Project description:BackgroundThe diagnostic accuracy and safety of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) via a flexible bronchoscope under sedation compared with that of surgical lung biopsy (SLB) in the same patients is unknown.MethodsRetrospectively the data of fifty-two patients with interstitial lung diseases (median age: 63.5 years; 21 auto-antibody positive) who underwent TBLC followed by SLB (median time from TBLC to SLB: 57 days) was collected. The samples from TBLC and SLB were randomly labelled to mask the relationship between the two samples. Diagnosis was made independently by pathologists, radiologists, and pulmonary physicians in a stepwise manner, and a final diagnosis was made at multidisciplinary discussion (MDD). In each diagnostic step the specific diagnosis, the diagnostic confidence level, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) diagnostic guideline criteria, and treatment strategy were recorded.ResultsWithout clinical and radiological information, the agreement between the histological diagnoses by TBLC and SLB was 42.3% (kappa [κ] = 0.23, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.08-0.39). However, the agreement between the TBLC-MDD and SLB-MDD diagnoses and IPF/non-IPF diagnosis using the two biopsy methods was 65.4% (κ = 0.57, 95% CI: 0.42-0.73) and 90.4% (47/52), respectively. Out of 38 (73.1%) cases diagnosed with high or definite confidence at TBLC-MDD, 29 had concordant SLB-MDD diagnoses (agreement: 76.3%, κ = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.55-0.87), and the agreement for IPF/non-IPF diagnoses was 97.4% (37/38). By adding the pathological diagnosis, the inter-observer agreement of clinical diagnosis improved from κ = 0.22 to κ = 0.42 for TBLC and from κ = 0.27 to κ = 0.38 for SLB, and the prevalence of high or definite diagnostic confidence improved from 23.0% to 73.0% and from 17.3% to 73.0%, respectively. Of all 383 TBLC performed during the same period, pneumothorax occurred in 5.0% of cases, and no severe bleeding, acute exacerbation of interstitial lung disease, or fatal event was observed.ConclusionsTBLC via a flexible bronchoscope under deep sedation is safely performed, and the TBLC-MDD diagnosis with a high or definite confidence level is concordant with the SLB-MDD diagnosis in the same patients.
Project description:BACKGROUND:In recent years, transbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) has come to be increasingly used in interventional pulmonology units as it obtains larger and better-quality samples than conventional transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) with forceps. No multicenter studies have been performed, however, that analyse and compare TBCB and TBLB safety and yield according to the interstitial lung disease (ILD) classification. OBJECTIVES:We compared the diagnostic yield and safety of TBCB with cryoprobe sampling versus conventional TBLB forceps sampling in the same patient. METHOD:Prospective multicenter clinical study of patients with ILD indicated for lung biopsy. Airway management with orotracheal tube, laryngeal mask and rigid bronchoscope was according to the protocol of each centre. All procedures were performed using fluoroscopy and an occlusion balloon. TBLB was followed by TBCB. Complications were recorded after both TBLB and TBCB. RESULTS:Included were 124 patients from 10 hospitals. Airway management was orotracheal intubation in 74% of cases. Diagnostic yield according to multidisciplinary committee results for TBCB was 47.6% and for TBLB was 19.4% (p<0.0001). Diagnostic yield was higher for TBCB compared to TBLB for two groups: idiopathic interstitial pneumonias (IIPs) and ILD of known cause or association (OR 2.5; 95% CI: 1.4-4.2 and OR 5.8; 95% CI: 2.3-14.3, respectively). Grade 3 (moderate) bleeding after TBCB occurred in 6.5% of patients compared to 0.8% after conventional TBLB. CONCLUSIONS:Diagnostic yield for TBCB was higher than for TBLB, especially for two disease groups: IIPs and ILD of known cause or association. The increased risk of bleeding associated with TBCB confirms the need for safe airway management and prophylactic occlusion-balloon use. TRIAL REGISTRATION:clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02464592.
Project description:BackgroundTransbronchial cryobiopsy (TBCB) has been widely used to diagnose interstitial lung disease (ILD). Existing reports on TBCB in ILD are mostly single-center prospective or retrospective studies but rarely multicenter prospective real-world studies. We explored the diagnostic efficiency and safety of TBCB in ILD in a real world setting.MethodsA prospective, multicenter, real-world study was conducted to analyze the data of patients with unclarified ILD who underwent TBCB in 20 hospitals in China from October 2018 to October 2019. The results of the pathological and multidisciplinary discussion (MDD) diagnosis and complications related to TBCB were then analyzed.ResultsA total of 373 patients were enrolled in this study, including 194 males and 179 females, with an average age of 52.6±12.4 years. None of the patients had severe hemorrhaging, and the incidence of pneumothorax was 4.8%. The proportions of definitive, possible, and unclassified pathological diagnoses were 62.5%, 5.6%, and 31.9%, respectively. The overall diagnostic yield of MDD was 63.5%. There were 237 patients with a definitive diagnosis of MDD and 136 patients with an unclarified MDD diagnosis. The cooling gas pressure, freezing durations, number of specimens, maximum lengths of specimens, and specimen sizes varied significantly between the definitive and unclarified MDD diagnoses.ConclusionsIn China, the application of TBCB in ILD is generally safe, and its diagnostic efficiency is acceptable. Using a 1.9-mm cryoprobe to collect five samples would achieve a better positive diagnostic rate for TBCB in ILD, without a significant increase in complication risk.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov; date of registration: 09/25/2018; registration number: NCT03704233; URL: clinicaltrials.gov.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) is widely used in diagnostic algorithms for various interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), its real-world utility in the therapeutic decision-making strategy for ILD patients remains unclear, in particular, when judging the time to start antifibrotic agents.MethodsWe analyzed medical records of 40 consecutive patients with idiopathic or fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis who underwent TBLC. A TBLC-based usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) score was used to assess three morphologic descriptors: patchy fibrosis, fibroblastic foci, and honeycombing.ResultsIn our 40 patients with ILD, the most frequent radiological feature was indeterminate for UIP (45.0%). Final diagnosis included idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (22.5%), fibrotic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (5.0%), fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (35.0%), and unclassifiable ILD (37.5%). Linear mixed-effects analysis showed that declines in the slopes of %FVC and %DLCO in patients with TBLC-based UIP "Score ≥ 2" were significantly steeper than those of patients with "Score ≤ 1." During follow-up of patients with Score ≥ 2 (n = 24), more than half of them (n = 17) received an antifibrotic agent, with most patients (n = 13) receiving early administration of the antifibrotic agent within 6 months after the TBLC procedure.ConclusionsTBLC-based UIP Score ≥ 2 indicated the increased possibility of a progressive fibrosis course that may prove helpful in predicting progressive pulmonary fibrosis/progressive fibrosing ILD even if disease is temporarily stabilized due to anti-inflammatory agents. Patients may benefit from early introduction of antifibrotic agents by treating clinicians.
Project description:RationaleTransbronchial cryobiopsy has been increasingly used to diagnose interstitial lung diseases. However, there is uncertainty regarding its accuracy and risks, mainly due to a paucity of prospective or randomized trials comparing cryobiopsy to surgical biopsy.ObjectivesTo evaluate the diagnostic yield and complications of cryobiopsy in patients selected by multidisciplinary discussion.MethodsThis was a prospective cohort from 2017 to 2019. We included consecutive patients with suspected interstitial lung diseases being considered for lung biopsy presented at our multidisciplinary meeting.Measurements and main resultsOf 112 patients, we recommended no biopsy in 31, transbronchial forceps biopsy in 16, cryobiopsy in 54 and surgical biopsy in 11. By the end of the study, 34 patients had had cryobiopsy and 24 patients, surgical biopsy. Overall pathologic and multidisciplinary diagnostic yield of cryobiopsy was 47.1% and 61.8%, respectively. The yield increased over time for both pathologic (year 1: 28.6%, year 2: 54.5%, year 3: 66.7%, p = 0.161) and multidisciplinary (year 1: 50%, year 2: 63.6%, year 3: 77.8%, p = 0.412) diagnosis. Overall rate of grade 4 bleeding after cryobiopsy was 11.8%. Cryobiopsy required less chest tube placement (11.8% vs 100%, p < 0.001) and less hospitalizations compared to surgical biopsy (26.5% vs 95.7%, p < 0.001), but hospitalized patients had a longer median hospital stay (2 days vs 1 day, p = 0.004).ConclusionsDiagnostic yield of cryobiopsy increased over time but the overall grade 4 bleeding rate was 11.8%.
Project description:BackgroundInterstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are a group of pulmonary disorders affecting the lung's structure. Acute exacerbation of ILD (AE-ILD) following medical procedures is a significant clinical concern. Lung cryoprobe transbronchial biopsy (cryobiopsy) is a relatively new diagnostic technique for ILD, but data on AE-ILD post-cryobiopsy is limited. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of AE-ILD following cryobiopsy.MethodsThis multicenter retrospective study analyzed data from patients who underwent cryobiopsy for ILD diagnosis at three U.S. institutions between January 2014 and August 2022. The study included patients over 18 years with confirmed or suspected ILD, categorized into those who experienced AE-ILD post-cryobiopsy and those who did not.ResultsOut of 111 patients, 3.6% experienced AE-ILD, with a 50% mortality rate in these cases. The study cohort was predominantly white, with a median age of 69.0 years. Common comorbidities included tobacco use and hypertension. Patients who developed AE-ILD had an increased median number of biopsies. The overall 30-day mortality was 1.8%. Overall complication rate was 32%, including pneumonia, pneumothorax, AE-ILD, and bleeding requiring intervention. The study findings suggest that bronchoscopic cryobiopsy may be associated with lower overall mortality, particularly in patients with compromised lung function.ConclusionsThis study provides significant insights into AE-ILD following cryobiopsy, underscoring the need for careful patient selection and procedural assessment. While cryobiopsy may offer a safer alternative to surgical lung biopsy in specific patient cohorts, the elevated risk of AE-ILD necessitates further research to optimize patient outcomes and procedural safety.