Flexible-bronchoscope biopsy of lung and bronchial wall in intrathoracic sarcoidosis.

1) Twenty of 25 patients (80%) with sarcoidosis had positive lung biopsies obtained by flexible-bronchoscope biopsy. 2) Three of the 5 negative biopsies were in patients with chronic sarcoidosis whose chest radiograph was unchanged for 1 yr or more. 3) Two insignificant pneumothoraces occurred as a complication of the bronchoscopic biopsy procedures. 4) Noncaseating epithelioid-cell granulomas found on fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy are no more specific for the diagnosis of sarcoidosis than similar findings in any other organ biopsy.