ABSTRACT
Objective:To investigate the application of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) in the diagnosis of tuberculosis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy in children.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted on clinical data in 8 children of tuberculosis with mediastinal lymphadenopathy treated in the Center for Respiratory Intervention, Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from March 2014 to July 2019.TBNA was performed after the mediastinal lymphadenopathy were diagnosed by chest enhanced CT and the final diagnosis was made.The diagnostic experience of TBNA was summarized.Results:Eight children with mediastinal lymphadenopathy included in this present study aged from 7 months to 8 years and 6 months (infants accounted for 75.0%), with a median age of 22.5 months.There were 3 males (37.5%) and 5 females (62.5%). The body mass was 8.5-39.0 kg, and the median body mass was 10.7 kg.The course of disease was 15-90 days, and the median number of days was 18.5 days.The clinical manifestations included cough in 8 cases, fever in 4 cases, wheezing in 1 case and laryngeal ringing in 1 case.Bronchoscopy and TBNA biopsy were performed.Cytology, etiology and pathology were examined after TBNA.A definite diagnosis could be made in 6 children, with a diagnosis rate of 75.0%.Among them, 4 cases were found with acid-fast bacilli in smear but pathological examination was negative; 1 case was pathologically conformed to the characteristics of tuberculosis infection but the smear was negative; the smear and pathology of 1 case were both suggestive of tuberculosis; 2 cases did not present etiological and histological evidence with TBNA.The diagnosis was made according to the positive acid-fast bacilli of alveolar lavage fluid smear.There were no complications during and after operation.Conclusions:TBNA is an important method to diagnose tuberculosis in children, which is effective, safe and has high clinical application value.