DIAGNOSTIC CAPABILITIES OF STANDARD BRONCHOSCOPY AND INDICATIONS FOR EBUS-TBNA IN PATIENTS WITH PULMONARY LESIONS DETECTED BY CT

Computed tomography (CT) is an important diagnostic modality for detecting pulmonary lesions and assessing their anatomical characteristics. However, CT findings are often insufficient for definitive morphological diagnosis. Standard bronchoscopy enables direct visualization and biopsy in lesions with a central or endobronchial growth pattern. In peripheral lesions, extrinsic bronchial compression, and mediastinal or hilar lymphadenopathy, the diagnostic capabilities of standard bronchoscopy may be limited. In such cases, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is an effective complementary method for morphological verification and mediastinal lymph node staging.