Role of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy in diagnosing pulmonary alveolar proteinosis—a five-case series.

Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis (PAP) is a rare, diffuse lung disease marked by the accumulation of PAS-positive proteinaceous material within distal airspaces. Diagnostic procedures include bronchoalveolar lavage, transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), and surgical lung biopsy (SLB). Recently, transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) has emerged as a promising technique for diagnosing parenchymal lung diseases. This case series investigates the efficacy of TBLC in diagnosing PAP and compares it to traditional TBLB methods. Key messages: Transbronchial lung cryobiopsy potentially increases diagnostic accuracy compared to conventional techniques and carries acceptable risk of procedural complications. Performing transbronchial lung cryobiopsy to obtain specimens should be considered for PAP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]