Lung biopsy

There are many techniques that can be used to arrive at a diagnosis in dogs and cats with signs referable to the pulmonary system. Biopsy of the pulmonary parenchyma remains the technique of choice when a diagnosis is absolutely required; it is also the technique with the greatest potential for serious complications during and after the procedure. This potential caused most veterinarians to refrain from performing biopsy in the majority of their respiratory cases. Nevertheless, newer, sophisticated biopsy equipment and techniques are now available, with lower complication rates. As more veterinarians become comfortable with this technology, pulmonary biopsy will become more commonplace, and more definitive diagnosis will be obtained. This will benefit the client, the patient, the practitioner, and the profession.