Cryotechnique as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool of Endobronchial Tumors

Cryotechnique as a Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool of Endobronchial Tumors: A Prospective Study

This study was to assess the diagnostic yield and the safety of bronchoscopic cryotechniques in the management of endobronchial tumors.

Novel flexible cryoprobes were introduced for tissue sampling during bronchoscopy. Employing this approach, the sample is collected when frozen, with the tissue attached to the frozen end of the probe. This approach enables the retrieval of larger tissue samples from endobronchial lesionsEndobronchial cryotherapy is employed to treat individuals with obstructive central bronchial lung cancers. It has been demonstrated to effectively recanalize obstructed respiratory passages, alleviate symptoms, and improve the quality of life for patients in advanced stagesThis study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of using bronchoscopic cryotechniques for diagnosing and treating endobronchial malignancies.

Inclusion Criteria:

• patients with radiologically suspected endobronchial masses

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with contraindications to bronchoscopy.
• uncorrected coagulopathy (if the international normalized ratio (INR) is more than 1.5).
• severe refractory hypoxemia (even after administering the highest possible dose of oxygen, the partial pressure of oxygen ("PaO2") stays below 70 mm Hg.
• hypoventilation with hypercapnia (type 2 respiratory failure).
• severe pulmonary hypertension > 55 mmHg by echocardiography.
• hemodynamic instability.