title: Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy-Guided Dye Marking for Thoracoscopic Resection of Pulmonary Nodules.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Computed tomography scans are increasingly used not only for lung cancer screening but also for staging and evaluation of other cancers. As a result, more patients with pulmonary nodules, many with subcentimeter lesions, are being referred to thoracic surgeons, some with concern for primary lung neoplasm and others with possible metastatic lung lesions. Obtaining a definitive diagnosis of these lesions is difficult. Electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy (ENB)-guided pleural dye marking followed by thoracoscopic resection is a novel alternative technique for definitive diagnosis. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and our initial experience with ENB-guided dye localization and minimally invasive resection for diagnosis of lung lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Selected patients with lung lesions underwent ENB-guided dye marking and minimally invasive resection. The primary end points were the rate of nodule localization and definitive diagnosis of the nodule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We performed ENB-guided localization and minimally invasive resection in 29 patients. The median lesion size was 10 mm, with a median distance from pleural surface of 13 mm. The operative mortality was 0%. The median hospital stay was 3 days. The nodule was localized and resected, and a definitive diagnosis was obtained in all patients (29 of 29; 100%). The nodule was neoplastic in 19 patients. All malignant lesions were completely resected with negative microscopic margins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our initial experience with ENB-guided dye localization and minimally invasive resection found that the technique was feasible, safe, and successful in the diagnosis of small lung lesions. Thoracic surgeons should further investigate this method and incorporate it into their armamentarium.
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Awais
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reidy
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Kunal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mehta
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Valentino
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bianco
authors.affiliation: The University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute Biostatistics Facility, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Gooding
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Schuchert
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: James D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Luketich
authors.affiliation: Division of Thoracic and Foregut Surgery, Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Electronic address: pennathura@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pennathur
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D055590:Electromagnetic Phenomena; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D055613:Multiple Pulmonary Nodules / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D011013:Pneumonectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed