Novel thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel for peripheral pulmonary lesions

¹ Dept of Respiratory Medicine, Nagoya Medical Center, Nagoya, Japan

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Masahideo{at}aol.com.

	Abstract

We evaluated the diagnostic utility of a novel thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

A total of 118 patients were included in this prospective study. Bronchoscopic examination using a 5.9-mm standard bronchoscope was first performed. If there was no visible endobronchial lesion, then transbronchial biopsies were performed with a 1.5-mm biopsy forceps under fluoroscopic guidance and washing with 10–20 ml of saline solution, using a prototype 3.5-mm thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel.

Endobronchial lesion was visualized with the standard bronchoscope in 16 patients, and residual 102 patients underwent biopsies with the thin bronchoscope. The mean bronchus level reached with the standard bronchoscope and the thin bronchoscope was 2.3th and 4.3th, respectively. Endobronchial abnormality was revealed with the thin bronchoscope in a further 14 patients. Diagnostic material was obtained in 50 of 68 patients (74%) with malignant disease and 18 of 30 patients (60%) with benign disease. Four patients did not return to follow-up. The diagnostic yield was 57% even in lesions < 20 mm. There were no major complications.

Bronchoscopy using a 3.5-mm thin bronchoscope with a 1.7-mm working channel is useful and safe for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions.