12/24 (50.0) | 3/17 (17.6) | 2/8 (25.0) | 4/37 (10.8) | 21/40 (52.5) |
| Side | ||||||
| Left | 49/80 (61.3) | 26/75 (34.7) | 20/80 (25.0) | 4/27 (14.8) | 14/147 (9.5) | 62/151 (41.1) |
| Right | 68/115 (59.1) | 46/106 (43.4) | 22/103 (21.4) | 1/42 (2.4) | 14/195 (7.2) | 92/198 (46.5) |
| Indeterminate | 5/6 (83.3) | 6/10 (60.0) | 1/4 (25.0) | 0/3 (0.0) | 1/14 (7.1) | 7/14 (50.0) |
| Lobe | ||||||
| Upper lobe without lingula | 47/92 (51.1) | 29/91 (31.9) | 20/92 (21.7) | 3/27 (11.1) | 15/162 (9.3) | 68/164 (41.5) |
| Middle lobe/lingula | 8/13 (61.5) | 6/14 (42.9) | 6/18 (33.3) | 0/9 (0.0) | 0/27 (0.0) | 11/29 (37.9) |
| Lower lobe | 50/74 (67.6) | 29/58 (50.0) | 13/60 (21.7) | 2/30 (6.7) | 11/124 (8.9) | 61/127 (48.0) |
| Mediastinum | 8/11 (72.7) | 7/18 (38.9) | 2/13 (15.4) | 0/5 (0.0) | 0/30 (0.0) | 12/30 (40.0) |
| Indeterminate | 9/11 (81.8) | 7/10 (70) | 2/4 (50.0) | 0/1 (0.0) | 3/13 (23.1) | 9/13 (69.2) |
*p < 0.05. **p < 0.001
Data are presented as number of positive samples/all samples (%). Statistical analysis: χ2.
TBNA = Transbronchial needle aspiration. SVL = Small volume lavage.