PURPOSE: Surgical lung biopsy has been studied in distinct populations, mostly going beyond clinical issues to impinge upon routine histopathological diagnostic information in diffuse infiltrates; however, detailed tissue analyses have rarely been performed. The present study was designed to investigate the prognostic contribution provided by detailed tissue analysis in diffuse infiltrates. METHODS: Medical rec...
INTRODUCTION: Surgical lung biopsy is an invasive procedure performed when other procedures have failed to provide an urgent and specific diagnosis, but there may be reluctance to perform it in critically ill patients with diffuse pulmonary infiltrates. PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, the changes in therapy and survival of patients with diffuse lung infiltrates, mostly presenting acute respiratory...