Bronchofiberscopy with curette biopsy and bronchography in the evaluation of peripheral lung lesions

Flexible bronchofiberscopy using a double-hinged curette biopsy and under fluoroscopic guidance was performed on 46 patients with peripheral lung carcinomas smaller than 2 cm. Prior mapping of the location of the lung lesion was achieved with selective peripheral bronchography. With these diagnostic tools, a positive cytologic diagnosis for lung carcinomas was made in 45 of 46 patients, a yield of 97.8 percent. Complications associated with the curette biopsy included minor bleeding in three cases and pneumothorax requiring a chest tube in one case.