Clinically Relevant Information Obtained by Performing Autofluorescence Bronchoscopy

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the clinically relevant findings that were obtained only by autofluorescence bronchoscopy and not by white-light bronchoscopy. Data from patients at risk for lung cancer who underwent both white-light bronchoscopy and autofluorescence bronchoscopy were analyzed on a per-patient and on a per-bronchoscopy base. Clinically relevant findings were defined as follows: (1) histologic examination of bronchial biopsy specimen showing moderate dysplasia, severe dysplasia, or carcinoma in situ; (2) assessment by the bronchoscopist that the bronchial area to be treated endoscopically was better visualized by autofluorescence bronchoscopy, which was of influence on the treatment. A total of 224 bronchoscopies were performed in 114 patients. Endobronchial therapy was performed during 26 of these bronchoscopies. Clinical relevant findings resulted from 28 autofluorescence bronchoscopies in 18 patients. Twenty-five of 101 intraepithelial neoplastic lesions were detected by autofluorescence bronchoscopy alone during 18 bronchoscopies in 14 patients. During 10 bronchoscopies in 9 patients, autofluorescence bronchoscopy resulted in a better visualization of the extent of endobronchial spread of tumor, which subsequently was treated with endobronchial therapy. We concluded that by adding autofluorescence bronchoscopy to white-light bronchoscopy, clinically relevant information was obtained in 13% (28 of 223) of the bronchoscopies and in 16% (18 of 114) of the patients. Journal of Bronchology7:118-121, 2000.