Does the new generation of Endobronchial Ultrasound Bronchoscopes open new horizons

Introduction: Endobronchial ultrasound bronchoscopes (EBUS-scopes) actually represent the gold-standard to investigate mediastinal lymph nodes and centrally located lesions in patients affected by lung cancer. The commonly used EBUS-scope (Olympus BF-UC180F), however, does not allow a complete exploration of the segmental bronchi, just reaching the lobar bronchi or, sometimes, lower lobes segmental bronchi. The new EBUS-scope (Olympus BF-UC190F) has a smaller diameter and greater flexibility, and promises to provide a better access to more peripheral lesions. The aim of this study is to compare the two different generations of EBUS-scopes, to assess if peripheral access is improved by using the new one. Materials and Methods: We subsequently submitted 4 patients to an EBUS procedure with both EBUS-scopes (BF-UC180F and BF-UC190F), intending to introduce them into the segmental bronchi 1-6 on both sides. For a more careful evaluation of the results we created a numeric score, based on which part of the instrument was able to enter each of the bronchi. The statistical analysis was performed with the Student´s T test. Results: Despite the fact that our statistical analysis could be affected by the limited number of patients involved, we highlighted a statistically significative difference between the two generations of EBUS-scopes. Particularly, we were already able to prove that the new EBUS instrument allows a better exploration regarding LB 1+2 (p Conclusions: in our experience, the new EBUS-scope (BF-UC190F) allows a deeper access into segmental bronchi, therefore improving the diagnosis of peripheral lesions.