Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy: a surgeon's perspective.
Diagnostic yield of flexible bronchoscopy is often limited by the size and location of the lesion of interest. Novel technologies have evolved that can improve the accuracy and expand the applicability of flexible bronchoscopy in rendering a tissue diagnosis for pulmonary nodules. One recent technical advance uses electromagnetic guidance to improve the ability of the bronchoscopist to navigate within the lung parenchyma as well as to localize and biopsy mediastinal pathology. We have gained a preliminary experience with navigational bronchoscopy using electromagnetic guidance to successfully biopsy peripheral lung lesions, place fiducial catheters to aid stereotactic radiotherapy, and to biopsy mediastinal lymph nodes in the staging of lung cancer. Not only will navigational bronchoscopy lead to improvements in the diagnostic yield of standard flexible bronchoscopy, but we envision potential therapeutic modalities that can be used this system.
Weiser
Todd S
TS
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York, New York 10029, USA. todd.weiser@mountsinai.org
Hyman
Kevin
K
Yun
Jaime
J
Litle
Virginia
V
Chin
Cythinia
C
Swanson
Scott J
SJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity