Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with GoogleGet your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
Is A Lung Biopsy Risky While Suffering From Cough, Shortness Of Breath With Sarcoid Granulomas?
I have some sort of abnormal xrays on my lungs. 2 broncoscopys have not revealed what I have in my lungs other than a few sarcoid granulomas. I have had a slight cough for several years and shortness of breath when I walk fast or up hill. I have had sarcoids on my eyelids and lymphoma (small cell) leukemia. I feel healthy, have not needed any treatment for lymphoma. My pulmonary doctor wants to do a lung biopsy and I feel it is too invasive. What are the risks and what can they find? I am 72 years old and rarely sick.
Fri, 17 Jan 2014
hi welcome to hcm
i am a pulmonologist and i will try to answer your query
as you said you already had sarcoidosis and small cell lymphoma and now as you had a lesion in your lung your lung doctor (pulmonologist) might want to know whether the lesion is sarcoid or small cell lymphoma so he might want to go for lung biopsy as bronchoscopy didnt yield any thing
the major complication for biopsy of lung is occurence of pneumothorax (air gets filled in pleural cavity)
hope you get well soon
with warm regards
dr N Sunil kumar
i am a pulmonologist and i will try to answer your query
as you said you already had sarcoidosis and small cell lymphoma and now as you had a lesion in your lung your lung doctor (pulmonologist) might want to know whether the lesion is sarcoid or small cell lymphoma so he might want to go for lung biopsy as bronchoscopy didnt yield any thing
the major complication for biopsy of lung is occurence of pneumothorax (air gets filled in pleural cavity)
hope you get well soon
with warm regards
dr N Sunil kumar
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer.
For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service
[Sample answer]
Related questions you may be interested in
Recent questions on Granuloma
Loading Online Doctors....