title: Surgical Lung Biopsy for Interstitial Lung Diseases.
abstract: This review addresses common questions regarding the role of surgical lung biopsy (SLB) in the diagnosis and treatment of interstitial lung disease (ILD). We specifically address when a SLB can be diagnostic as well as when it may be avoided; for example, when the combination of the clinical context and the imaging pattern seen on high-resolution CT (HRCT) chest scans can provide a confident diagnosis. Existing studies on the diagnostic utility as well as the complications associated with SLB are reviewed; also reviewed are the performance characteristics and reliability of HRCT scans of the chest in predicting the underlying histopathologic findings of the lung. The review is formatted in the form of answers to questions that clinicians regularly ask when considering an SLB in a patient with ILD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL. Electronic address: rishi.raj@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Rishi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raj
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Kirtee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raparia
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO.
authors.forename: Kevin K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D019616:Thoracic Surgical Procedures; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; interstitial lung disease; lung biopsy; pulmonary fibrosis; surgical lung biopsy