RESPIRATORY MUCOSAL DAMAGE AFTER BRUSH BIOPSY - AN EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY IN RABBITS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (1) , 9-23
Abstract
Bronchial brushing is one of the main methods of obtaining bronchial mucosal material for cytologic examination. In 37 rabbits, the tracheal respiratory mucosa, brush biopsy damage and post-biopsy wound-healing were studied. In the majority of animals, the brush had penetrated the basement membrane but in animals with undamaged basement membrane there was, within 1-2 days, a convering cell layer, probably regenerated from the intact epithelium and from basal cells. Deep, wound areas were covered during the first 2-3 days after damage by granulation tissue protruding into the tracheal lumen. After rejection of the granulation tissue, ulceration was covered by epithelium within 3 days and a normal ciliated epithelium restored within 3 wk.