Monday, November 27 | 3:00 p.m.-3:10 p.m. | M7-SSCH04-2 | Room E352
It's prudent to recommend additional CT-guided lung biopsy in patients suspected of malignancy who have an initial result of organizing pneumonia, according to researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in New York City.
Why? Because pneumonia can disguise additional disease, explained a group led by Charissa Kim, MD, PhD.
"Organizing pneumonia masks underlying malignancy in up to 10% of cases," the group wrote.
Kim and colleagues conducted a study that included 1,314 patients who underwent CT-guided lung biopsy for suspected lung cancer or metastatic disease between February 2014 and April 2022. A pulmonary pathologist confirmed the presence of organizing pneumonia in all samples and no evidence of malignancy; chest CTs and/or PET/CTs taken prior to biopsy were also reviewed by a radiologist to determine any lesion's radiological features.
Of the total patient cohort, 98 (7.5%) showed organizing pneumonia on biopsy, with a median lesion size of 2.5 cm. Of these 98 individuals, 10 (10%) of those with this biopsy result underwent another biopsy (at median 51 days) because of suspicion of malignancy. Pulmonary metastases were found in five of the 10 and lung cancers in the other five.
"Repeat biopsy should be considered in patients with high clinical suspicion of malignancy despite an initial pathology diagnosis of organizing pneumonia," the researchers concluded.
Stop by this presentation on Monday afternoon to learn more.
