Comparison of sequential cryoprobe and biopsy forceps in endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal and hilar lesions: a prospective observational study

Background Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is a safe and widely used technique for diagnosing mediastinal/hilar lesions. Recent studies showed that combining EBUS-TBNA with cryobiopsy (EBUS-transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy, EBUS-TMC) or forceps biopsy (EBUS-intranodal forceps biopsy, EBUS-IFB) enhances diagnostic accuracy by obtaining larger tissue samples. However, limited data is comparing the efficacy of EBUS-TMC and EBUS-IFB. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of these biopsy techniques in diagnosing mediastinal and hilar lesions.