Table 3. Procedural information and results.
| Characteristic | ILD exacerbation post-procedure (n=4) | Patients without ILD exacerbation (n=107) | Total (n=111) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedation, n (%) | |||
| General anesthesia | 4 (100.0) | 105 (98.1) | 109 (98.2) |
| Conscious sedation | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 2 (1.8) |
| Rigid bronchoscopy, n (%) | 3 (75.0) | 52 (48.6) | 55 (49.5) |
| Cryobiopsy location, n (%) | |||
| Right upper lobe | 2 (50.0) | 17 (15.9) | 19 (17.1) |
| Right middle lobe | 1 (25.0) | 2 (1.9) | 3 (2.7) |
| Right lower lobe | 2 (50.0) | 61 (57) | 63 (56.8) |
| Left upper lobe | 0 | 7 (6.5) | 7 (6.3) |
| Lingula | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 2 (1.8) |
| Left lower lobe | 0 | 29 (27.1) | 29 (26.1) |
| Procedure duration, minutes, median (IQR) | 40.5 (17.0) | 49.0 (23.0) | 49.0 (23.3) |
| Number of biopsies, median (IQR) | 5.5 (1.8) | 4.0 (1.25) | 4.0 (2.0) |
| Number of lobes sampled, median (IQR) | 1.0 (0.8) | 1.0 (0.0) | 1.0 (0.0) |
| Bilateral biopsies, n (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unilateral biopsies, n (%) | 4 (100.0) | 107 (100.0) | 111 (100.0) |
| Complications, n (%) | |||
| Bleeding | 0 | 11 (10.3) | 11 (9.9) |
| Requiring cryotherapy | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 2 (1.8) |
| Requiring endobronchial blocker | 0 | 15 (14) | 15 (13.5) |
| Requiring Fogarty balloon | 1 (25.0) | 11 (10.3) | 12 (10.8) |
| ILD exacerbation | 4 (100.0) | 0 | 4 (3.6) |
| Persistent air leak | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 2 (1.8) |
| Pneumothorax | 0 | 17 (15.9) | 17 (15.3) |
| Pneumonia | 1 (25.0) | 1 (0.9) | 2 (1.8) |
| Sepsis | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deep vein thrombosis | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pulmonary embolism | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mechanical ventilation | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Time before ILD exacerbation, days, median (IQR) | 4.0 (6.3) | 0 | 0 |
| Post-procedure BAL, median (IQR) | |||
| Polys, % | 11.0 (0.0) | 30.0 (63.5) | 23.0 (62.8) |
| Lymphs, % | 32.0 (0.0) | 8.5 (16.8) | 10.0 (17.5) |
| Eosinophils, % | 0 | 1.0 (8.5) | 0.5 (8.3) |
| Monocytes, % | 0 | 0 (23.3) | 0 (15.5) |
| Macrophages, % | 57 (0.0) | 27.5 (48.0) | 29.0 (53.0) |
| Diagnosis, n (%) | |||
| IPF | 1 (25.0) | 19 (17.8) | 20 (18.0) |
| CTD/ILD | 0 | 10 (9.3) | 10 (9.0) |
| HP | 0 | 23 (21.5) | 23 (20.7) |
| IPAF | 0 | 3 (2.8) | 3 (2.7) |
| Sarcoidosis | 0 | 6 (5.6) | 6 (5.4) |
| Organizing pneumonia | 1 (25.0) | 2 (1.9) | 3 (2.7) |
| Malignancy | 0 | 9 (8.4) | 9 (8.1) |
| Non-diagnostic | 2 (50.0) | 43 (40.2) | 45 (40.5) |
| Normal | 0 | 2 (1.9) | 2 (1.8) |
| Histology, n (%) | |||
| UIP | 0 | 21 (19.6) | 21 (18.9) |
| NSIP | 1 (25.0) | 13 (12.1) | 14 (12.6) |
| Organizing pneumonia | 1 (25.0) | 3 (2.8) | 4 (3.6) |
| Eosinophilia | 0 | 3 (2.8) | 3 (2.7) |
| Fibrosis | 3 (75.0) | 57 (53.3) | 60 (54.1) |
| Acute inflammation | 0 | 7 (6.5) | 7 (6.3) |
| Chronic inflammation | 2 (50.0) | 61 (57.0) | 63 (56.8) |
| Post-procedure radiology, n (%) | |||
| Pneumothorax | 0 | 12 (11.2) | 12 (10.8) |
| Ground-glass opacities (unilateral) | 0 | 1 (0.9) | 1 (0.9) |
| Ground-glass opacities (bilateral) | 1 (25.0) | 24 (22.4) | 25 (22.5) |
| Consolidation (unilateral) | 0 | 23 (21.5) | 23 (20.7) |
| Consolidation (bilateral) | 0 | 6 (5.6) | 6 (5.4) |
| Interlobular septal thickening (unilateral) | 0 | 1 (0.9) | 1 (0.9) |
| Interlobular septal thickening (bilateral) | 0 | 7 (6.5) | 7 (6.3) |
| Findings contralateral to biopsy | 1 (25.0) | 11 (10.3) | 12 (10.8) |
| Findings ipsilateral to biopsy | 1 (25.0) | 30 (28.0) | 31 (27.9) |
ILD, interstitial lung disease; IQR, interquartile range; BAL, bronchoalveolar lavage; IPF, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; CTD/ILD, connective tissue disease associated ILD; HP, hypersensitivity pneumonitis; IPAF, interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features; UIP, usual interstitial pneumonia; NSIP, nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis.