title: [Video-assisted thoracic surgery in the diagnosis of interstitial diffuse pulmonary diseases].
abstract: Interstitial lung diseases are best diagnosed by surgical lung biopsy. Videoassisted thoracoscopy (VATS) is less aggressive than open lung thoracotomy and its development is associated with an increased number of lung biopsies. Between July 1994 and July 2004 we performed 70 VATS biopsies for interstitial lung disease patients. Only one biopsy was considered inconclusive (1.4%). The remainder 69 (98.6%) established a final diagnosis. The results in our series show that VATS lung biopsy is a safe method with low mortality and morbidity and an excellent rentability.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cirurgia cardiotorácica, do Hospital de Santa Maria, Lisboa.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Caldeira
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: A C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gallego
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bugalho
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cravino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods