Usefulness of various diagnostic techniques during fiberoptic bronchoscopy for endoscopically visible lung cancer: should cytologic examinations be performed routinely?
BACKGROUND
The question of which combination of procedures gives the best diagnostic yield following fiberoptic bronchoscopy is controversial.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of various diagnostic techniques following fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of endoscopically visible lung cancer.


METHODS
The study included 98 patients found to have endobronchially visible tumor during routine daily bronchoscopy. Endobronchial lesions were classified as mass, submucosal lesion and infiltration. Washings, brushings and forceps biopsies were obtained in all subjects. Transbronchial needle aspirations were performed in 67 of 76 cases with mass or submucosal lesions.


RESULTS
Bronchoscopy was diagnostic for cancer in 88 (89.8%) of the 98 patients. Forceps biopsy specimens gave positive result in 82.7% of cases, transbronchial needle aspirates in 68.6%, brushings in 68.4%, and washings in 31.6%. Combination of forceps biopsy and brushing cytology yielded a positive result for lung cancer in 87 patients. The addition of brushings increased the diagnostic yield of bronchoscopy from 82.7% to 88.8% (p < 0.05). Collection of washing specimens in addition to forceps biopsy did not increase the yield of forceps biopsy. Transbronchial needle aspiration gave an additional yield of 1%.


CONCLUSIONS
Routine cytological examination of bronchial washings does not increase the yield of forceps biopsy specimens. Transbronchial needle aspiration may give an additional positive yield to forceps biopsy. We conclude that a combination of forceps biopsy and brushing is the best strategy in the diagnosis of bronchoscopically visible lung cancer.
Karahalli
E
E
SSK Süreyyapaşa Center for Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Istanbul, Turkey.
Yilmaz
A
A
Türker
H
H
Ozvaran
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D001980:Bronchi / Q000473:pathology; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests