Bronchoscopy Is Reasonably Good for Diagnosing Peripheral Lung Lesions

Diagnostic evaluation of peripheral lung nodules is challenging. To evaluate the yields of different bronchoscopy techniques, investigators used a multicenter U.S. registry to study 581 patients who had undergone bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy for peripheral nodules or masses. The lung periphery was defined as “the segmental bronchus or beyond, such that the lesion required transbronchial biopsy rather than endobronchial biopsy.”

Bronchoscopy was diagnostic in 54% of lesions, with primary lung cancer being the most common finding (78%). Transbronchial biopsy was diagnostic in 43% of patients, although it rarely was the only test with diagnostic yield. Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) was diagnostic in nearly 50% of the 95 pat…