Three-dimensional virtual bronchoscopy using a tablet computer to guide real-time transbronchial needle aspiration.
Objectives
We proposed a new virtual bronchoscopy tool to improve the accuracy of traditional transbronchial needle aspiration for mediastinal staging.


Methods
Chest-computed tomographic images (1 mm thickness) were reconstructed with Osirix software to produce a virtual bronchoscopic simulation. The target adenopathy was identified by measuring its distance from the carina on multiplanar reconstruction images. The static images were uploaded in iMovie Software, which produced a virtual bronchoscopic movie from the images; the movie was then transferred to a tablet computer to provide real-time guidance during a biopsy. To test the validity of our tool, we divided all consecutive patients undergoing transbronchial needle aspiration retrospectively in two groups based on whether the biopsy was guided by virtual bronchoscopy (virtual bronchoscopy group) or not (traditional group). The intergroup diagnostic yields were statistically compared.


Results
Our analysis included 53 patients in the traditional and 53 in the virtual bronchoscopy group. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy for the traditional group were 66.6%, 100%, 100%, 10.53% and 67.92%, respectively, and for the virtual bronchoscopy group were 84.31%, 100%, 100%, 20% and 84.91%, respectively. The sensitivity ( P  = 0.011) and diagnostic accuracy ( P  = 0.011) of sampling the paratracheal station were better for the virtual bronchoscopy group than for the traditional group; no significant differences were found for the subcarinal lymph node.


Conclusions
Our tool is simple, economic and available in all centres. It guided in real time the needle insertion, thereby improving the accuracy of traditional transbronchial needle aspiration, especially when target lesions are located in a difficult site like the paratracheal station.
['Fiorelli|Alfonso|A|', 'Raucci|Antonio|A|', 'Cascone|Roberto|R|', 'Reginelli|Alfonso|A|', 'Di Natale|Davide|D|', 'Santoriello|Carlo|C|', 'Capuozzo|Antonio|A|', 'Grassi|Roberto|R|', 'Serra|Nicola|N|', 'Polverino|Mario|M|', 'Santini|Mario|M|']
D000328:Adult D000368:Aged D001707:Biopsy, Needle D001999:Bronchoscopy D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung D034201:Computers, Handheld D005260:Female D006801:Humans D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional D008175:Lung Neoplasms D008198:Lymph Nodes D008297:Male D008482:Mediastinum D008875:Middle Aged D009367:Neoplasm Staging D012189:Retrospective Studies D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity D012984:Software D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
Virtual bronchoscopy Transbronchial needle aspiration Mediastinal staging