Open-Lung Biopsy in Diffuse Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

THE patient with a chest roentgenogram showing persisting diffuse infiltrations often presents a difficult diagnostic problem. The x-ray picture and the usual complaint of dyspnea are nonspecific. History and clinical examination have led to a diagnosis in only 10 per cent of our patients; even after prolonged observation, extensive studies and a variety of nonpulmonary biopsies we were at a loss for a diagnosis in 35 per cent of cases. This is not surprising because among more than 100 diseases listed by Buechner1 that may cause miliary lung disease, at least 40 are limited to the lungs and do not . . .