Pilot study of archimedes virtual bronchoscopic navigation system-guided biopsy to diagnose lung nodules in children.

Background: Peripheral pulmonary lesions are uncommon in children. Bronchoscopy is a minimal invasive method to obtain a diagnostic lung biopsy. However, due to the lack of effective guidance methods, the diagnostic efficacy of transbronchial lung biopsy for peripheral solitary pulmonary diseases is still limited.

Research Question: Is the Archimedes virtual bronchoscopic navigation system safe and effective for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions in children?

Study Design And Methods: This pilot study retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, radiological characteristics, operation processes, intra-and postoperative complications, and pathological results of five children who underwent Archimedes-guided biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions in Beijing Children's Hospital from May 2021 to May 2022.

Results: The cohort comprised five children (all males) with age of 7.1-15.8 years. A guide sheath was inserted through the bronchoscope under the guidance of Archimedes combined with radial endobronchial ultrasound to complete the biopsy under general anesthesia. The fused fluoroscopy technique was used to reconfirm the location of the forceps prior to biopsy in all children. The forceps reached the lesion under the guidance of the navigation and the samples were collected successfully in all children. Pathological examination of the biopsy specimens showed Epstein-Barr virus infection-related lymphoproliferative disease in one child, pulmonary metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma in one child, and pulmonary vasculitis in one child; high-throughput sequencing of the biopsy tissue sample identified (sequence no. 80) in one child and (sequence no. 40) in another child. All five children tolerated the biopsy procedure without developing postoperative complications, such as pneumothorax and hemoptysis.

Interpretation: Archimedes-guided bronchoscopic lung biopsy is a feasible and efficient way to diagnose peripheral pulmonary lesions in children with manageable complications.