The Role of Surgical Lung Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Fibrotic Interstitial Lung Disease: Perspective from the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-18-2021

Publication Title

Ann Am Thorac Soc

Abstract

Diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) requires a multidisciplinary diagnosis (MDD) approach that includes clinicians, radiologists, and pathologists. Surgical lung biopsy (SLB) is currently the recommended standard in obtaining pathological specimens for patients with ILD requiring a tissue diagnosis. The increased diagnostic confidence and accuracy provided by microscopic pathology assessment of SLB specimens must be balanced with the associated risks in ILD patients. This document was developed by the Surgical Lung Biopsy Working Group of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, composed of a multidisciplinary group of ILD physicians including pulmonologists, radiologists, pathologists, and thoracic surgeons. In this document, we present an up-to-date literature review of the indications, contraindications, risks, and alternatives to SLB in the diagnosis of fibrotic ILD, outline an integrated approach to the decision-making around SLB in the diagnosis of fibrotic ILD, and provide practical information to maximize the yield and safety of SLB.

Medical Subject Headings

Biopsy; Bronchoscopy; Humans; Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnosis; Lung/diagnostic imaging; Lung Diseases; Interstitial/diagnosis; Pulmonary Fibrosis; diagnostic guidelines; idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; interstitial lung disease; surgical lung biopsy; usual interstitial pneumonitis

PubMed ID

34004127

ePublication

ePub ahead of print

Volume

18

Issue

10

First Page

1601

Last Page

1609

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