Browsing by Author "Rubio, Edmundo R."

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    Cryobiopsy: Should This Be Used in Place of Endobronchial Forceps Biopsies?
    Rubio, Edmundo R.; Ie, Susanti R.; Whatley, Ralph E.; Boyd, Michael B. (Hindawi Publishing Corporation, 2013)
    Forceps biopsies of airway lesions have variable yields. The yield increases when combining techniques in order to collect more material. With the use of cryotherapy probes (cryobiopsy) larger specimens can be obtained, resulting in an increase in the diagnostic yield. However, the utility and safety of cryobiopsy with all types of lesions, including flat mucosal lesions, is not established. Aims. Demonstrate the utility/safety of cryobiopsy versus forceps biopsy to sample exophytic and flat airway lesions. Settings and Design. Teaching hospital-based retrospective analysis. Methods. Retrospective analysis of patients undergoing cryobiopsies (singly or combined with forceps biopsies) from August 2008 through August 2010. Statistical Analysis. Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results. The comparative analysis of 22 patients with cryobiopsy and forceps biopsy of the same lesion showed the mean volumes of material obtained with cryobiopsy were significantly larger (0.696 cm(3) versus 0.0373 cm(3), P = 0.0014). Of 31 cryobiopsies performed, one had minor bleeding. Cryopbiopsy allowed sampling of exophytic and flat lesions that were located centrally or distally. Cryobiopsies were shown to be safe, free of artifact, and provided a diagnostic yield of 96.77%. Conclusions. Cryobiopsy allows safe sampling of exophytic and flat airway lesions, with larger specimens, excellent tissue preservation and high diagnostic accuracy.
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    The Lung Point Sign, not Pathognomonic of a Pneumothorax
    Aziz, Sameh G.; Patel, Brijesh B.; Ie, Susanti R.; Rubio, Edmundo R. (Ultrasound Quarterly, 2016-09-01)
    Since the development of portable ultrasonography equipment, this technology has provided clinicians the ability to evaluate a variety of lung pathology at the bedside, but we are still learning how to accurately interpret the acquired images. Adequate interpretation and recognition of certain signs is crucial to diagnosing pathological processes. In addition, such signs must be adequately correlated with the patient's medical condition. For instance, the "lung point sign" has been traditionally considered to be pathognomonic for the presence of a pneumothorax, yet such finding may be present in patients with bullous lung disease without a pneumothorax. We present a case of an 83-year-old man with underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Bedside ultrasonography identified a "lung point sign" initially suggesting a possible pneumothorax. Further evaluation demonstrated absence of pneumothorax, with the patient having a large bulla. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported demonstrating that the "lung point sign" is not always indicative of a pneumothorax. We discuss the importance of both clinical correlation and understanding of the underlying pathophysiology when reviewing ultrasound images to accurately interpret ultrasound findings.
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    Mucosal Airway Laceration Secondary To Endobronchial Ultrasonography
    Sandhu, Amarinder; Rubio, Edmundo R.; Ie, Susanti R.; Boyd, Michael B. (Hindawi, 2012-01-01)
    Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration is becoming the standard of care for mediastinal sampling to diagnose and stage lung cancer. It is considered to be safe and rivals the gold standard, mediastinoscopy, in safety and accuracy. The present article describes a mucosal airway laceration and pneumothorax associated with the procedure.