Predicting malignancy in mediastinal lymph nodes by endobronchial ultrasound: A new ultrasound scoring system

Abstract

The assessment of ultrasound criteria during routine EBUS examinations is feasible and reproducible with very good interrater agreement. If less than three of the described criteria are present, a LN has a very low chance of being malignant. The best single criterion to predict malignancy is heterogeneity. The introduction of the sum score of ultrasound criteria could potentially increase diagnostic accuracy.