Primary Disease Prevention for Southwest American Indian Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Camp in a Box.

The goal of the American Indian Youth Wellness Camp in a Box was to engage, educate and empower families to improve their health and overall well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Camp in a Box was a 9-week program, inclusive of a 1-week intensive camp component followed by an 8-week booster component with content focused on nutrition, mental health and physical activity education. The Camp in a Box is a Tribal/Urban Indian-University partnership, and materials were developed to replace an existing weeklong residential camp and to comply with social distancing guidelines. Fourteen American Indian families from Tribal/Urban Indian communities in the southwestern United States participated (36 children aged 2-18 years; 32 adults). The intensive camp week included daily materials for families to complete together, Monday through Friday. Materials were provided for approximately 4 h of activities per day. The booster sessions began after camp week and included approximately 4 h of supplementary activities designed to be completed at any time most convenient for the family over the course of the week. Activities were designed to encourage interaction among family members with materials and supplies for parents and youth to participate. Self-reported outcomes suggested that families changed their eating habits to include more vegetables, less sweets and junk food. Parents reported an increase in family physical activity and that the activities brought the family closer together. Our Camp in a Box program was feasible and well-received until school began. During camp week, 100% of recruited families participated; at Booster Week 8, ten families (71%) remained enrolled and active. Camp in a Box is a feasible alternative to residential camps for promotion of health behaviors associated with metabolic disease prevention among American Indian families. In contrast to residential camps for youth, Camp in a Box offers an opportunity to engage the entire family in health promotion activities.

Utility of rapid on-site cytologic evaluation during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The utility of rapid on-site evaluation during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of rapid on-site evaluation during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions at our hospital between September 2012 and July 2014 were included in this retrospective study. Cytology slides were air-dried, and modified Giemsa (Diff-Quik) staining was used for rapid on-site evaluation. Additional smears were prepared for Papanicolaou staining and tissue samples were placed in formalin for histologic evaluation. The results of rapid on-site evaluation were compared with the final diagnoses of endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath. RESULTS: A total of 718 cases were included in the study population. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of rapid on-site evaluation during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions was 88.6%, 65.9%, 81.2%, 77.7% and 80.1%, respectively. There were no procedure-related deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid on-site evaluation during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath had high sensitivity for peripheral pulmonary lesions. When carrying out rapid on-site evaluation of transbronchial biopsy samples from peripheral pulmonary lesions, careful interpretation and clinical correlation are necessary.

Additional transbronchial needle aspiration through a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions that cannot be detected by radial EBUS.

BACKGROUND: Endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) has resulted to better diagnostic outcome for peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs), although the yield is not satisfactory for lesions that cannot be located by EBUS. We aimed to evaluate whether the addition of a new technique, transbronchial needle aspiration through a guide sheath (GS-TBNA), can increase the yield for these cases. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of cases that were not located by EBUS during EBUS-GS for PPL diagnosis. From September 2012 to August 2014, 67 PPLs had 'invisible' EBUS-GS location prior to transbronchial sampling. The patients were divided into two groups according to the use of additional GS-TBNA: GS-TBNA group (n=22) and non-GS-TBNA group (n=45). Diagnostic yields were compared and multivariate analysis was performed to determine the factors associated with increased diagnostic yield. RESULTS: The diagnostic yield was significantly higher in the GS-TBNA group than in the non-GS-TBNA group (54.5% vs 17.8%, P<0.01). The complication rate was not significantly different between the GS-TBNA group and the non-GS-TBNA group (0% vs 4.4%, P=1.0). Multivariate analysis showed that only performing GS-TBNA was significantly associated with increased diagnostic yield (odds ratio 3.99, P=0.03). CONCLUSION: GS-TBNA is a safe technique for PPL diagnosis and may be useful when the EBUS probe cannot reach the lesion.

Re-biopsy by endobronchial ultrasound procedures for mutation analysis of non-small cell lung cancer after EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment.

BACKGROUND: Re-biopsy for resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) is important for selection of better therapy, but there have been no reports about the utility of endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS)-guided procedures for such purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of EBUS-guided re-biopsy for resistant NSCLC after treatment with EGFR-TKIs. METHODS: From January 2013 to December 2015, 53 consecutive patients who underwent EBUS-guided re-biopsy for mutation analysis of NSCLC after EGFR-TKI treatment were assessed. RESULTS: Nine patients underwent EBUS-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) and 44 patients underwent EBUS with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) transbronchial biopsy. The technical success rates were 100 %. As for mutation analysis, all 9 specimens (100 %) from EBUS-TBNA and 33 specimens (75.0 %) from EBUS-GS were adequate for gene profiling. The remaining 11 specimens from EBUS-GS procedures were inadequate for mutation analysis owing to the absence of tumor component in the sample (n = 6) or insufficient specimen (n = 5). There were no related severe complications. CONCLUSIONS: Re-biopsy by both EBUS-TBNA and EBUS-GS were useful and safe sampling procedures for mutation analysis of EGFR-TKI resistant NSCLC.

Complications with Endobronchial Ultrasound with a Guide Sheath for the Diagnosis of Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic bronchoscopy has been considered as a safe and effective procedure. Endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) is becoming a common procedure, but reports about its safety are missing. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety profile of EBUS-GS for the diagnosis of PPLs. METHODS: All patients with PPLs who underwent EBUS-GS between September 2012 and August 2014 at the National Cancer Center Hospital were included. Postprocedural complications and the durability of devices were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: During the study period, EBUS-GS procedures were performed for 965 PPLs. The overall complication rate was 1.3% (13/965): 0.8% (8/965) for pneumothorax and 0.5% (5/965) for pulmonary infection. There was no significant hemorrhage, air embolism, tumor seeding or procedure-related death, and there was no breakage of the guide sheath. Only four radial probes were broken during the study period without any adverse reactions. CONCLUSIONS: EBUS-GS is a tolerable procedure, and the devices are durable.

Endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for small malignant pulmonary nodules: a retrospective comparison between central and peripheral locations.

OBJECTIVE: Radial endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) has improved the diagnostic accuracy of transbronchial biopsy (TBB) for malignant peripheral pulmonary nodules (PPNs). Many underscore the importance of tumor localization but reproducible results on other aspects that affect yield are few. We aimed to analyze the diagnostic performance of TBB with EBUS-GS and to know what group of patients can benefit most. METHODS: The database of patients with malignant PPNs (≤30 mm) who underwent EBUS-GS TBB at the National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan from April 2012 to March 2013 was retrospectively reviewed and analysed based on lesion and procedural characteristics. RESULTS: Most PPNs (N=212) were adenocarcinoma, measuring 20 mm [mean, standard deviation (SD) 5.45]. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 67.5% (143 of 212 cases). Factors that significantly affected and predicted diagnostic success were EBUS probe within (P=0.001) and parenchymal location that was not adjacent to the costal visceral pleura (P=0.001). When combined, these variables achieved an 87% (59 of 68 lesions) diagnostic yield. CT scan characteristic, lesion size, lobe location, and GS size were non-contributory. CONCLUSIONS: EBUS-GS TBB is an acceptable diagnostic method for small peripheral lung cancer. It can be maximized for PPNs that are away from the pleura and when the EBUS probe can be placed within the lesion.

Radial endobronchial ultrasound images for ground-glass opacity pulmonary lesions.

Radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) is a useful tool for precise localisation of peripheral pulmonary lesions, but there have been no detailed reports about the use of R-EBUS images for ground-glass opacity (GGO). The R-EBUS images of 116 patients with GGO, who were diagnosed as having adenocarcinoma by R-EBUS with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS), were compared with the respective chest computed tomography findings. In 103 patients, R-EBUS images were correlated with the histological surgical specimens. R-EBUS images of GGO were identified based on the internal structure of the lesion and classified into two groups. Blizzard showed an enlarged, diffuse hyperintense acoustic shadow. Mixed blizzard showed a combination of blizzard and some diffuse heterogeneity with several hyperechoic dots and vessels. All pure GGO lesions (nine out of nine) were blizzard on R-EBUS. For part-solid GGOs, the percentage of mixed blizzard was inversely related to the amount of the GGO component. Histological findings from surgery revealed that all blizzard lesions were on the spectrum of adenocarcinoma in situ to well differentiated adenocarcinoma while majority (33 out of 64) of mixed blizzard lesions were moderately to poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma. R-EBUS types are important to locate GGOs prior to transbronchial sampling with EBUS-GS.

The diagnostic value of histology and cytology samples during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath.

OBJECTIVE: Endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath has been a widely used diagnostic procedure for peripheral pulmonary lesions. After sequential sampling with the usual devices, small portions of the collected specimen remain in the guide sheath and these can potentially contribute to diagnosis. We assessed the diagnostic value of each histological and cytological sample, especially the guide sheath flush, for pulmonary malignancies. METHODS: The medical records of patients who were diagnosed to have peripheral lung cancer by endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath in our hospital between January 2014 and May 2014 were reviewed. Separate samples from forceps biopsy, bronchial brushing, device wash, guide sheath flush and bronchial lavage were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 106 consecutive patients (54 men, 52 women, median age 69.0 years) were included. The median long axis size of the lesions was 26.0 mm. A definitive diagnosis was made in 90.6% of forceps biopsy samples and in 85.8% of all cytology samples combined. Individual yields were 61.3% from brushing, 77.4% from device wash, 72.6% from guide sheath flush and 32.1% from bronchial lavage. The diagnosis yield from forceps biopsy was significantly higher than each cytological sampling method (P < 0.05). Among the cytological sampling methods, yield from bronchial lavage was significantly the lowest (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Forceps biopsy is an important sampling method during endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions. In the collection of diagnostic liquid samples, guide sheath flush is more advantageous than bronchial lavage and provides specimen that may be adequate for molecular testing.

Intractable obstructive endobronchial granulation caused by surgical materials after sleeve resection for tracheal carcinoma.

A 64-year-old woman underwent tracheal sleeve resection for adenocarcinoma. Thirteen months later minimal granuloma occurred at the anastomosis. Subsequently she had dyspnea from obstruction caused by the increasing size of the granuloma, which necessitated 4 repeated endobronchial debulking procedures and topical mitomycin C (MMC) application. However, the symptoms and granulation failed to resolve. Eventually, the granulation tissue and pledgeted sutures were removed from the anastomotic site using rigid bronchoscopy. Follow-up after 8 months showed no recurrence of symptoms, and the granuloma had resolved. Despite improvements in surgical suture material, removal of stitches should still be considered in the management of anastomotic obstruction caused by indolent and intractable granulation after tracheal resection or bronchoplasty.

Endobronchial ultrasound elastography in the diagnosis of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes.

OBJECTIVE: Endobronchial ultrasound elastography is a new technique for describing the stiffness of tissue during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. The aims of this study were to evaluate the utility of endobronchial ultrasound elastography for mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes, and to compare the elastographic patterns of lymph nodes with results from endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. METHODS: Seventy-five lymph nodes were evaluated. A convex probe endobronchial ultrasound was used with a new endoscopic ultrasound processor to assess elastographic patterns that were classified based on color distribution as follows: Type 1, predominantly non-blue (green, yellow and red); Type 2, part blue, part non-blue (green, yellow and red); Type 3, predominantly blue. The elastographic patterns were compared with the final pathologic results from endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration. RESULTS: On pathological evaluation of the lymph nodes, 33 were benign and 42 were malignant. The lymph nodes that were classified as Type 1 on endobronchial ultrasound elastography were benign in 24/24 (100%); for Type 2 lymph nodes, 6/14 (46.9%) were benign and 8/14 (57.1%) were malignant; Type 3 lymph nodes were benign in 2/37 (5.4%) and malignant in 35/37 (94.6%). In classifying Type 1 as 'benign' and Type 3 as 'malignant,' the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy rates were 100, 92.3, 94.6, 100 and 96.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Endobronchial ultrasound elastography of mediastinal and hilar lymph nodes is a noninvasive technique that can be performed reliably and may be helpful in the prediction of nodal metastasis during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration.

Comparison of two 22 G aspiration needles for histologic sampling during endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA).

OBJECTIVE: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is widely used for mediastinal and hilar lesions. Histologic specimens from this procedure are important for specific diagnosis and targeted therapy. Studies on the traditional endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration needles reported yields of only 50-60% for diagnostic histologic specimens. Recently, a new needle has become available in Europe, USA and Asia. The investigators aimed to evaluate the histologic specimen retrieval yields of the two needles. METHODS: Patients who underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration with the new 22 G needle (M group, n = 94) were compared with a historical control group who underwent endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration with the traditional 22 G needle (O group, n = 82). The quality of needle aspirates from both groups was evaluated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of demographics, lesion characteristics, primary disease and examiner experience. The M group had a significantly shorter procedure time than the O group (P = 0.049). Of the 214 punctures by the M group, 159 (74.3%) were diagnostic, 28 (13.1%) were non-diagnostic and 27 (12.6%) had no histologic specimen. The 235 punctures by the O group were diagnostic in 144 (61.3%), non-diagnostic in 60 (25.5%) and had no histologic specimen in 31 (13.2%). The yield for diagnostic histologic specimens of the M group was significantly higher than the O group (P = 0.0035). There were no major complications observed. CONCLUSIONS: The yield for diagnostic histologic specimens by the new 22 G endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration needle was high. Further technical improvements of histologic sampling yields are very important when selecting targeted therapy.

Image-guided bronchoscopy for histopathologic diagnosis of pure ground glass opacity: a case report.

Guided bronchoscopy has been found to be useful for the diagnosis of solid peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) but more evidence on ground glass opacities (GGOs), especially those without a solid component, are lacking. A 69-year-old male, asymptomatic, heavy smoker was referred to our department for non-surgical diagnosis of a focal pure GGO in the right upper lobe that was found incidentally on computed tomography (CT). Transbronchial biopsy (TBB) with the aide of endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS), virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN), and fluoroscopy was performed for sampling. There were no complications after the procedure. The diagnosis of adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth pattern was established from the fourth and fifth TBB specimens and was confirmed on subsequent surgical resection. Image-guided bronchoscopy with TBB was successful for the diagnosis of a pure GGO. Use of a larger biopsy device may be helpful for the histopathologic diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth.

Flex-rigid pleuroscopy under local anesthesia in patients with dry pleural dissemination on radiography.

OBJECTIVE: Medical thoracoscopy using a flex-rigid pleuroscope under local anesthesia is a recent diagnostic procedure for malignant pleural disease. Although most previous studies have reported its usefulness, especially in wet pleural dissemination, the feasibility of flex-rigid pleuroscopy in patients with dry pleural dissemination is not well established.We assessed the diagnostic performance of flex-rigid pleuroscopy under local anesthesia in patients suspected of dry pleural dissemination on radiography. METHODS: The pleuroscopic parameters of all patients (n = 56) who underwent flex-rigid pleuroscopy at the National Cancer Center Hospital from October 2011 to September 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Those with computed tomography findings of asymmetric pleural thickening or pleural nodules without pleural effusion (dry group, n = 16) were compared with the remaining patients with pleural effusion (wet group). RESULTS: The dry group consisted of eight men and eight women, with a median age of 61 years (range, 48-79 years). The definitive diagnoses were adenocarcinoma (n = 10), mesothelioma (n = 2) and chronic inflammation (n = 3). The diagnostic accuracy was 93.8% (15/16). Only two minor complications were observed: mild chest pain (n = 1) and transient hypoxia (n = 1). No major complications such as pneumothorax were observed. The mean duration of post-operative chest tube drainage in the dry group was 2.31 ± 2.26 days. Complications, operation duration and diagnostic accuracy did not statistically differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Flex-rigid pleuroscopy under local anesthesia can be a well-tolerated diagnostic procedure for radiographic dry pleural dissemination with respect to diagnostic yield and complications.

A new middle-range diameter bronchoscope with large channel for transbronchial sampling of peripheral pulmonary lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Although the diagnostic yield of guided bronchoscopy for peripheral pulmonary lesions has improved to 70%, it is still low compared with transthoracic needle aspiration. We produced a new bronchoscope with middle-range diameter and large channel (BF-Y0053, Olympus, Japan), and evaluated its diagnostic efficacy for peripheral pulmonary lesions. METHODS: This was a retrospective study on 70 consecutive patients with peripheral pulmonary lesions who underwent diagnostic bronchoscopy using BF-Y0053 combined with endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath at the National Cancer Center Hospital from September 2013 to November 2013. Diagnostic performance of the procedure was analyzed and compared among three groups of peripheral pulmonary lesions: 'peripheral-small' lesions (≤ 30 mm and adjacent to visceral pleura), 'central-small' lesions (≤ 30 mm and not adjacent to the visceral pleura), and 'large' lesions (>30 mm). RESULTS: Sixty (85.7%) patients had malignant diseases. Diagnosis was established by bronchoscopy in 61 of 70 patients (87.1%); the respective yields for 'central-small' and 'large' lesions were significantly higher than that for 'peripheral-small' lesions (96.3%, 94.4%, 72%, P = 0.0026). This diagnostic accuracy was achieved regardless of other clinical and procedural factors such as, lesion size, feature ground glass opacity (or solid), endobronchial ultrasound-probe location (within or outside) or operator skill. There were no major post-procedural complications. CONCLUSIONS: A new middle-range diameter bronchoscope with large channel combined with endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath can enhance the efficacy of transbronchial sampling to its maximal potential to diagnose peripheral pulmonary lesions safely and accurately, particularly for patients who have tumors away from the visceral pleura.

Transbronchial needle aspiration through a guide sheath with endobronchial ultrasonography (GS-TBNA) for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

PURPOSE: Although, endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath is becoming a common procedure for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions, there remain to be some inaccuracies in cases wherein the probe is located outside the lesion. We tested whether adding transbronchial needle aspiration through a guide sheath to the conventional technique increases efficacy for diagnosing peripheral pulmonary lesions. METHODS: We performed transbronchial needle aspiration through a guide sheath for 37 subjects with peripheral pulmonary lesions between September 2012 and April 2013. The devices used were as follows (all Olympus Ltd., Tokyo, Japan): 1T-260 or LF-TP bronchoscope, K203 guide sheath kit and NA-1C-1 needle apparatus, customized by cutting the guide sheath 30 mm from the proximal end to fit well with the needle. RESULTS: The endobronchial ultrasound probe was located within the lesion in 21 cases (56.8%) and outside in 16 cases (43.2%). Overall accuracy was 86.5 percent; 90.5% in "within" cases compared to 81.3% in "outside" cases with no significant difference (P = 0.42). Pneumothorax occurred in 2 cases and pneumonia in 1 case. CONCLUSION: Transbronchial needle aspiration through a guide sheath is an effective and safe diagnostic procedure for peripheral pulmonary lesions, especially when the guide sheath is outside the lesion.

Molecular analysis of liquid cytological samples collected by bronchoscopy with radial endobronchial ultrasonography and guide sheath.

A 64-year-old man who underwent sigmoid resection for Stage 4 colon cancer had a growing nodule on the left upper lobe during follow-up. Surgical resection revealed primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Subsequently, a new nodule appeared in the contralateral S(1)b, for which endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS) was performed for diagnosis. However, histopathologic examinations were inconclusive. Gene analysis of the liquid samples from this lesion revealed KRAS mutation, which on hindsight was not detected in the metachronous left upper lobe cancer but was detected in the resected sigmoid colon. Hence, the right upper lobe nodule was diagnosed by bronchoscopy as colon cancer metastasis, confirmed after wedge resection. For specimen obtained by EBUS-GS, search for gene mutation in the liquid specimen is useful as an ancillary test especially when histological diagnosis is equivocal. Thus, developments on diagnostic tools using liquid samples are highly expected in the future.

The dose and risk factors for radiation exposure to medical staff during endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath for peripheral pulmonary lesions under X-ray fluoroscopy.

OBJECTIVE: Therapy for lung cancer has recently evolved to include molecular targeted therapy and adequate amounts of lung cancer tissue are needed to identify particular phenotypes. For this purpose, quite a number of investigations on diagnostic bronchoscopy have been undertaken. Corollary to the increasing number of transbronchial biopsies for peripheral pulmonary nodules is the increased chances of radiation exposure during fluoroscopy. Our aim was to determine the dose and risk factors of radiation exposure to medical staff. METHODS: Endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath under X-ray fluoroscopy was performed on 132 cases of peripheral pulmonary lesions. The radiation exposure dose to medical staff (operator physicians, assistant physicians, nurses and radiological technologists) was measured. RESULTS: The median time of fluoroscopy was 7.6 min (range 1.5-23.9). The median radiation exposure dose to operator physicians was 12 µSv/exam (range 1-99), while that of the other medical staff was lower. In a multivariate analysis, body mass index and the location of the radial ultrasound probe had significantly higher odds ratios. CONCLUSIONS: The risk factors for an increased radiation exposure dose were patients' BMI and the location of the radial ultrasound probe. But even then, the radiation exposure dose to medical staff during endobronchial ultrasonography with a guide sheath was very low, especially for nurses and radiological technologists in whom the exposure dose was negligible.

Blizzard Sign as a specific endobronchial ultrasound image for ground glass opacity: A case report.

We report a case of lung adenocarcinoma presenting as pure ground glass opacity (GGO) and diagnosed by bronchoscopy with the use endobronchial ultrasound with a guide sheath (EBUS-GS). The lesion was indistinguishable by real-time fluoroscopy but simultaneous endobronchial ultrasound scanning of the involved lung segment showed a hyperechoic shadow that was subtly more intense than a typical snowstorm appearance when scanning normal alveolar tissue. Transbronchial biopsy from this area revealed adenocarcinoma with lepidic growth. On hindsight, it was the aforementioned ultrasound pattern that helped us decide the sampling site for EBUS-GS guided TBB when fluoroscopy was equivocal. We hypothesize that this pattern is specific for GGO and we name it the Blizzard Sign.

Pleuroscopic punch biopsy using insulated-tip diathermic knife-2 for the diagnosis of desmoplastic malignant mesothelioma.

Desmoplastic malignant mesothelioma (DMM) is a rare subtype of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) and is often difficult to distinguish from pleural fibrosis and reactive mesothelial hyperplasia, especially if the biopsy samples are small. We performed full-thickness pleural biopsy on a lesion suspected to be DMM using an insulated-tip diathermic knife-2 (IT knife-2) during flex-rigid pleuroscopy. IT knife-2 is a novel electrosurgical device for endoscopic submucosal dissection in the early gastrointestinal cancer. It consists of a needle knife with 3 short blades at the distal end attached to an insulated ceramic tip. A 54-year-old man presenting with chest wall mass and thickened pleura, in whom a computed tomography-guided percutaneous needle aspiration had remained negative, underwent flex-rigid pleuroscopy for definitive diagnosis. While applying electric current, we used the IT knife-2 to incise the pleura in a circular shape just above the endothoracic fascia. The incised pleura was removed by forceps and examined pathologically. The microscopic examination was compatible with DMM. We discovered that pleuroscopic punch biopsy using IT knife-2 can diagnose DMM. Use of IT knife-2 during flex-rigid pleuroscopy can obtain sufficient samples from densely thickened pleura, which is difficult to diagnose with small biopsies.