The detection of peripheral pulmonary lesions has increased gradually with the popularity of CT. Rapid and accurate diagnosis, and individualized treatment are two aspects we need to pay great attention to. These situations also raise higher request for the technique in diagnosis and treatment. At present, the commonly used transthoracic methods can increase the risk of complications such as pneumothorax and bleeding. The newly bronchoscopic approaches for diagnosis and treatment make less injury via natural lumen and have been applied widely in clinics. This review will introduce the worth expecting progress in bronchoscopic diagnosis and treatment for peripheral pulmonary lesions.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous and cone beam CT-guided transbronchial ablation in the treatment of early multiple primary lung cancer (MPLC). Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who met inclusion criteria in Shanghai Chest Hospital between May 2020 to June 2022. According to ablation pathway, lesions were divided into two groups: percutaneous ablation group and transbronchial ablation group. Results A total of 13 MPLC patients with 26 lesions were included (14 percutaneous ablation and 12 transbronchial ablation). There were no statistically significant differences in solid component, lesion location, lung field and lesion size between the two groups. The distance from the parietal pleura in the transbronchial ablation group was longer than that in percutaneous ablation group (P=0.03). The median follow-up period time were 13 months and 12 months for group percutaneous ablation and transbronchial ablation. No significant differences were found in 3-month complete ablation rate (100.0% vs. 83.3%), 1-year local control rate (100.0% vs. 91.7%) and severe complication rate (7.1% vs. 16.7%). The minor complication rate in percutaneous ablation group was higher than that in transbronchial ablation group (50.0% vs 0.0%, P=0.02). Conclusions Percutaneous ablation and transbronchial ablation have high efficacy and safety, and the latter involves lower minor complication rate. They complement each other, which provide the individualized treatments for early MPLC patients who are not suitable for or refuse surgery.