P02.01 CT Integrated Bronchoscopy Manual Spraying Pigment Labeling to Localize of Small Pulmonary Nodules

Abstract

Popularization of High Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) has greatly improved the detection rate of pulmonary nodules. Video Assistant Thoracic Surgery (VATS) lobectomy (sublobar lung resection in selected patients) has been the standard surgical treatment for these early stage non-small cell lung cancer. Uniportal VATS, a widely used innovative technique in minimally invasive thoracic surgery, makes less incision and also demands more precise intraoperative palpation/localization which is often challenging for small nodules. Various strategies such as the hookwire method, CT fluoroscopy-guided bronchoscopic dye marking, contrast median injection, radiotracer localization and a virtual assisted lung mapping technology (VAL-MAP). While they provide new options of nodule location for thoracic surgeons, all of these strategies require expensive hardware or software and additional two or three more doctors which are often not affordable for centers with limited resources. The purpose of this study is to develop a practically cheap method of pigment labeling for bronchoscope with no additional need of medical equipment and medical human resources. This is an ethic committee approved clinical trial. Medically operable patients with the HRCT detected small nodules were eligible. This nodule localization method involved a manual drawing the route by the surgeon/bronchoscopist, through a series of bronchial opening sketches and marking the leading bronchus at every bifurcation point based on the HRCT. Two to four appropriate bronchial pathways were selected for each lesion. A metal-tip catheter was inserted into a selected bronchus and advanced to the pleura. The location of the catheter tip was fluoroscopically confirmed, and 1 mL of diluted methylene blue was injected for each marking. All these procedures were completed by one doctor and one nurse. Then low dose CT scan was used to visualize the localization of the multiple markings, which were used as references in the subsequent operation. Success rate and procedure related complication are reported. From April 2019 to July 2020, 18 lesions in 17 patients were enrolled. All surgical procedures were performed using uniportal VATS. The lesions ranged in size from 3 to 23mm, 15 (83%) were nodules of Ground Glass Opacity (GGO). The depth ranged from 0 to 19 mm. A total of 57 lung markings were planned. 54 of them (95%) were completed. Of the 3 failed markings, the target bronchus could not be accessed under the bronchoscopy because of improper angle. Fifty-two (91%) were visible during the operations. The 3 unidentified markings were in the same patient, who had been a coal miner and had a severe carbon deposition on his lung and pleura. There was no adverse event associated with this manual marking procedures. All lesions were successfully resected. In 3 patients failed multiple markings, alternative localization was used successfully. This HRCT guided manual drawing method of lesion localization is safe and effective for small nodule localization for lung cancer surgery. Results of this study appears to be better than conventional percutaneous techniques in clinically evident complications. Because it does not need special equipment, it is more suitable for developing countries with limited equipment and human resources.