Pulmonary amyloidosis diagnosed by CT-guided transbronchial biopsy: a case report

During a medical check-up, a nodular shadow was detected by chest X-ray in the right lower lung field of a 59-year-old man. On computed tomography (CT), the nodular lesion had a relatively well-defined, irregular margin. A fluoroscopy-guided bronchoscopic biopsy did not uncover any malignancy. Specimens from a subsequent CT-guided bronchoscopic biopsy revealed a pulmonary amyloid deposit. As a rule, it is difficult to exclude malignancy or confirm benign disease in cases of truly benign lesions, particularly if the lesions are difficult to biopsy. Amyloidosis is one of such conditions and requires reliable diagnostic methods to avoid unnecessary surgical resection. From our experience, we consider CT-guided bronchoscopic biopsy to be a safe and accurate procedure, even when applied to truly benign lesions.