Abstract
Background:
Guided bronchoscopy has been gradually notable because of its contribution to increasing the diagnostic yields for small peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). Virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN) has been fundamental equipment for that reason in Japan. We have been consistently used this navigation software LungPoint (Broncus Tech, USA) since it was gone on sale in Japan.
Objective:
We aimed to furthermore increase of diagnostic yields for small (≤30 mm) PPLs by diverse approach in the basis of the LungPoint data using thin-bronchoscope (Olympus, Japan)
Methods:
Between October 2010 and January 2013, a new diagnostic technique was performed for 132 patients (136 lesions) at our hospital. All of the patients had small PPLs suspected lung cancer with diameters of 30 mm or less as determined by chest CT scan. We used the obtained data from LungPoint such as VB-image, navigating pathway to determine how to approach to the target. The other guided-devices such as 20-MHz mechanical radial-type probe EBUS (RP-EBUS) and a guide sheath (GS) (Olympus, Japan) were used in combination case by case. Primary endpoint was overall diagnostic yields.
Results:
The variation of a combination procedure was VBN/VBN-EBUS/VBN-EBUS-GS. The number of each case was 35/45/56. The overall diagnostic yields of 132 cases (136 PPLs) were 79%.
Conclusions:
A new combination technique via thin-bronchoscope following the data from LungPoint was useful to determine what devices we should choice for approaching to the target and increase diagnostic yields for small PPLs.
- © 2013 ERS
