Doenças pulmonares intersticiais: Acuidade diagnóstica e riscos da biópsia pulmonar cirúrgica Interstitial lung disease: Diagnostic accuracy and safety of surgical lung biopsy

This study reports our experience, diagnostic accuracy and safety of surgical lung biopsy in patients with interstitial lung diseases. From January 1998 – December 2007 surgical lung biopsy was performed in 53 patients (22 female [41.5%]; age 47.2±13 years). A total of 37 patients (69.8%) underwent videothoracoscopic lung biopsy and minithoracotomy was performed in 16 patients (30.2%). Right lung was the choice in 47 patients (88.7%). Postoperative complications were rare (9.4%) and included three prolonged air leaks (5.7%), one pneumothorax re