Fibreoptic bronchoscopy: effect of multiple bronchial biopsies on diagnostic yield in bronchial carcinoma.

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Abstract
The findings in bronchial biopsy specimens obtained at fibreoptic bronchoscopy in 271 patients with bronchial carcinoma were reviewed. Of 703 specimens taken from the site of bronchoscopically visible tumors in 215 patients, 59% provided evidence of carcinoma. Unequivocal histological evidence of carcinoma was obtained in 78.6% of the 215 patients with visible tumors. When only 1 biopsy specimen was taken, evidence of carcinoma was obtained in 65.2% of cases. At least 5 biopsy specimens were required to provide > 90% probability of obtaining at least 1 positive sample. The anatomical site of the tumor had no significant effect on the proportion of biopsy specimens that were positive or the frequency of obtaining at least 1 positive sample. When extrinsic bronchial compression was the only visible abnormality, evidence of carcinoma was obtained by bronchial biopsy in 26.8% of 56 cases.