Transbronchial Cryobiopsy Validity in Diagnosing Indefinite Usual Interstitial Pneumonia in High Resolution Computed Tomography in Egyptian Population

Background and Objectives: Histopathology is a key element for the multidisciplinary diagnosis of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD). We aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and diagnostic utility of bronchoscopic transbronchial cryobiopsy in diagnosing DPLD in Egyptian population and to identify the common DPLD pathologies in them. Methods: A prospective interventional study that enrolled 25 Egyptian patients presented to Main Alexandria University Hospital (Egypt) who had clinical and radiologic features of DPLD, but insufficient elements to achieve definite features of usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP/IPF) in chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT). Twelve patients were subjected to transbronchial cryobiopsy and 13 patients to TBLB. Results: The diagnostic yield was significantly higher among transbronchial cryobiopsy group (83.3%) that increased to 100% with clinic-pathological correlation vs. TBLB group (38.5%,p= 0.041). Granulomatous diseases (24%; either sarcoidosis or hypersensitivity pneumonitis) were the common pathology followed by malignancy (12%) in both groups. The size of the TBLB was ranging from 1-3 mm vs. 2.5-5 mm in transbronchial cryobiopsy (p Conclusion: Transbronchial cryobiopsy is a safe tolerable procedure with high diagnostic yield for evaluating DPLD with indefinite UIP/IPF in HRCT.