Diagnostic yield and safety of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy for diffuse parenchymal lung diseases diagnosis: Comparison between 1.7-mm and 1.9-mm probes

Purpose of the research: transbronchial lung cryobiopsy has been recently accepted as a valid and less invasive alternative to surgical lung biopsy. The purpose of this randomized controlled study was to evaluate, for the first time, the quality and safety of biopsy specimens obtained by using the new disposable 1.7-mm cryoprobe compared with the standard re-usable 1.9 mm cryoprobe in the diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases. Methods: 60 consecutive patients were prospectively enrolled and randomly assigned to two different groups: 1.9 mm (group A) and 1.7 mm (group B); primary endpoints were pathological and multidisciplinary diagnostic yield, sample size and complication rate. Principal results: the pathological diagnostic yield of cryobiopsy was 100% in group A and 93.3% in group B (p = 0.718); cryobiopsy median diameter was 6.8 mm in group A and 6.7 mm in group B (p = 0,5241). Pneumothorax occurred in 9 patients in group A and 10 in group B (p = 0.951); mild-to-moderate bleeding in 7 cases and 9 cases in group A and B respectively (p = 0.559). No death or severe adverse events were observed. Conclusions: there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups, regarding diagnostic yield, adverse events and sampling adequacy.