A Safe and Minimally Invasive Method for Thoracoscopic Lung Biopsy in Interstitial Lung Disease

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a spectrum of lung diseases that may contain different levels of fibrosis and inflammation. Sometimes, the clinical picture and imaging studies are insufficient to determine the diagnosis and lung biopsy becomes crucial, which may be performed in a thoracoscopic or open manner. The aim of this study was to present a new minimally invasive biopsy method that seems to be technically easy, safe, and inexpensive. Herein, we present a minimally invasive method for thoracoscopic lung biopsy using a Vicryl loop. The charts of patients with suspected ILD who underwent thoracoscopic lung biopsy using a Vicryl loop between 2007 and 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Nine patients were identified, four were boys and five were girls. The median age was 76 months. The mean weight of the patients was 10.9 kg. The mean chest tube removal time was 3.8 days. The mean surgical time was 37 minutes. There was an air leakage for 13 days in one child postoperatively. Thoracoscopic lung biopsy with a knot and scissors is an easily applicable and minimally invasive method that may be performed in children with suspected ILD.