Biopsy needles for mediastinal lymph node sampling by endosonography: current knowledge and future perspectives

Endoscopic ultrasound [endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and esophageal ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA)] are well established tools in the diagnosis and staging of a variety of diseases, especially lung cancer (1-3). It is possible to sample mediastinal lymph nodes, lung tumors as well as the liver, the left adrenal gland and the subdiaphragmatic lymph nodes (2,3). EUS can be also performed with the small EBUS—endoscope, the so called EUS-B procedure (4)