Table 3.
Predictors of a higher diagnostic yield
| BAL OR (95% CI) | Bronchial aspiration OR (95% CI) | Brushing OR (95% CI) | Overall OR (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age† | ||||
| Age, per year | 0.95 (0.91–0.99)‡ | |||
| ≤50, per year | 0.65 (0.45–0.94)§ | 0.65 (0.46–0.92)§ | ||
| >50, per year | 0.98 (0.93–1.04) | 1.01 (0.95–1.06) | ||
| ≤70, per year | 0.92 (0.88–0.97)‡ | |||
| >70, per year | 1.06 (0.95–1.19) | |||
| FEV1, per % | 1.02 (0.99–1.04) | 1.00 (0.98–1.02) | 1.00 (0.98–1.02) | 1.00 (0.98–1.02) |
| Bronchoscopist, fellow versus respirologist | 0.36 (0.12–1.11) | 1.07 (0.47–2.45) | 1.11 (0.51–2.43) | 1.06 (0.54–2.08) |
| Lesion size¶ | ||||
| Size, per cm | 1.37 (1.13–1.66)‡ | |||
| ≤3 cm, per cm | 4.00 (1.23–13.00) § | 3.24 (1.60–6.58)‡ | ||
| >3 cm, per cm | 1.11 (0.88–1.46) | 1.01 (0.80–1.28) | ||
| ≤4 cm, per cm | 2.10 (1.31–3.37)‡ | |||
| >4 cm, per cm | 0.75 (0.50–1.12) | |||
| Distance from the hilum, central/intermediate versus peripheral | 2.64 (1.08–6.48)§ | 2.51 (1.10–5.71)§ | 5.96 (2.43–14.6)‡ | 6.38 (3.05–13.32)‡ |
| Presence of a bronchus sign, yes versus no | 3.89 (1.62–9.37)‡ | 2.61 (1.15–5.95)§ | 2.85 (1.29–6.32)‡ | 2.95 (1.46–5.97)‡ |
| SUV, per unit | 1.06 (0.99–1.14) | 1.07 (1.00–1.14)§ | 1.07 (1.01–1.14)§ | 1.09 (1.03–1.15)§ |
| Pathology, NSCLC versus other | 2.98 (0.38–23.20) | 1.05 (0.29–3.80) | 4.16 (0.53–32.36) | 1.11 (0.38–3.25) |
The influence of patient age was not linear for bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), aspiration, and the combination of diagnostic techniques. In fact, a decreased diagnostic yield was observed with increasing age up to 50 years for BAL and bronchial aspiration, after which point age had no effect on diagnostic performance. The overall diagnostic yield decreased with increasing age up to 70 years, after which point age had no effect on diagnostic performance.
P < 0.01
P < 0.05.
The influence of lesion size was not linear for BAL, brushing, and the combination of diagnostic techniques. In fact, an increased overall diagnostic yield was observed with increasing lesion size up to a diameter of 3 cm and 4 cm for BAL and brushing, respectively, after which point it had no effect on diagnostic performance. The overall diagnostic yield increased with increasing lesion size up to a diameter of 3 cm.
FEV1, forced expiratory volume in one second
NSCLC, non-small cell lung carcinoma; SUV, standardized uptake value.