Biopsy Of Peripheral Lung Lesions Research Articles

A Cone Beam CT Bronchoscopy Study of the Ultrathin Cryoprobe for Biopsy of Peripheral Lung Lesions.

Compared with the standard cryoprobe, the novel ultrathin 1.1mm cryoprobe (UTCP) has improved ergonomics, shape memory, and flexibility. The performance of UTCP has demonstrated promising results in several small trials. In this single-center, retrospective review, we examine 200 (N=200) consecutive patients referred for cone beam CT bronchoscopic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. We utilized an extended multimodality approach, including transbronchial needle aspirate, brush, traditional forces biopsies, UTCP biopsies, and BAL. We analyzed tool in lesion, tool touch lesion, center strike rates, and diagnostic yield. We assessed for molecular adequacy and analyzed safety. A total of 222 lesions were biopsied. We achieved a tool in lesion or tool touch lesion confirmation for all biopsy attempts (100%) and a center strike rate of 68%. AQuIRE diagnostic yield was 90%, with 60% malignant, 30% benign lung nodules, and 10% nondiagnostic. UTCP was diagnostic in 3.6 % of peripheral lung lesions biopsies when all other modalities were nondiagnostic; thus, raising our overall diagnostic yield from 86.4% to 90.1%. Our analysis demonstrates superior adequacy for molecular analysis for histologic samples (TBBX or UTCP) versus cytologic samples (FNA) ( P <0.001). Three patients (1.5%) had a pneumothorax, and 1 patient (0.5%) had moderate bleeding. UTCP was diagnostic in 3.6% of peripheral lung lesions when all other modalities were nondiagnostic. In the setting of CBCT guidance, UTCP has a similar safety profile to standard biopsy tools. Future trials are warranted to assess UTCP and its impact on peripheral lung lesion biopsies.

Ultrasound Guided Biopsy among Patients with Lung Lesions Undergoing Procedures in Interventional Radiology of a Tertiary Care Centre.

Minimally invasive image-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy can obtain tissue samples for diagnosis of subpleural lung cancer, which is crucial for the correct management of lung lesions. Common complications of lung biopsy include pneumothorax, parenchymal haemorrhage and haemoptysis. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of ultrasound-guided biopsy among patients with lung lesions undergoing procedures in interventional radiology of a tertiary care centre. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in the Department of Radiology and Imaging from 1 August 2018 to 30 September 2019 after obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee. USG-guided biopsy of peripheral lung lesions was performed with an 18 gauge semiautomatic biopsy instrument and a 17 gauge coaxial needle. A convenience sampling method was used. The point estimate was calculated at a 95% Confidence Interval. Among 188 biopsy of lung lesions, ultrasound-guided biopsies were performed in 28 (14.89%) (9.80-19.98, 95% Confidence Interval). The prevalence of ultrasound guided biopsy among lung lesions is lower than other studies done in similar settings. biopsy; interventional radiology; lung neoplasms; prevalence.

Digital Tomosynthesis: Review of Current Literature and Its Impact on Diagnostic Bronchoscopy.

Bronchoscopy has garnered increased popularity in the biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. The development of navigational guided bronchoscopy systems along with radial endobronchial ultrasound (REBUS) allows clinicians to access and sample peripheral lesions. The development of robotic bronchoscopy improved localization of targets and diagnostic accuracy. Despite such technological advancements, published diagnostic yield remains lower compared to computer tomography (CT)-guided biopsy. The discordance between the real-time location of peripheral lesions and anticipated location from preplanned navigation software is often cited as the main variable impacting accurate biopsies. The utilization of cone beam CT (CBCT) with navigation-based bronchoscopy has been shown to assist with localizing targets in real-time and improving biopsy success. The resources, costs, and radiation associated with CBCT remains a hindrance in its wider adoption. Recently, digital tomosynthesis (DT) platforms have been developed as an alternative for real-time imaging guidance in peripheral lung lesions. In North America, there are several commercial platforms with distinct features and adaptation of DT. Early studies show the potential improvement in peripheral lesion sampling with DT. Despite the results of early observational studies, the true impact of DT-based imaging devices for peripheral lesion sampling cannot be determined without further prospective randomized trials and meta-analyses.

Robotic-assisted bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary lesions: A single-center experience of the Ion platform

Rationale: The diagnostic yield of electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy to access lung lesions remains low. The multicenter NAVIGATE study showed the diagnostic yield to be 71% for lesions up to 3 cm and 67% for lesions up to 2 cm. The introduction of robotic-assisted navigational platforms may overcome some of the traditional barriers encountered with previous approaches. We aim to assess the navigational and diagnostic yield of the Ion™ endoluminal system (Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Sunnyvale, California) regarding pulmonary lesions that could not previously be biopsied using conventional white light bronchoscopy. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed data from our first 76 consecutive robotic-assisted navigational bronchoscopy (RAB) cases performed by a single proceduralist at our single center between March 11, 2020, to November 25, 2020. Secondary endpoints included the safety of the platform, such as incidences of pneumothoraces and significant bleeding events. Results: The ability to localize the lesion using the shape sensing technology was 100% (n=76). Navigational success, as determined by lesion visualization using radial endobronchial ultrasound confirmation, was 76% (n=58) of the nodules. The additional use of 2D-fluoroscopy for needle-in-lesion guidance and Rapid Onsite Evaluation to assess for adequate tissue sampling resulted in a diagnostic yield of 92% (n=70). There was a 0% complication rate for pneumothorax and significant bleeding events in the postoperative phase. Conclusions: Our study supports the current literature regarding the safety and efficacy of the Ion™ RAB for use in obtaining biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. Depending on the definition of navigational success, based on our results, the Ion™ RAB is comparable to or better than flexible bronchoscopy. The diagnostic yield is comparable to or better than flexible bronchoscopy but slightly lower than the gold standard computed tomography-guided transthoracic biopsy (CTTB) for peripheral lung lesions. However, in contrast to CTTB, the Ion™ RAB has lower complication rates for pneumothoraces and major bleeding. Further studies are needed to directly compare the current two robotic systems with a third system, Galaxy System™ by Noah Medical that is pending FDA approval.

Clinical efficacy of ct-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of peripheral lung lesions

To evaluate the effectiveness of a step-by-step protocol for GT-guided transthoracic biopsy in verification of peripheral lung tumors. A retrospective analysis of the results of GT-guided transthoracic biopsies of focal lung neoplasms was performed between October 2019 and December 2020. The analysis included the results of 176 biopsies in 158 patients. Primary biopsy was informative in 139 (87.97%) out of 158 patients. There were 155 (88.07%) informative and 21 (11.93%) non-informative biopsies. Lung adenocarcinoma was diagnosed in 41 (25.95%) patients, squamous cell carcinoma in 35 (22.15%) patients, and small cell carcinoma in 9 (5.7%) patients. There were 17 (10.76%) patients with uninformative biopsy results. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 86%, 95.5%, and 87.8%, respectively. PPV was 98.9%, NPV - 58.3%. Various complications occurred after 65 (36.93%) out of 176 biopsies (95% CI 30.15-44.27). Pneumothorax followed by pleural drainage was detected after 8 (4.55%) biopsies. Accuracy of a step-by-step protocol for transthoracic biopsy was 88% that is not inferior to similar results in large-scale studies devoted to specialized navigation systems.

Risk factors for pulmonary hemorrhage following ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

Risk factors for pulmonary hemorrhage following ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

INIITIAL EXPERIENCE WITH STEERABLE INSTRUMENTATION IN HUMAN CADAVERIC MODELS WITH SIMULATED TUMOR TARGETS

TOPIC: Procedures TYPE: Original Investigations PURPOSE: Despite growing experience using advanced guided techniques, the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary lesions remains suboptimal, particularly for lesions which are adjacent to peripheral bronchi. While recent publications have focused on improving bronchoscopic reach, access and precision in the lung periphery, few have addressed significant modifications to the instrumentation used to obtain biopsies. This exercise was performed to evaluate two novel, steerable instruments within human cadaveric lungs with simulated tumor targets. Instrument assessment included the ability of both instruments to access simulated tumor targets in all lobes of the lung, as well as to reposition instruments within tumor targets. METHODS: Artificial tumor targets were placed in all lobes of the lungs of two human cadaver torsos which were intubated, ventilated and underwent CT scanning. Bronchoscopists utilized a large caliber bronchoscope (BF-1TH190, Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) and steerable guide sheath (2.7mm OD)(SerpeX Medical, Santa Clara, CA) by advancing, rotating and articulating the distal end of the guide sheath towards the targeted lesion using fluoroscopic guidance and a reference CT scan. Radial probe endobronchial ultrasound (UM S20-17S, Olympus Tokyo, Japan) was used to confirm lesion localization prior to performing transbronchial needle aspiration (Periview Flex, Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) and transbronchial biopsy (Precisor Broncho Forceps, ConMed, Utica, NY). Following this, a standard diagnostic bronchoscope (BF-H190, Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) was used to advance a steerable needle (1.8mm OD)(SerpeX Medical, Santa Clara, CA) towards the same targeted lesions using insertion, rotation and articulation of the distal tip. RESULTS: Both the steerable sheath and steerable needle were successfully placed within simulated tumor targets in all lobes of two cadaveric lungs with diagnostic biopsy material obtained from all lobes. Additionally, manipulation of the distal end of the steerable sheath and steerable needle was successfully used to reposition each tool within different locations of the same lesion. CONCLUSIONS: This is an initial reporting of two fully articulating, steerable instruments designed to assist with bronchoscopic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. In this exercise both instruments were successfully positioned within tumor targets in all lobes of two human cadaveric lungs. Additionally, articulation and rotation of the distal end of each of these instruments successfully repositioned biopsy instruments within different locations of targeted lesions. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Steerable instrumentation may improve the bronchoscopist's ability to place biopsy tools within targeted peripheral lesions, thereby potentially improving diagnostic yield, particularly for lesions that are positioned adjacent to peripheral bronchi. DISCLOSURES: Consultant relationship with Serpex Please note: 2020-2021 Added 04/24/2021 by Alexander Chen, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Removed 04/27/2021 by Alexander Chen, source=Web Response Investigator relationship with Olympus Please note: 2020-2021 Added 04/27/2021 by Alexander Chen, source=Web Response, value=Grant/Research Support Consultant relationship with Boston Scientific Please note: 2020-2021 Added 05/10/2021 by Alexander Chen, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with Olympus America, Inc Please note: 1/2019 to current Added 04/28/2021 by Andrew Haas, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with Serpex Medical Please note: 1/2020 to current Added 04/28/2021 by Andrew Haas, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee DSMB, consultant relationship with Novocure, Inc Please note: 1/2019 to current Added 04/28/2021 by Andrew Haas, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee Consultant relationship with Olympus America Please note: 1/2019 to current Added 04/28/2021 by Andrew Haas, source=Web Response, value=Consulting fee No relevant relationships by Michael Machuzak, source=Web Response

Clinical value of an electromagnetic navigation system for CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the clinical value of an electromagnetic navigation system for CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.MethodsThis was a retrospective study. Patients with peripheral lung lesions in our institution between January 2019 and December 2020, who underwent lung biopsy assisted by the electromagnetic navigation system were included in Group A, and those who underwent lung biopsy using conventional CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy were included in Group B. The general features and clinical and technical information of each patient were collected and evaluated in both groups.ResultsA total of 141 patients were included in Group A (78 males and 63 females; median age, 65 years; range, 32–79 years), and 96 patients were included in group B (57 males and 39 females; median age, 65 years; range, 34–80 years). The technical success rate was 100% in both groups. The technical efficacy rate was 92.9% and 90.6% in Groups A and B (P=0.525), respectively. There was no significant difference in surgical time and the number of CT scans between the two groups, and only grade 1–2 complications occurred in the patients.ConclusionsThe electromagnetic navigation system is an effective and safe auxiliary tool for CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

Lung Navigation Ventilation Protocol to Optimize Biopsy of Peripheral Lung Lesions.

Computed tomography-to-body divergence caused by respiratory motion, atelectasis, diaphragmatic motion and other factors is an obstacle to peripheral lung biopsies. We examined a conventional ventilation strategy versus a lung navigation ventilation protocol (LNVP) optimized for intraprocedural 3-dimensional image acquisition and bronchoscopic biopsy of peripheral lung nodules. A retrospective, single center study was conducted in consecutive subjects with peripheral lung lesions measuring <30 mm. Effects of ventilation strategies including atelectasis and tool-in-lesion confirmation were assessed using cone beam computed tomography images. Diagnostic yield was also evaluated. Complications were assessed through 7 days. Fifty subjects were included (25 per group) with 27 nodules in the conventional group and 25 nodules in the LNVP group. Atelectasis was assessed by 2 blinded readers: [reader 1 (R1) and reader 2 (R2)]. Atelectasis was more prevalent in the conventional ventilation group, both for dependent atelectasis (R1: 64% and R2: 68% vs. R1: 36% and R2: 16%, P=0.00014) and sublobar/lobar atelectasis (R1: 48% and R2: 56% vs. R1: 20% and R2: 32%, P=0.01). Similarly, the target lesion was obscured due to atelectasis more often in the conventional ventilation group (R1: 36% and R2: 36% vs. R1: 4% and R2: 8%, P=0.01). Diagnostic yield was 70% for conventional ventilation and 92% for LNVP (P=0.08). LNVP demonstrated markedly reduced dependent and sublobar/lobar atelectasis and lesions either partially or completely obscured by atelectasis compared with conventional ventilation. Future prospective studies are necessary to understand the impact of protocolized ventilation strategies for bronchoscopic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

Chinese expert consensus on the standardized procedure and technique of transbronchial cryobiopsy.

Transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) is a technique to obtain frozen samples of lung tissue from the distal bronchioles, in which the tissue surrounding the tip of a cryoprobe inserted through the bronchoscope is frozen with a rapid freezing process and abruptly pulled away from adherent tissue. The advantages of TBCB are improved diagnostic yield, reduced trauma, large and high-quality specimens, potentially decreased complications, and lower cost in comparison to surgical lung biopsy (SLB). TBCB is mainly used for the etiological diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD) (1,2). Additionally, it can be used for biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. TBCB has been widely used as a new diagnostic tool in Europe since 2009 (1), and has been used in some highly specialized interventional centers in China since 2015 (3). However, the procedure of TBCB has not been standardized. There are still disagreements among pulmonologists internationally and in China regarding operation methods, biopsy sites, number of biopsy specimens, types of frozen probes, freezing time and specimen handling, and there is urgent need for procedural standardization of TBCB for effectiveness and safety. This work is an evidence- and expert-based consensus on the procedure and technique of TBCB, which is a collaborative effort of the Working Committee on Interventional Pulmonology, Respiratory Physicians’ Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Committee of Interventional Pulmonology, Chinese Society for Tuberculosis, Chinese Medical Association, and the Chinese Western Association of Interventional Pulmonology. We hope it will contribute to the transition of the etiologic diagnosis of DPLD from the clinico-radiologic (CR) model to the clinico-radiologic-pathologic (CRP) model, which hopefully will increase the rate of etiologic diagnosis of DPLD, and improves the effectiveness, safety and standardization of the procedure and technique of TBCB to ensure diagnostic yield.

Transbronchial biopsy of peripheral lung lesions using fluoroscopic guidance combined with an enhanced ray-summation display.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of guidance assistance during transbronchial biopsy (TBB) to achieve an appropriate pathway to small and peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) using a combination of fluoroscopy and specialized ray-summation (Ray-sumTBB) images, which were processed from preprocedural lung computed tomography (CT) images. To improve the visibility of the correct pathway to the PPLs, three-dimensional spatial resolution enhancement and CT number conversion processes were applied to the original CT images. The Ray-sumTBB images reconstructed from the processed CT images were used as additional guides. We compared the rates of successful tumor localization and biopsy (arrival rate) between the trial (with Ray-sumTBB) and control (without Ray-sumTBB) groups. The fluoroscopy and examination times were also compared. The arrival rate of the trial group (73.1%) was significantly better than that of the control group (42.3%) (p = 0.048). The fluoroscopy and examination times did not differ significantly between the trial and control groups. No complications were identified in the trial group. Our results suggest that Ray-sumTBB improves the diagnostic accuracy of TBB.

Diagnostic yield of ultrasound-guided transthoracic biopsy in peripheral lung lesions

BackgroundUltrasonography (US) guidance of transthoracic needle biopsy of peripheral lung lesions is a useful diagnostic technique. It is a relatively easy and safe procedure under real-time US guidance and may give enough tissue sampling of lesions for histopathological examination. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy and safety of this technique in the diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions.Patients and methodsA total of 60 patients underwent US-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of peripheral lung lesions from November 2017 to October 2018 in the Chest Department. The age of patients ranged from 27 to 79 years, with mean age of 58.4 years. Overall, 48 (80%) patients of the studied group were males, whereas 12 (20%) patients were females.ResultsAccording to the final diagnoses, 48 (80%) cases were malignant and 12 (20%) cases were benign. Diagnostic accuracy was 90%, sensitivity was 96%, both specificity and positive predictive value were 100%, and the negative predictive value was 60%. Pneumothorax and hemoptysis occurred in two (3.33%) patients each.ConclusionChest US-guided biopsy in the diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions is a safe and fast procedure with high diagnostic yield and fewer complications.

Robotic Bronchoscopy for Diagnosis of Suspected Lung Cancer: A Feasibility Study.

Robotic bronchoscopy may offer alternative approaches to address limitations of current bronchoscopic techniques for biopsy of suspected peripheral lung lesions. This study sought to evaluate complications and feasibility of robotic bronchoscopy performed with the Robotic Endoscopy System (RES). Adult patients from a single institution underwent bronchoscopy of suspected lesions with a bronchus sign with the RES. The primary outcome was complication rate, as assessed by the incidence of related serious adverse events (SAE). The secondary outcome was technical feasibility. Data are presented as median (range), counts, and percentage. P-value was calculated using the Mann-Whitney U test. Of 17 screened patients, 15 were eligible. The median age was 67 (38 to 79) years. The lesions (12 peripheral and 3 central) were located in the right lower lobe (33%), right upper lobe (27%), left upper lobe (27%), and left lower lobe (13%). No SAE, including pneumothorax and significant bleeding, occurred. Biopsy samples were obtained from 93% of patients. One sampling (right upper lobe) required conventional bronchoscopy and another required surgery to confirm malignancy. Cancer was confirmed in 60% (9/15) of patients. Benign features were found in 5 of 6 patients. Time to biopsy location reduced from 45 (21 to 84) minutes (first 5 cases) to 20 (7 to 47) minutes (last 9 cases), P=0.039. The study results and absence of SAE support feasibility of the RES in accessing the periphery of the lung. The RES has potential to address challenges associated with biopsy of peripheral lung lesions.

ES 07.04 Endoscopic Options for Solitary Pulmonary Nodules

World-wide, aside from men in France, Spain and the Netherlands, peripherally located adenocarcinomas have now overtaken squamous cell carcinoma as the predominant lung cancer cell type. With the implementation of lung cancer screening programs using low dose CT and increasing use of CT imaging for clinical investigations, a large number of people are found to have lung nodules. In contrast to symptomatic lung cancer, the size of screening CT detected or incidental lung nodules suspicious of malignancy is much smaller. Over 75% of screening CT detected lung cancers are ≤20 mm with 20% to 47% of the lung cancers found in the first screening CT and 33% to 62% of lung cancers found in annual repeat screening CT are ≤10 mm.1-4 Because of the small size of these lesions, currently only 20% to 34% of screening CT detected lung cancers are diagnosed by endoscopy. The diagnostic yield of bronchoscopic biopsies is modest.1,2 In the real world setting, even with advanced bronchoscopic methods such as navigation bronchoscopy and radial ultrasound, the diagnostic yield of peripheral lung lesions is less than 60%.5,6 Several factors account for the suboptimal diagnostic yield. The diameter of the airways leading to the lesion may be smaller than the 1.4 mm diameter radial EBUS probe. The lesion may be eccentric rather than perpendicular to the biopsy forceps. Removable of the imaging probe from a guide sheath and re-insertion of biopsy forceps or needle may cause displacement or migration of the guide sheath to a different airway. To improve the diagnostic accuracy, other methods are being developed for endoscopic detection and biopsy of peripheral lung lesions ≤20 mm. Bronchoscopic transparenchymal approach to access peripheral lung nodules from more central airways and real time fluoroscopic transbronchial guidance systems are under evaluation.7,8 Flexible 21G peripheral needles are becoming commercially available for transbronchial aspiration or core biopsy. Small optical imaging probes < 0.5 mm that can be inserted within a 21G needle to confirm abnormal pathology in real time using optical frequency domain imaging9,10 or diffuse reflectance spectroscopy before taking a biopsy. These newer endoscopic approaches hold promise to improve diagnostic accuracy while maintaining the advantage of lower complication rates such as pneumothorax and bleeding compares to CT guided transthoracic lung biopsy. 1. National Lung Screening Research Team, Church TR, Black WC, et al. Results of initial low-dose computed tomographic screening for lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 2013 May 23;368(21):1980-91. 2. Aberle DR, DeMello S, Berg CD, et al. Results of the two incidence screenings in the National Lung Screening Trial. N Engl J Med 2013; 369(10):920-31. 3. McWilliams A, Tammemagi MC, Mayo et al. Probability of cancer in pulmonary nodules detected on first screening CT. N Engl J Med 2013;369:910-9.4. Horeweg N, van Rosmalen J, Heuvelmans MA, et al. Lung cancer probability in patients with CT- detected pulmonary nodules: a prespecified analysis of data from the NELSON trial of low-dose CT screening. Lancet Oncol. 2014 Nov;15(12):1332-41. 5. Ost DE, Ernst A, Lei X, et al. AQuIRE Bronchoscopy Registry. Diagnostic yield and complications of bronchoscopy for peripheral lung lesions. Results of the AQuIRE Registry. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2016 Jan 1;193(1):68-77. 6. Ali MS, Trick W, Mba BI, et al. Radial endobronchial ultrasound for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Respirology. 2017; 22(3):443-453. 7. Herth FJ, Li S, Jiayuan Sun J, Nader D. Bronchoscopic TransParenchymal Nodule Access: Evaluation of safety and feasibility of Archimedes System. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2017;195:A7597. 8. Stoy SP, Whitten PE, Al-Zubaidi A, Hogarth K. Bronchoscopic peripheral lung nodule navigation by a novel Live fluoroscopic overlay guidance technology. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2017;195:A2865. 9. Tan KM, Shishkov M, Chee A, et al. Flexible transbronchial optical frequency domain imaging smart needle for biopsy guidance. Biomed Opt Express 2012; 3::1947-1954. 10. Pahlevaninezhad H, Lee AM, A. R, et al. Endoscopic Doppler optical coherence tomography and autofluorescence imaging of peripheral pulmonary nodules and vasculature. Biomedical Optics xpress. 2015; 6(10):4191-9. Endoscopic biopsy

Can Computed Tomography Characteristics Predict Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Radial Endobronchial Ultrasound-Guided Biopsy of Peripheral Lung Lesions?

Percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy is a standard minimally invasive technique for sampling peripheral lung lesions. Radial endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) offers an alternative approach but it has yet to be defined which patients are most suited to this procedure. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether CT characteristics could predict the success of radial EBUS-guided sampling. The University Hospital South Manchester provides a radial EBUS service, under conscious sedation without fluoroscopy, double-hinged curettes, or guide sheaths, to a large cancer Network in the United Kingdom. This retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database included all patients undergoing radial EBUS from January 2011 to June 2013. Lesion size, structure, location, and presence of a bronchus sign on thoracic CT were analyzed against predefined outcomes using multivariate analysis. One-hundred and seventeen patients underwent radial EBUS in the study period (mean age 69.5, mean lesion size 36.6 mm). The presence of a bronchus sign on CT was the only independent predictor of all predefined outcomes: (1) lesion identification with radial EBUS, (2) positioning of probe within the center of the lesion, and (3) accurate pathological diagnosis; odds ratio (OR) 31.1 (7.8-123.9, p < 0.0001), OR 44.8 (5.6-354.9, p < 0.0001) and OR 46.6 (11.1-195.3, p < 0.0001) respectively. The sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for those patients with a bronchus sign on CT was 87.3% and 86.7% compared with 12.5% and 11.1% for those lacking the bronchus sign. The patients most likely to benefit from radial EBUS, without the use of adjuncts, are those with a bronchus sign on CT.

US-guided transthoracic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions: pleural contact length influences diagnostic yield

Transthoracic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions under ultrasonography (US) guidance is a useful diagnostic technique. However, factors affecting diagnostic yield of US-guided transthoracic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions are not well established. To determine the factors that influence diagnostic yield of US-guided transthoracic biopsy in peripheral lung lesions. A total of 100 consecutive patients underwent US-guided percutaneous cutting biopsy of peripheral lung lesions from October 2007 to March 2009. After seven unconfirmed cases were excluded, 97 procedures in 93 consecutive patients were included in this study. The accuracy of the lung biopsies was assessed by comparing the biopsy results with the final diagnoses. We divided the cases into a correct group (true-positive and true-negative) and an incorrect group (false-positive, false-negative, and non-diagnostic results) and analyzed the differences in the lesions, procedures, and patient variables between the two groups. According to the final diagnoses, 56 cases (57.7%) were malignant and 41 cases (42.3%) were benign. An overall diagnostic accuracy of 91.8% was obtained. The median size of the lesions was 46.0 mm (interquartile range [IQR], 30.0-69.5 mm), and the median lesion-pleura contact arc length (LPCAL) was 31.0 mm (IQR, 18.0-51.0 mm). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that only LPCAL (odds ratio, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.04-1.30) was a significant predictor of a correct diagnosis. When we divided the lesions into those with LPCAL values >30 mm and LPCAL values ≤30 mm, the sensitivity (96.6% vs. 74.1%; P = 0.02) and the accuracy (98% vs. 85.4%; P = 0.03) were significantly higher in the group with larger LPCAL. In US-guided transthoracic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions, the LPCAL of the lesions is an important factor for a correct diagnosis.

CT-Guided Core Needle Biopsy of Peripheral Lung Lesions with Onsite Adequate Evaluation: Review of 215 Cases

Background: CT-guided core biopsy and fine needle aspiration have been used for diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions, and both methods have advantages and disadvantages. In our institution, CT-guided core needle biopsy with onsite cytology adequacy evaluation of touch preparations is the standard method for evaluation of peripheral lung lesions. Methods: The study was approved by Institutional Review Board. We retrospectively reviewed the cytology reports of all lung core needle biopsies during 2009-2012. The clinical information was collected from chart review. Results: There were total 215 cases during the study period. The average lesion size (in 190 available cases) was 3.46 cm. The average passes were 3.3/lesion. The final diagnoses included 132 malignancies, 70 benign and 13 atypical. Twenty-four cases had follow-up resections. There were two false negative diagnoses due to sample errors and there was no false positive case with a positive predictive value of 100%. The final adequate rate was 99.5% (214/215), and only one case was unsatisfactory. In the 204 patients with available information of post-procedure chest X-ray, 140 (68.6%) had no pneumothorax, and 64 (31.4%) had pneumothorax including 48 mild (23.5%), 3 moderate (1.5%), 2 severe (1%), 3 tension pneumothorax (1.5%), and 8 with chest tubes placed during procedure (3.9%). Conclusions: Our study showed that CT-guided core biopsy with onsite cytology evaluation has high adequate and low atypical rates. Lung core biopsy can provide more accurate tumor classification and specific diagnoses for non-neoplastic lesions. Adequate tissue is often available for molecular study. The complication rate of pneumothorax in core needle biopsy is compatible to that of fine needle aspiration.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy: A descriptive analysis.

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is an exciting new bronchoscopic technique that promises accurate navigation to peripheral pulmonary target lesions, using technology similar to a car global positioning system (GPS) unit. Potential uses for ENB include biopsy of peripheral lung lesions, pleural dye marking of nodules for surgical wedge resection, placement of fiducial markers for stereotactic radiotherapy, and therapeutic insertion of brachytherapy catheters into malignant tissue. This article will describe the ENB procedure, review the published literature, compare ENB to existing biopsy techniques, and outline the challenges for widespread implementation of this new technology.

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of peripheral lung lesions

Objective To investigate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) on the diagnostic efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. Methods Ninty-six patients with pleural-based lesions underwent percutaneous ultrasound-guided biopsy. Of the 96 patients,54patients underwent CEUS before biopsy and enhancement information was referred for the selecting of tissue sampling site. The rest of 42 patients didn' t undergo CEUS before biopsy. The difference in the diagnostic accuracy between the two groups was analyzed to evaluate the value of CEUS before biopsy.Results Of the 52 patients in the CEUS group,48 were malignant,and 6 were benign. Of the 42 patients in the un-CEUS group,36 were malignant, and 6 were benign. Necrosis (areas lacking of enhancement) was demonstrated in 41.7％ (20/48) of the patients with malignant lesions in CEUS group, and necrosis incidence was increased with the increase of the dimension of the malignant lesions. No necrosis area was demonstrated in 6 benign lesions. The rate of successful initial biopsy in CEUS group (98.1 ％ ,53/54) was statistically higher than that in un-CEUS group ( 85.7％, 36/42 ) ( P ＜ 0.05 ). Tissue necrosis and denaturalization attributed to most of the inconclusive pathologic diagnosis. Conclusions CEUS before transthoracic peripheral lung lesion biopsy improved the diagnostic accuracy of the procedure by providing information for differentiating viable or necrotic tissue and consequently provide more accurate information about the site of biopsy. Key words: Ultrasonography; Microbubbles; Lung neoplasms ; Biopsy, needle

Scientific evidence and principles for the use of endobronchial ultrasound and transbronchial needle aspiration

Endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS), using the radial EBUS probe and convex-probe EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration, are increasingly advocated for a wide array of minimally invasive thoracic procedures. The effectiveness of EBUS-guided procedures has been demonstrated to a degree that, in many institutions, EBUS is becoming standard of practice for the diagnosis, staging and restaging of mediastinal lymphadenopathy in lung cancer, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis, and for bronchoscopic biopsy of peripheral lung lesions. Its role in other bronchoscopic procedures requires further study despite an already strong body of literature: diagnosis of lymphoma and benign infectious disease, diagnosis of early lung cancer and airway wall disorders, imaging of thoracic vascular disease such as pulmonary embolism, and therapeutic procedures such as placement of fiducial markers. In this article, we illustrate some of the principles of EBUS, describe major technical aspects pertaining to the procedure itself and provide a narrative review of original research addressing proposed roles of EBUS in a variety of indications. In closing, we describe future perspectives including new educational processes and philosophies that could favorably impact the rapid and safe dissemination of this evolving technology into clinical practice.