Utility of Transbronchial Cryobiopsy via Flexible Bronchoscope in Diagnosis of Isolated Pulmonary LCH: A Case Report.

Flexible bronchoscopes are increasingly being used in diagnostic and therapeutic medicine and have obviated the need for and risks associated with general anesthesia. Here the authors present the case of a 2-y-old girl who was diagnosed with isolated pulmonary Langerhans cell histiocytosis by histopathology; a lung biopsy sample was obtained using a cryoprobe via a flexible bronchoscope. The girl was brought in with complaints of loss of weight, appetite loss, and rapid breathing for the past 2 mo. Examination revealed hypoxia, tachypnea, clubbing with failure to thrive, and bilateral crepitations on auscultation. Imaging studies showed ground-glass opacities with multiple cystic lesions in both lungs. A preliminary diagnosis of LCH was made, and transbronchial cryobiopsy was done via a flexible bronchoscope. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis with Cluster of differentiation 1a (CD1a) staining. A flexible bronchoscope can be a useful tool for obtaining lung biopsy samples using a cryoprobe in children.