Bronchial brushing through the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope in the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions.

Bronchial brushing was performed concomitantly with transnasal flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy in 44 patients with localized peripheral pulmonary lesions and absence of visible bronchial abnormality down to subsegmental level. Fluoroscopic confirmation of brush placement was obtained. A diagnosis of malignancy was made by bronchial brushing in 12 of 23 patients (52 percent) proved to have neoplasm, although diagnostic accuracy rose to six of seven patients (86 percent) in the final quarter of the study. There was no relationship between diagnostic accuracy and tumor location. Diagnostic accuracy was highest for squamous cell carcinoma, intermediate for adenocarcinoma, and lowest for undifferentiated carcinoma. A diagnosis of tuberculosis was made in two of 21 patients found not to have malignancy, and bronchial brushing was the only procedure to yield diagnostic material in these two patients. There were no false-positive cytologic examinations and no complications. Fluoroscopic control of placement of the bronchial brush passed through the fiberoptic bronchoscope allows a single, highyield, diagnostic procedure to be performed with minimal risk to the patient. In selected cases, thoracotomy may be avoided by this procedure.