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A study on non-resolving pneumonia with special reference to role of fiberoptic bronchoscopy

Arunabha D Chaudhuri1, Subhasis Mukherjee, Saumen Nandi

  • 1Department of Respiratory Medicine, R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, Kolkata, India.

Lung India : Official Organ of Indian Chest Society
|May 11, 2013
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Fiber optic bronchoscopy (FOB) and CT-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) are effective diagnostic tools for non-resolving pneumonia. These safe procedures offer high diagnostic yields, aiding pulmonologists in identifying the causes of persistent lung inflammation.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Diagnostic Imaging
  • Interventional Pulmonology

Background:

  • Non-resolving pneumonia presents a diagnostic challenge for pulmonologists.
  • Fiber optic bronchoscopy (FOB) may play a crucial role in determining the etiology of non-resolving pneumonias.
  • There is a limited number of recent studies investigating the utility of FOB in this context.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate patients with non-resolving or slowly resolving pneumonia.
  • To assess the diagnostic efficacy of FOB and computed tomography (CT)-guided fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC).
  • To determine the etiological causes of non-resolving pneumonia.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective, observational study conducted over one year in a tertiary care setting.
  • Patients meeting criteria for non-resolving pneumonia underwent FOB with microbiological, cytological, and histopathological analyses.
  • CT-guided FNAC was performed in selected cases where FOB results were inconclusive.

Main Results:

  • Sixty patients (mean age 51.33 years, 2:1 male:female ratio) were enrolled.
  • Pyogenic infection (53.3%) was the most common cause, followed by bronchogenic carcinoma (26.7%) and tuberculosis (16.7%).
  • FOB demonstrated 85.7% utility, and CT-guided FNAC showed 91.67% utility in etiological diagnosis; both procedures were safe.

Conclusions:

  • FOB is a highly useful and safe diagnostic tool for evaluating non-resolving pneumonia due to its high diagnostic yield.
  • CT-guided FNAC provides good diagnostic yield when applied to appropriately selected patients.
  • Both FOB and CT-guided FNAC are valuable adjuncts in the etiological diagnosis of non-resolving pneumonia.
Keywords:
Fiber optic bronchoscopylung cancernon-resolving pneumoniatuberculosis

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