Modern methods for endoscopic treatment of obstructive pulmonary diseases.

BACKGROUND: Despite modern medicine's greatest efforts, many patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma remain refractory to the best treatments available. Bronchoscopy is increasingly being used to explore new approaches for treating these diseases, and several new techniques have recently shown encouraging results. The purpose of this review will be to shed some light on these methods. METHODS: We searched Pubmed and Embase for English language articles from 1995 to September 2014, as well as ongoing trials on ClinicalTrials.gov. The following prespecified terms were used to search for clinical trials and case reports from the past 20 years: "endoscopic treatment of COPD", "endobronchial valve", and "bronchial thermoplasty". RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In search for new COPD treatments, several trials have assessed the efficacy of one-way valves and other conceptually similar techniques including biological sealants and thermal vapor ablation. These methods all operate within a similar paradigm where the intention is to maximize ventilation of the remaining healthy parts of the lung, and to minimize the use and the space occupied by the diseased lung tissue. Similarly, a new non-pharmacologic therapeutic approach in asthma, bronchial thermoplasty (BT), was recently approved for use in the United States for adults with severe disease. The goal is to reduce the mass of hypertrophied smooth muscle in the bronchi to decrease bronchoconstriction. CONCLUSION: Both BT and the bronchoscopic treatments for COPD have shown promising results in recent studies, suggesting the onset of a new direction in obstructive lung disease treatment.

A Retrospective External Validation of the Cleveland Clinic Malignancy Probability Prediction Model for Indeterminate Pulmonary Nodules.

Objective: To perform a retrospective, multicenter, external validation of the Cleveland Clinic malignancy probability prediction model for incidental pulmonary nodules. Patients and Methods: From July 1, 2022, to May 31, 2023, we identified 296 patients who underwent tissue acquisition at Mayo Clinic (MC) (n=198) and Loyola University Medical Center (n=98) with histopathology indicating malignant (n=195) or benign (n=101). Data was collected at initial radiographic identification (point 1) and at the time of intervention (point 2). Point 3 represented the most recent data. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics were calculated for each model per time point. Calibration was evaluated by comparing the predicted and observed rates of malignancy. Results: The areas under the receiver operating characteristics at time points 1, 2, and 3 for the MC model were 0.67 (95% CI, 0.61-0.74), 0.67 (95% CI, 0.58-0.77), and 0.70 (95% CI, 0.63-0.76), respectively. The Cleveland Clinic model (CCM) was 0.68 (95% CI, 0.61-0.74), 0.75 (95% CI, 0.65-0.84), and 0.72 (95% CI, 0.66-0.78), respectively. The mean ± SD estimated probability for malignant pulmonary nodules (PNs) at time points 1, 2, and 3 for the CCM was 64.2±25.9, 65.8±24.0, and 64.7±24.4, which resembled the overall proportion of malignant PNs (66%). The mean estimated probability of malignancy for the MC model at each time point was 38.3±27.4, 36.2±24.4, and 42.1±27.3, substantially lower than the observed proportion of malignancies. Conclusion: The CCM found discrimination similar to its internal validation and good calibration. The CCM can be used to augment clinical and shared decision-making when evaluating high-risk PNs.

Evaluation of automated sample preparation system for lymph node sampling.

Background: Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial fine needle aspiration (EBUS-FNA) has revolutionized the diagnostic and staging approach to non-small cell carcinoma and thoracic lymphadenopathy. However, obstacles to efficacy of rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) of the samples include variability in sample quality and slow and cumbersome process in the procedure room leading to extended procedure time. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and specimen quality of lymph node biopsies prepared through a novel automated system for automated fixation, drying and staining compared to standard slide preparation method. Methods: We performed a prospective, single-center pilot feasibility study of patients undergoing EBUS. Samples were split into conventional standard of care (SOC) slide preparation and preparation using the device ("instrument"). Pathologists compared the SOC slides to the slides prepared by the automated system and assessed the following metrics: nuclear and cytoplasmic quality, presence of debris/artifact, staining quality, creation of a monolayer, and ease of adequacy/diagnosis assessment. A score between 1 (lowest quality) and 3 (highest quality) was assigned to the above metrics. Results: Sixty patients were recruited. One to three lymph nodes were sampled for each patient for a total of 72 samples collected. The mean scores of each assessment category showed no statistical difference between the two preparation techniques except for improved monolayer creation in the instrument samples. Thirty of thirty-one (96.8%) paired samples in the final analysis showed diagnostic equivalency between the automated slides and conventional slides; the discordant pairing was reported to be suspicious on the instrument sample and atypical on the SOC. Conclusions: Study results suggest that slides prepared by the automated system are of adequate quality for adequacy assessment with diagnostic concordance when compared to SOC slides.

Impacted gutkha presenting as an intrabronchial mass lesion leading to post-obstructive pneumonia.

A 66-year-old man presented with a chief complaint of difficulty breathing and productive cough. CT scan of the chest revealed an endobronchial mass with associated "tree-in-bud" opacities. A bronchoscopic biopsy of the mass was performed due to clinical suspicion of malignancy. Microscopic examination revealed inflamed endobronchial mucosa, granulation tissue and abundant fragments of uncharacterized organic material, compatible with aspiration. Detailed history revealed a history of chewing "gutkha", a form of smokeless tobacco comprising a mixture of betel nut and other condiments. Microscopic sections of a betel nut and the "gutkha mix" processed subsequently in the histology laboratory were found to be similar to the organic material found in the mass. Thus, a diagnosis of impacted betel nut mixture leading to post-obstructive pneumonia was rendered.

Development of a Risk Prediction Model to Estimate the Probability of Malignancy in Pulmonary Nodules Being Considered for Biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Malignancy probability models for pulmonary nodules (PN) are most accurate when used within populations similar to those in which they were developed. Our goal was to develop a malignancy probability model that estimates the probability of malignancy for PNs considered high enough risk to recommend biopsy. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included training and validation datasets of patients with PNs who had a histopathologic diagnosis of malignant or benign. Radiographic and clinical characteristics associated with lung cancer were collected. Univariate logistic regression was used to identify potential predictors. Stepdown selection and multivariate logistic regression were used to build several models, each differing according to available data. RESULTS: Two hundred malignant nodules and 101 benign nodules were used to generate and internally validate eight models. Predictors of lung cancer used in the final models included age, smoking history, upper lobe location, solid and irregular/spiculated nodule edges, emphysema, fluorodeoxyglucose-PET avidity, and history of cancer other than lung. The concordance index (C-index) of the models ranged from 0.75 to 0.81. They were more accurate than the Mayo Clinic model (P < .05 for four of the models), and each had fair to excellent calibration. In an independent sample used for validation, the C-index for our model was 0.67 compared with 0.63 for the Mayo Clinic model. The ratio of malignant to benign nodules within each probability decile showed a greater potential to influence clinical decisions than the Mayo Clinic model. CONCLUSIONS: We developed eight models to help characterize PNs considered high enough risk by a clinician to recommend biopsy. These models may help to guide clinicians' decision-making and be used as a resource for patient communication.

Frequency of Incidental Findings and Subsequent Evaluation in Low-Dose Computed Tomographic Scans for Lung Cancer Screening.

RATIONALE: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends lung cancer screening with low-dose chest computed tomographic scans (LDCT) for a well-defined high-risk population. Data on the frequency and impact of incidental findings (IFs) based on LDCT scans performed within a centralized lung cancer screening program have not been reported. OBJECTIVES: Researchers in previous studies have reported IFs in the setting of clinical trials. We present our findings in a real clinical setting where the decision to manage these findings may depend on factors that are not captured in a research trial such as disclosing IFs, patient preferences, severity of comorbidities, and physician expertise. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of participants in the Cleveland Clinic Lung Cancer Screening Program from April 1, 2015, to February 17, 2016. Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System categories and all reported findings were extracted from the structured radiology report. Downstream investigations that occurred as a result of the imaging findings were recorded. Medicare reimbursement rates were documented for all screening-related testing and treatment. RESULTS: A total of 320 LDCT-screened patients' records were reviewed. The most commonly reported IFs were pulmonary (69.6%), cardiovascular (67.5%), and gastrointestinal (25.9%). Fifteen percent of the scans had an IF that resulted in further evaluation. The majority of patients who underwent further testing had cardiovascular findings (10.3%); less frequently, they had thyroid or adrenal nodules (2.1%), hepatic lesions (0.9%), renal masses (0.6%), or pulmonary disease (0.6%). The most frequently ordered investigations were echocardiography (n = 9), cardiac stress test (n = 9), and CT angiography (n = 6). Reimbursement for the screening process, evaluation, and treatment of screening-detected findings averaged $817 per screened patient. CONCLUSIONS: Clinically significant IFs on LDCT scans for lung cancer screening are common, and their potential impact should be included in the shared decision-making process. Screening program staff should develop a standard approach for the evaluation of these findings and consider the financial impact when seeking infrastructure support for screening program implementation.

Assessment of remodeling in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease using imaging methods.

INTRODUCTION: While spirometry plays a key role in diagnosing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), imaging methods including endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and chest computed tomography (CT) appear to be useful for investigating structural changes in the lungs. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate remodeling in COPD patients using EBUS and chest CT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 33 patients with COPD, 15 patients with severe asthma, and 15 control subjects. All subjects underwent pulmonary function tests and bronchoscopy with EBUS to measure the total thickness of the bronchial wall and its layers. Additionally, in COPD patients, a chest CT was performed to measure total bronchial wall thickness. RESULTS: The total bronchial wall thickness measured by EBUS in patients with COPD (1.192 ±0.079 mm) was significantly smaller than that in asthmatic patients (1.433 ±0.230 mm, P = 0.001) and significantly greater than in control subjects (1.099 ±0.095 mm, P = 0.04), and was positively correlated with residual volume (RV) / total lung capacity (r = 0.5, P = 0.02), RV (r = 0.6, P = 0.007), and RV (%) (r = 0.5, P = 0.05). The thickness of the bronchial wall layers in patients with COPD were as follows: L1 = 0.135 ±0.018 mm, L2 = 0.151 ±0.026 mm, and L3-5 = 0.906 ±0.065 mm. There was no correlation between the thickness of the bronchial wall layers and forced expiratory volume in 1 second. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study show that EBUS is a useful method for evaluating bronchial wall layers not only in asthma but also in COPD, and suggest that the pattern of remodeling differs in each of these diseases.