keuhkobiopsian

Keuhkobiopsian is a medical procedure that involves obtaining a sample of lung tissue for histopathological examination. The goal is to establish or refine a diagnosis for pulmonary disease when noninvasive tests are inconclusive or when tissue characterization is required to guide treatment. In Finnish medical usage, keuhkobiopsian is the term used for the lung biopsy procedure or its findings, depending on context.

Indications for keuhkobiopsian include evaluation of interstitial lung disease, suspected infection, characterization of pulmonary nodules or masses, staging or diagnosis of lung cancer, and assessment of inflammatory or vasculitic processes. Techniques vary by clinical scenario and operator expertise. Common approaches are percutaneous image-guided needle biopsy (often CT-guided), transbronchial biopsy performed during bronchoscopy, and surgical lung biopsy obtained via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or thoracotomy. Cryobiopsy has emerged as an additional bronchoscopic option in some centers, offering larger tissue samples than conventional forceps biopsy.

The procedure typically involves pre-procedure assessment, anesthesia or sedation, and careful imaging or bronchoscopic guidance to obtain a representative tissue sample. Specimens are processed by a pathology laboratory and examined for architectural patterns, cellular features, and, when needed, ancillary studies such as immunohistochemistry.

Risks associated with keuhkobiopsian include pneumothorax, bleeding, infection, and, less commonly, air embolism or respiratory compromise. The choice of technique balances diagnostic yield against safety, patient comorbidity, and local expertise. Most biopsies provide diagnostic information within days to weeks, although nondiagnostic samples may require repeat biopsy or alternative testing.

See also: bronchoscopy, thoracic imaging, interstitial lung disease, lung cancer.