[Transbronchial needle aspiration in bronchogenic carcinoma with visible lesions: diagnostic yield and cost]

Guidelines for diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy in adults: Joint Indian Chest Society/National College of chest physicians (I)/Indian association for bronchology recommendations

Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) is commonly performed by respiratory physicians for diagnostic as well as therapeutic purposes. However, bronchoscopy practices vary widely across India and worldwide. The three major respiratory organizations of the country supported a national-level expert group that formulated a comprehensive guideline document for FB based on a detailed appraisal of available evidence. These guidelines are an attempt to provide the bronchoscopist with the most scientifically sound as well as practical approach of bronchoscopy. It involved framing appropriate questions, review and critical appraisal of the relevant literature and reaching a recommendation by the expert groups. The guidelines cover major areas in basic bronchoscopy including (but not limited to), indications for procedure, patient preparation, various sampling procedures, bronchoscopy in the ICU setting, equipment care, and training issues. The target audience is respiratory physicians working in India and well as other parts of the world. It is hoped that this document would serve as a complete reference guide for all pulmonary physicians performing or desiring to learn the technique of flexible bronchoscopy.

Transbronchial needle aspiration cytology (TBNA) in endobronchial lesions: a valuable technique during bronchoscopy in diagnosing lung cancer and it will decrease repeat bronchoscopy

BACKGROUND

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer deaths around the world. Globally, lung cancer is the largest contributor to new cancer diagnosis and to death from cancer. Various conventional diagnostic techniques (CDTs) such as endobronchial forcep biopsy (FB), bronchial washing (BW) and bronchial brushing (BB), and transbronchial needle aspiration cytology (TBNA) are employed during fiber-optic bronchoscopy.

METHODS

This is a prospective study conducted between June 2012 and September 2013 at Bronchoscopy unit of MIMSR Medical College Latur, India, to find the role of TBNA in exophytic endobronchial lesions in confirming the diagnosis of lung cancer and to find additive yield over other techniques such as BB, BW and FB, and included 150 patients on the basis of clinical and radiological features of malignancy. In exophytic endobronchial lesions, predominant endoscopic findings were cauliflower, polypoidal-like or nodular or multinodular endobronchial growth. TBNA, FB, BB and BW were performed in all the cases during FOB. Histopathological and cytological examinations of specimens were performed at Pathology department. The statistical analysis was done using chi-square test.

RESULTS

Total 150 patients, between age group 24-80 years, mean age was 57.93 years, male population constitutes 86.17 % of total. 76.14 % cases were smoker of them 61.87 % cases having history of >40 pack years. Commoner symptoms were cough (91.33 %), hemoptysis (54.00 %) and chest pain (46.66 %), and mass lesion (40.66 %), hilar opacity (31.33 %) and collapse segmental/lobar (29.33 %) were commoner radiological abnormalities. Yield of TBNA, CDT and TBNA plus CDT in exophytic lesions is 60.66, 79.33 and 84.66 %, respectively, in diagnosis of lung malignancies (P < 0.001). Sensitivity of forcep biopsy and TBNA in diagnosing lung malignancy was 88.18 and 71.65 %, respectively (P < 0.01). FOB-related hypoxemia documented in two cases and minor bleeding in six cases. Other complications such as significant bleeding, pneumothorax and death were not seen. Minor bleeding was seen with forcep biopsy mainly in 4.0 % cases. TBNA has decreased repeat procedure, decreases cost for diagnosis. IHC on TBNA specimens had increased histological-type confirmation.

CONCLUSION

Transbronchial needle aspiration is a beneficial, safe and minimally invasive bronchoscopic technique with insignificant side effect in the diagnosis bronchogenic carcinoma. TBNA considered safe, especially when fleshy vascular endobronchial growth is present and risk of bleeding is high with forcep biopsy. Inadequate tissue sampling due to the presence of necrosis, blood clot over the lesion and formation of crush artifacts by FB makes TBNA valuable in these lesions. TBNA will definitely decrease need for repeat bronchoscopy.

Diagnostic flexible bronchoscopy and accessory techniques

We reviewed the most important diagnostic procedures implemented by means of flexible bronchoscopy, including bronchoalveolar lavage, bronchial brushing and biopsy, transbronchial lung biopsy and transbronchial needle aspiration. We reviewed the tools, techniques and potential complications of this examination.

[Transbronchial needle aspiration]

Transbronchial needle aspiration was initially invented in 1949 by Schieppati. After its adaptation to the flexible bronchoscope in 1983 by Wang this technique has gain firm indications in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer, in peripheral pulmonary nodules and masses; in the evaluation of endobronchial masses; in the disease of submucosal, in benign diseases, i.e. sarcoidoses and mediastinal cysts and abscesses. The yield of this technique published in the literature makes it more than useful. The material available has different indications and usefulness in different clinical settings. Despite the almost absence of complications this procedure is yet underutilized, in spite of its twenty years of results which may be due to the established routines and the lack of training.