Transoesophageal ultrasound-guided bronchoscopic aspiration of a superior mediastinal tumour using the BF-UC290F instrument.

A 46-year-old male with a superior mediastinal mass presented with a one-month history of hoarseness and chest pain and was referred to our hospital. Although endobronchial, ultrasound-guided, transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) was initially performed, we could not obtain an adequate specimen because of his severe cough and an inadequate EBUS view. During the same endoscopic session, we performed endoscopic, ultrasound-guided, bronchoscopic fine-needle aspiration (EUS-B-FNA) via a transoesophageal approach using the BF-UC290F (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan), a third-generation EBUS-TBNA endoscope. The BF-UC290F enabled smooth access through the oesophagus and a clear EBUS view of the mass, attributable, respectively, to the compact distal tip and the powerful angulation. Rapid on-site cytology revealed that an adequate specimen had been obtained, and we terminated the procedure without inducing a severe cough. Histologically, the mass was a squamous cell carcinoma. EUS-B-FNA employing the BF-UC290F was useful to diagnose the superior mediastinal mass.