Diagnostic Utility of Transbronchial Cryobiopsy in Interstitial Lung Disease

Interstitial lung disease is a heterogenous group of disorders characterized by varying patterns of inflammation and fibrosis. Its diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary approach including clinical and imaging correlation, but atypical presentations and imaging warrant tissue biopsy. Transbronchial forceps biopsy has a low yield and is not recommended for diagnosis. Although considered as the gold standard, surgical lung biopsy is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Transbronchial cryobiopsy is a relatively newer technique, but only limited data are available to establish its utility in diagnosing interstitial lung disease and evaluating the associated risks to this procedure.
Source: Clinical Pulmonary Medicine - Category: Respiratory Medicine Tags: Interstitial, Inflammatory, Occupational Lung Disease/Interventional Pulmonary Medicine Source Type: research