Diagnosing diseases in the hidden lymph nodes of the chest – known as the mediastinum – is one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine. For patients suspected of having lymphoma (cancer of the immune system) or sarcoidosis (an inflammatory systemic disease), current standard methods using fine needles are often insufficient. As these diseases alter the entire structure and architecture of the tissue, a small needle biopsy is like trying to identify an entire building by looking at a single brick; it simply provides too little information for a reliable diagnosis.
