Flexible-bronchoscope biopsy of lung and bronchial wall in intrathoracic sarcoidosis.
1) Twenty of 25 patients (80%) with sarcoidosis had positive lung biopsies obtained by flexible-bronchoscope biopsy. 2) Three of the 5 negative biopsies were in patients with chronic sarcoidosis whose chest radiograph was unchanged for 1 yr or more. 3) Two insignificant pneumothoraces occurred as a complication of the bronchoscopic biopsy procedures. 4) Noncaseating epithelioid-cell granulomas found on fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy are no more specific for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis than similar findings in any other organ biopsy.
D001706:Biopsy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology*; D020680:Bronchoscopes; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D007731:Kveim Test; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D012507:Sarcoidosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology