Background: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of virtual bronchoscopic navigation combined with radial endobronchial ultrasound for peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs).
Methods: The 105 patients with PPLs identified by computed tomography in Nanjing Brain Hospital underwent radial endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) with or without virtual bronchoscopic navigation (VBN) randomly from January 2015 to December 2017. The diagnostic yield, operation time and complications were evaluated in the two groups.
Results: There was no significant difference in the diagnostic yield between the VBN+R-EBUS group and the R-EBUS group (76.0% vs. 65.5%, P =0.287). The operation time in VBN+R-EBUS group was less than that in R-EBUS group (20.6±12.8 min vs. 28.6±14.3 min, P =0.016). No severe procedure related complications such as pneumothorax and hemoptysis were observed.
Conclusions: VBN cannot improve the diagnostic yield, but it can shorten the operation time. The VBN combined with R-EBUS is a safe and effective technique for PPLs.