Table 1 Characteristics of randomized controlled trials included in the meta-analysis
Author country | Patients no. (E/C) | Age (years), Mean (SD), (E/C) | EBUS- versus Ctbna (Male/Female) | Study population (setting) | Operator | Needle type (E/C) | Sedation setting (E/C) | Primary results | Adverse events |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arslan et al. (2011) Turkey | 60 (30/30) | 57.33 (16.91)/54.97 (13.74) | 26/4 versus 22/8 | Patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes that were defined as ≥2 cm (short axis) on CT | Both EBUS and cTBNA were performed by pulmonologists | 21-gauge/21-gauge | All patients were under general anesthesia or conscious sedation | The diagnostic yield of EBUS-TBNA was higher than that of cTBNA in mediastinal lymph nodes (P = 0.872) | No complications were observed with the use of EBUS and/or cTBNA |
Gupta et al. (2014) India | 130 (62/68) | 44.1 (10.8)/42.9 (11.5) | 26/36 versus 27/41 | Patients with clinical diagnosis of sarcoidosis that had enlarged right paratracheal and subcarinal lymph nodes >1 cm (short axis) on CT | All bronchoscopies were performed by experienced faculty or by fellows under direct supervision | 21-gauge/21-gauge | Intravenous midazolam and pentazocine/None | EBUS-TBNA had the highest diagnostic yield than cTBNA in sarcoidosis (PÂ =Â 0.004) | Three patients (1 with cTBNA and 2 with EBUS-TBNA) had minor bleeding, but no major adverse events happened |
Herth et al. (2004) American | 200 (100/100) | Total age: 51.9 (22.6) | 61/39 versus 64/36 | Patients with enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes that were defined as ≥0.7 cm (short axis) on CT | Both procedures were performed by pulmonologists | 22-gauge/22-gauge | All patients were under general anesthesia or conscious sedation | EBUS-TBNA was superior to Ctbna in stations other than the subcarinal space in subcarinal lymph nodes (P < 0.001) | No complications were observed during and after EBUS and/or cTBNA |
Tremblay et al. (2009) Canada | 50 (24/26) | 39.5 (8.6)/40.8 (12.8) | 19/7 versus 14/10 | Patients with suspected sarcoidosis that had pathologic mediastinal or hilar adenopathy (short axis, >1Â cm) on CT | All bronchoscopies were performed by the interventional pulmonary medicine fellows | 22-gauge/19-gauge | All patients were under conscious sedation | EBUS-TBNA was superior to cTBNA in mediastinal lymph nodes (PÂ <Â 0.05) | Only two patients with moderate bleeding were seen following cTBNA |