Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 24, 2026
Author Spotlight: Expanding Interventional Pulmonology Research with Robotic-Assisted Bronchoscopy
Published on: July 19, 2024
Transbronchial lung biopsy: the pathologist's point of view
Mihan Pourabdollah1, Masoud Shamaei2, Shirin Karimi3
1Pediatric Respiratory Disease Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (NRITLD), Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Background And Aims:
The efficacy of flexible cryoprobe in providing high-quality tissue specimens through bronchoscopy for making a diagnosis remains debatable. In this study, we have compared the diagnostic yield of cryoprobe with conventional sampling by forceps.
Methods:
Forty-one patients scheduled to undergo transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) in a pulmonary hospital in Tehran, Iran. Each patient underwent conventional TBLB and flexible cryoprobe TBLB (FCLB) sequentially. Specimen adequacy was defined by the presence of at least 50 alveolar spaces or a positive diagnostic yield. Adequacy of specimens, number and percentage of alveolar spaces without artifact, type of artifact, presence of bronchiolar structures and the diagnosis made based on the results of the two methods separately were compared.
Results:
The mean values of tissue section area obtained by forceps and cryoprobe were 6 mm(2) [standard deviation (SD) ± 6.7] and 22 mm(2) (SD ± 19.1), respectively (P < 0.001). Specimens were adequate in 26 cases of conventional TBLB and 40 cases of FCLB (P < 0.001). Of adequate specimens, 14 samples obtained by TBLB and 28 samples obtained via FCLB were diagnostic. A significant difference was also detected between diagnostic and non-diagnostic specimens (P = 0.04). Frequency of specimens with >75% artifact-free lung parenchyma was significantly higher in FCLB method.
Conclusion:
FCLB method provides larger tissue samples with better quality compared with TBLB. Higher-quality specimens are associated with less artifact and higher diagnostic yield. Multisite randomized trials are required to improve our knowledge about the benefits and indications of TBLB with cryoprobe.
More Related Videos
11:02Human Lung Dendritic Cells: Spatial Distribution and Phenotypic Identification in Endobronchial Biopsies Using Immunohistochemistry and Flow Cytometry
Published on: January 20, 2017
09:01The Bovine Lung in Biomedical Research: Visually Guided Bronchoscopy, Intrabronchial Inoculation and In Vivo Sampling Techniques
Published on: July 3, 2014
Related Concept Videos
01:30Endoscopic Studies I: Bronchoscopy and Thoracoscopy
Bronchoscopy
Description
Bronchoscopy is a procedure that involves direct visualization of the larynx, trachea, and bronchi for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. A flexible fiber optic or rigid bronchoscope is used to carry out the procedure. The fiber-optic bronchoscope is more frequently used due...
01:26Sputum Studies I: Gram Stain, cytology, and Acid-fast smear and culture
Gram Stain
The Gram Stain is an integral part of sputum studies. It involves the staining of sputum, which permits...
01:23The Bronchial Tree
The trachea, commonly known as the windpipe, is a tube that connects the larynx (voice box) to the bronchi. At a point called the carina, it bifurcates into two primary bronchi. The right primary bronchus is wider, shorter, and more vertical than the left primary...