Melioidosis—role of endobronchial ultrasound

Abstract

Melioidosis is a Gram-negative bacterial disease caused by Burkholderia pseudomallei. It has got an increasing prevalence in India, although it is not endemic in the country. Rarely, this disease may pose a diagnostic dilemma, because of its similarities with tuberculosis in clinical, radiological, and pathological features. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy as a presentation is rare in melioidosis. Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) could be a useful technique in obtaining samples from necrotic mediastinal lesions. We report three cases of mediastinal melioidosis where EBUS-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) aided in early diagnosis.