Endobronchial Ultrasound

University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center is home to a potent tool in the fight against lung cancer and other diseases of the chest: an endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS).

EBUS enables pulmonologists and thoracic surgeons to see through the bronchial walls and into lung tissue. The traditional, non-EBUS approach to transbronchial biopsies relies upon anatomic landmarks to find lymph nodes and masses that are oftentimes close to large blood vessels and other structures within the chest. EBUS helps to visualize these lymph nodes and tumors, and provides more assurance that surgeons are in the location they need to be in order to obtain a biopsy. This helps to avoid inadvertent biopsies of the blood vessels and other structures.

EBUS helps diagnose and stage lung cancer and other diseases of the chest. The equipment also facilitates biopsies of lung masses deep within the lung parenchyma. Ultrasound probes permit better localization of these lung masses, and help to direct biopsy instruments to them.