Comparison between endobronchial forceps-biopsy and cryo-biopsy by flexible bronchoscopy

BackgroundInvasive procedures such as bronchoscopic biopsy, bronchial washing, and bronchial brushing are widely used in the diagnosis of lung cancers. The mean diagnostic rate with bronchoscopic forceps biopsy is 74% in central tumors; the new biopsy technique of cryobiopsy appears to provide better diagnostic samples.Aim of the workTo compare the efficacy and diagnostic yield of endobronchial cryobiopsy with forceps biopsy in the diagnosis of lung cancer.MethodsTwenty-five patients who underwent bronchoscopy were included in this study. Three forceps biopsies and one cryobiopsy with ERBE cryo probe were obtained from each subject. Biopsies interpretations were done by one expert pathologist.ResultsHemorrhage was the only complication in both procedures, there was no significant difference between these two procedures in the incidence of hemorrhage (P > 0.05). There is significant difference as regarding crushing and loss of architecture under microscopy (P < 0.001), forceps biopsies shows crushing and loss of architecture more than cryo. Mean diameters of samples taken with forceps biopsy and cryoprobe biopsy were 0.5 and 1.4 cm, respectively (P < 0.001), 20 patients (80%) were diagnosed with forceps biopsies, and 25 patients (100%) were diagnosed with cryoprobe biopsies.ConclusionsWe concluded that cryoprobe biopsies were more successful than forceps biopsies in the diagnosis of lung cancer. Nevertheless, further investigations are warranted to determine an efficacy of cryoprobe biopsy procedures and a rationale to use as a part of routine flexible bronchoscopy.