PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - M.R. Mehta
AU  - D.W. Connell
AU  - M.I. Wickremasinghe
AU  - O.M. Kon
TI  - The use of thoracic computed tomography scanning and EBUS-TBNA to diagnose tuberculosis of the central nervous system: two case reports
AID  - 10.1183/09059180.00002910
DP  - 2010 Dec 01
TA  - European Respiratory Review
PG  - 345--347
VI  - 19
IP  - 118
4099  - http://err.ersjournals.com/content/19/118/345.short
4100  - http://err.ersjournals.com/content/19/118/345.full
SO  - EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY REVIEW2010 Dec 01; 19
AB  - Herein, we report two cases of tuberculosis (TB) of the central nervous system where accessing the cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic purposes was relatively or absolutely contraindicated at presentation. The finding of mediastinal lymphadenopathy on thoracic computed tomography scans, which was not visible on plain chest radiography, allowed endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of these lymph nodes to support the diagnosis of TB in each patient and rule out other disease processes. EBUS-TBNA is a new bronchoscopic technique and in this case report appears to be a safe and useful option in the diagnosis of TB. Moreover, it proved to be so in cases where the main focus of disease was outside the thorax.