RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Diagnostic yield and safety of transbronchial cryobiopsy in sarcoidosis JF ERJ Open Research JO erjor FD European Respiratory Society SP 00203-2019 DO 10.1183/23120541.00203-2019 VO 5 IS 4 A1 Maria Jacob A1 Hélder Novais Bastos A1 Patrícia Caetano Mota A1 Natália Melo A1 Rui Cunha A1 José Miguel Pereira A1 Susana Guimarães A1 Conceição Souto Moura A1 António Morais YR 2019 UL http://openres.ersjournals.com/content/5/4/00203-2019.abstract AB Introduction Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) is an endoscopic technique proven to be useful in diagnostic approach to interstitial lung disease (ILD), but its role in sarcoidosis is not fully established. The aim of the present study was to assess the diagnostic yield of TBLC in sarcoidosis and its safety profile.Methods Retrospective analysis of patients, evaluated in a tertiary hospital ILD outpatient clinic, who underwent TBLC in the diagnostic work-up. TBLC was performed in accordance with the 2018 expert statement from the Cryobiopsy Working Group.Results 32 patients were included (mean±sd age 47.7±12.6 years, 59.4% male) and divided into three groups: highly likely sarcoidosis (n=21), possible sarcoidosis (n=6) and unlikely sarcoidosis (n=5). A mean of 2.8±0.8 TBLCs were performed. The definitive diagnosis was established by TBLC in 20 out of 27 patients with suspected sarcoidosis. Two patients were diagnosed with sarcoidosis by other methods performed afterwards. TBLC leaded to other diagnosis as well, such as fungal infection (n=1), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (n=1) and silicosis (n=3), making the diagnostic yield for suspected sarcoidosis of TBLC of 92.6%. TBLC was also able to show compatible histological features in five patients whom sarcoidosis was not previously considered. The complications reported overall were pneumothorax in five (15.6%) patients and moderate bleeding in one (3.1%) case.Conclusion In this cohort, TBLC was a safe, reliable and useful procedure in sarcoidosis diagnosis. These results suggest that TBLC can be used successfully in those cases where a definitive diagnosis could not be reached with the usual and less-invasive diagnostic tools.TBLC is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic yield in patients with a prior suspicion of sarcoidosis. Moreover, it can diagnose atypical cases in which previous methods are inconclusive. http://bit.ly/2KWJxLG