Open lung biopsy in immunocompromised patients with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates

: In order to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of open lung biopsy and to determine how could it influence the treatment and the evolution of the disease, the clinical histories of 19 immunocompromised patients with diffuse lung infiltrates were reviewed. One or more specific diagnosis were obtained in 14 patients (73%) by open lung biopsy. However, the initial treatment was modified, in view of the results of the biopsy only in 3 cases (15%). Only 5 patients survived and were discharged. There were no differences in the survival rate of patients with a specific or a nonspecific diagnosis (11 out of 14 deaths and 3 out of 5 respectively). 5 patients suffered severe complications from the surgical procedure. Open lung biopsy should not be used routinarily in the study of diffuse lung infiltrates in immunocompromised patients.