Same-day CT imaging cuts unnecessary bronchoscopy

(HealthDay)—Computed tomography (CT) imaging of the chest on the same day as a scheduled bronchoscopic procedure can identify partial or total resolution of some lung nodules and reduce unnecessary procedures, according to a study published online Oct. 19 in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society.

Roy W. Semaan, M.D., from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, and colleagues performed a prospective case series study of 116 patients undergoing navigational bronchoscopy using a new technology requiring same-day pre-procedural CT imaging. They identified patients scheduled to undergo bronchoscopy who were found to have partial or complete resolution of the lesion on the same-day CT examination leading to cancellation of the procedure.

The researchers found that 6.9 percent of patients had a decrease in size or resolution of their lesion leading to the cancellation of their procedure. To prevent one unnecessary procedure, the number needed to screen was 15. The average time from initial CT prompting referral for bronchoscopy to the day of the procedure scan was 53 days for canceled cases.

"Time from initial imaging to day of procedure is variable, occasionally allowing enough time for lesions to resolve, thereby obviating the need for biopsy," the authors write. "Same-day imaging may decrease unnecessary procedural risk."

Several authors disclosed financial ties to Veran Medical Technologies.