Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) is now a viable alternative to surgical lung biopsy in ILD. We performed TBLC today for an ILD case that was deemed a high risk for surgical lung biopsy due to poor lung function.
Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy is increasingly being used for the assessment of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases. Several studies have shown larger biopsy samples and higher yields compared with conventional transbronchial biopsies. However, the higher risk of bleeding and other complications has raised concerns for widespread use of this modality.
