RCT Comparing 19Ga vs 22Ga EBUS-TBNA Needles in Carcinoma.

EBUS-TBNA is often the sole diagnostic test applied in patients with stage IV lung cancer. A limitation of the TBNA needle when using a 22 Gauge needle is the limited ability to procure adequate histological samples. Although a larger 19 Ga needle can procure histological samples as demonstrated by the conventional 19 Ga needle, published data are not existing with respect to molecular diagnostics. A new nitinol-based 19 Ga needle has been developed for EBUS-TBNA. Given the frequent usage of 22 Ga needles for molecular diagnostics and the recent technical advancements in 19 Ga needle technology, we conduct a RCT to compare the performance of both needle types.