The role of open lung biopsy in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1987. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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The role of open lung biopsy in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Chest. 1987 May;91(5):659-61. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/87189204
Fitzgerald W; Bevelaqua FA; Garay SM; Aranda CP

Abstract: To assess the role of open lung biopsy in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), we retrospectively reviewed the cases of 42 patients with AIDS who underwent this procedure for the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates. Four patients had no preceding bronchoscopy because the severity of the respiratory failure or abnormalities of coagulation precluded the safe performance of this procedure. Twenty-nine cases had a preceding nondiagnostic bronchoscopic procedure, and nine others underwent open lung biopsy because of progressive deterioration despite treatment for diseases diagnosed bronchoscopically. We found that open lung biopsy was likely to be useful diagnostically when bronchoscopy could not be safely performed or when a preceding bronchoscopic procedure was not diagnostic. Open lung biopsies done on patients whose condition continued to deteriorate despite treatment for disorders established bronchoscopically were not likely to yield information therapeutically useful. In only one of nine such cases was a new treatable diagnosis obtained (Legionella). The others showed either severe pulmonary fibrosis or persistence of the initial disease process diagnosed at the time of bronchoscopy.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/DIAGNOSIS/*PATHOLOGY Adult *Biopsy Bronchi Bronchoscopy Evaluation Studies Female Human Irrigation Lung/*PATHOLOGY Lung Diseases/DIAGNOSIS/*PATHOLOGY Male Middle Age Prognosis Pulmonary Alveoli Respiratory Tract Infections/DIAGNOSIS Retrospective Studies JOURNAL ARTICLE

KWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/diagnosis/KWDpathologyadultKWDbiopsybronchibronchoscopyevaluationstudiesfemalehumanirrigationlung/KWDpathologylungdiseases/diagnosis/KWDpathologymalemiddleageprognosispulmonaryalveolirespiratorytractinfections/diagnosisretrospectivestudiesjournalarticle
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M8780285

Copyright © 1987 - National Library of Medicine. Reproduced under license with the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD.

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