The lingula is an appropriate site for lung biopsy

Background. Lung biopsy is commonly performed for diagnosis of diffuse pulm onary disease. The lingula offers technical advantages for biopsy, however the quality of tissue obtained by lingula biopsy has been questioned. We so ught to determine whether lingula biopsy was a satisfactory site for biopsy in terms of diagnostic yield, therapeutic interventions, and survival resu lts. Methods. All diagnostic lung biopsies performed for diffuse lung disease at 3 university affiliated hospitals between July 1, 1992 and December 31, 19 98 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into 2 groups, depe nding upon site of biopsy: patients with lingula biopsy only and those with biopsies from other sites. Results. There were 75 patients; 20 underwent biopsy of the lingula alone, 48 had biopsy of other sites with or without biopsy of the lingula, and loc ation of biopsy was unknown in 7 patients. Histologic diagnosis was achieve d in all patients. Significant beneficial therapeutic changes were made in 14 lingula patients, and consisted of immunosuppression in 12 cases. Three patients died in the hospital or within 30 days. Fourteen patients survived 1 year. There was no significant difference between patients that had biop sy of the lingula alone and those that had biopsies from other sites in urg ency, technique, histologic diagnosis, rate of therapeutic interventions, h ospital mortality, or 1 year survival. Conclusions. Lung biopsy of the lingula compared to other anatomic sites ha s equivalent diagnostic yield, therapeutic significance, and survival. Give n the technical ease of biopsy, when disease is present radiographically it is the preferred site for lung biopsy. (C) 2000 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.