Value of flexible bronchoscopy in the pre-operative work-up of solitary pulmonary nodules

The diagnostic value of flexible bronchoscopy in the pre-operative work-up of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN) is still under debate among pneumologists, radiologists and thoracic surgeons. In a prospective observational manner, flexible bronchoscopy was routinely performed in 225 patients with SPN of unknown origin. Of the 225 patients, 80.5% had lung cancer, 7.6% had metastasis of an extrapulmonary primary tumour and 12% had benign aetiology. Unsuspected endobronchial involvement was found in 4.4% of all 225 patients (or in 5.5% of patients with lung cancer). In addition, flexible bronchoscopy clarified the underlying aetiology in 41% of the cases. The bronchoscopic biopsy results from the SPN were positive in 84 (46.5%) patients with lung cancer. Surgery was cancelled due to the results of flexible bronchoscopy in four cases (involvement of the right main bronchus (impaired pulmonary function did not allow pneumonectomy) n=1, small cell lung cancer n=1, bacterial pneumonia n=2), and the surgical strategy had to be modified to bilobectomy in one patient. Flexible bronchoscopy changed the planned surgical approach in five cases substantially. These results suggest that routine flexible bronchoscopy should be included in the regular pre-operative work-up of patients with SPN.