Utility of endobronchial ultrasonography in pulmonary diseases

Ultrasonography has been accepted as an equivalent or superior modality to computer tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography for detecting pulmonary, esophageal, or gastric malignancies. Endobronchial Ultrasonography (EBUS), a combination of bronchoscopy and ultrasonography, is a new modality that helps the definitive diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. EBUS is used to evaluate parabronchial lymph nodes, blood vessels, and mediastinal tumors and may be valuable for accurately evaluating the bronchial wall invasions and parenchymal lesions. It can help differential diagnosis by characterizing lesions and recognizing benign or malignant diseases. Further, metastasis is a critical determinant of therapy and prognosis; the definite early stage of lung malignancy can be determined by measuring the depth of tumor invasion in pathological tissue samples and by evaluating the tracheobronchial wall structure. The main characteristics of EBUS that are expected to popularize its use are less invasiveness, less discomfort, less cost, and more efficacy. Therefore, we reviewed the literature for endobronchial ultrasonography and provided clinical strategies for treating pulmonary medicine.