Transbronchial Lung Cryobiopsy for Diagnosing Interstitial Lung Diseases and Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions - A Stepwise Approach.

Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) is an invasive procedure increasingly implemented during the last decade as an alternative to video-assisted thoracic surgery lung biopsy (SLB) for diagnosing interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The indication for TBLC has primarily been to sub-classify a specific ILD subtype when this cannot be achieved on the basis of a preceding multidisciplinary team discussion. Although SLB is considered the gold standard for establishing a histological diagnosis, TBLC has been gradually suggested as the first-choice histological diagnostic modality in patients with unclassified ILDs due to a comparable diagnostic yield with SLB, but superior to SLB in terms of complications, including mortality.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis among wind musicians - an overlooked disease?

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a complex pulmonary disorder mediated by the immune system and caused by various inhaled antigens against which the subject has previously been sensitized. In about 50% of the cases, the antigen is not identified. Identification and removal of the eliciting antigen is important for the prognosis.