{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,14]],"date-time":"2026-10-14T11:08:17Z","timestamp":1791976097723,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,3]],"date-time":"2026-05-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1777766400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the comparative diagnostic efficacy and safety of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and transbronchial mediastinal cryobiopsy (EBUS-TBMC) for sampling mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes. Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, 20 studies published between January 2020 and July 2025 were analysed to provide a comprehensive performance overview. The results demonstrate that EBUS-TBMC offers a significantly higher overall diagnostic efficacy compared to EBUS-TBNA, with a pooled risk difference (RD) of 0.30 (95% CI: 0.17\u20130.44, p &lt; 0.001). The subgroup analyses revealed a trend toward a superior yield for EBUS-TBMC in lymphoma (RD 0.11, p = 0.05) and sarcoidosis (RD 0.03, p = 0.077), while no significant differences were found for lung cancer subtypes. Safety profiles remained comparable, with no significant differences in the risk of pneumothorax (RD 0.00, p = 1.00) or bleeding (RD 0.00, p = 0.965). In conclusion, these findings support integrating EBUS-TBMC into diagnostic algorithms when preserved tissue architecture is critical, such as for lymphoproliferative disorders, granulomatous diseases, and advanced molecular profiling, providing a safe and more effective alternative to conventional needle aspiration.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16050768","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,4]],"date-time":"2026-05-04T02:06:21Z","timestamp":1777860381000},"page":"768","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Comparative Efficacy of Transbronchial Needle Aspiration and Cryobiopsies in Thoracic Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis for Optimal Diagnostic Efficacy"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-9808-6013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Liviu-\u0218tefan","family":"Moac\u0103","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery-Practical Abilities, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu Street, No. 23, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"},{"name":"Interventional Pneumology Unit, Department of Pneumology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, 67091 Strasbourg, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6805-1619","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Damiana-Maria","family":"Vulturar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400332 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4218-8622","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daniel-Corneliu","family":"Leucu\u021ba","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Informatics and Biostatistics, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1306-2350","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Doina Adina","family":"Todea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pneumology, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400332 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2756-5784","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Teodora-Gabriela","family":"Alexescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"4th Department Internal Medicine, \u201cIuliu Hatieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400015 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3904-2852","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Adriana","family":"Neag","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology Department, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cezar Aurelian","family":"Matau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Interventional Pneumology Unit, Department of Pneumology, University Hospital of Strasbourg, 67091 Strasbourg, France"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3511-2788","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anca Dana","family":"Buzoianu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacology Department, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Claudia Diana","family":"Gherman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Surgery-Practical Abilities, \u201cIuliu Ha\u021bieganu\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Marinescu Street, No. 23, 400337 Cluj-Napoca, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2149","DOI":"10.1111\/1759-7714.15000","article-title":"Assessment of endobronchial ultrasound-guided bronchoscopy (EBUS) intranodal forceps biopsy added to EBUS 19-gauge transbronchial needle aspiration: A blinded pathology panel analysis","volume":"14","author":"Lachkar","year":"2023","journal-title":"Thorac. 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