title: The role of transbronchial lung biopsy for the diagnosis of diffuse drug-induced lung disease: a case series of 44 patients.
abstract: At present, no studies have evaluated the role of bronchoscopic transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) in the diagnosis of diffuse drug-induced lung disease (DILD), and there is no consensus for a definite diagnostic workup approach for this rare clinical entity. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of TBLB in diffuse DILD. This study was a retrospective analysis of patients with diffuse DILD, who underwent bronchoscopy. The role of TBLB was assessed to determine whether the histological results are useful for the final diagnosis. Over a 5-yr period, 44 patients underwent bronchoscopy, and all had a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Thirty-three of the 44 patients underwent TBLB (75%), and the results of TBLB were diagnostically helpful in 25 (75.7%) of the procedures. No histopathologic abnormality was identified in 6 (18%) of the 33 patients. In 2 patients (6%) the obtained samples were not adequate, since no lung parenchyma was obtained. No severe complications related to bronchoscopic procedures occurred. In conclusion, TBLB is a safe procedure, and is diagnostically helpful in the majority of cases of patients with diffuse DILD. Histological data obtained by TBLB further corroborate clinical, laboratory, radiologic and BAL results for a definitive diagnosis of diffuse DILD.
authors.affiliation: Interventional Pulmonology, Department of Thoracic Diseases, Pierantoni-Morgagni Hospital, Forlì, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Romagnoli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bigliazzi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Casoni
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chilosi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Carloni
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dubini
authors.forename: Ch
authors.initials: Ch
authors.lastname: Gurioli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tomassetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gurioli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Poletti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage / Q000379:methods; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult