Evaluation of endobronchial ultrasound in the diagnosis of respiratory mucosal protrusions

Abstract

To explore the white light bronchoscopic signs and ultrasound features of respiratory mucosal protrusions and to investigate the practical application value of endobronchial ultrasound. This study was a prospective observation. Endobronchial ultrasound was performed in 30 patients with respiratory mucosal protrusions, which were discovered by white light bronchoscopic examination in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University on October 2013 to November 2014.The 43 lesions found in 30 patients were grouped into submucosal vascular lesions, mucosal thickening, and submucosal cysts based on the result of EBUS. Following white light bronchoscopy, signs such as respiratory mucosal protrusion location, shape, color and lustre, mucosal surface expansion and ultrasonic bronchoscopic image were recorded. We analyzed the results to explore the bronchoscopic signs and ultrasound features of different respiratory mucosal protrusions. Of the 43 respiratory mucosal protrusions by endobronchial ultrasound examination, 21 were submucosal vascular lesions, 19 showed mucosal thickening, and 3 were submucosal cysts. Morphologically, zoster protrusions, flat protrusions and semicircle protrusions were found in the submucosal vessel group, mucosal thickening group and cyst group. One nodular protrusion, 1 surface capillary expansion, and 2 mucosal surface pulsations were found in cases with submucosal vascular lesions. Submucosal vascular lesions were common causes of respiratory mucosal protrusions, for which biopsy should be cautious. White light bronchoscopy has limited value for diagnosing respiratory mucosal protrusions, while endobronchial ultrasound could be an important diagnostic tool for these lesions.