Electromagnetic navigation diagnostic bronchoscopy for small peripheral lung lesions.

The present study prospectively evaluated the diagnostic yield and safety of electromagnetic navigation-guided bronchoscopy biopsy, for small peripheral lung lesions in patients where standard techniques were nondiagnostic. The study was conducted in a tertiary medical centre on 40 consecutive patients considered unsuitable for straightforward surgery or computed tomography (CT)-guided transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy, due to comorbidities. The lung lesion diameter was mean+/-sem 23.5+/-1.5 mm and the depth from the visceral-costal pleura was 14.9+/-2 mm. Navigation was facilitated by an electromagnetic tracking system which could detect a position sensor incorporated into a flexible catheter advanced through a bronchoscope. Information obtained during bronchoscopy was superimposed on previously acquired CT data. Divergence between CT data and data obtained during bronchoscopy was calculated by the system's software as a measure of navigational accuracy. All but one of the target lesions was reached and the overall diagnostic yield was 62.5% (25-40). Diagnostic yield was significantly affected by CT-to-body divergence; yield was 77.2% when estimated divergence was