Optimization of the Sensitivity of Histological Diagnosis of Pulmonary Nodules

In pulmonary oncology, the diagnosis of medium-sized pulmonary nodules (10 to 20 mm), too distal to be reached by standard bronchial fibroscopy but remaining proximal, is difficult. There are 2 techniques: transthoracic puncture-biopsy under CT scan, usually performed by radiologists, and distal sampling guided by radial ultrasound mini-probe. The limitations of the last technique could be overcome by the use of cryoprobes for sampling, as they would take more tissue by freezing.