Comparative Diagnostic Yield of Endobronchial Cryo Biopsy vs Forceps Biopsy in Patients With Suspected Sarcoidosis

The study will consist of consecutive patients undergoing routine EBUS-TBNA for suspected sarcoidosis AND subsequently confirmed on clinical, radiology and non-caseating granuloma on histopathology. . 150 patients will be randomized into either cryo-EBB or forceps biopsy from a computer-generated randomized table. 75 patients will be included in each arm. Determination of the sample size was based on the primary outcome of the proportion of diagnostic yield between two independent groups. Using the z test of proportion for two independent samples to detect a one-sided target difference between the groups of 15% with 85% power and a level of significance of 5%, each group required 69 participants. With an expected attrition rate of 8-10%, we capped the total number of participants in each arm of the study at 75. Subsequent to EBUS-TBNA, video bronchoscopy will be performed to obtain the endobronchial biopsy by using either forceps or cryo-proble. Three endobronchial biopsies from primary carina and both left and right secondary carina will be taken in each patients irrespective of the endobronchial abnormality. Additional biopsies will be taken from any endobronchial abnormality detected during the examination. The biopsy samples will be fixed in neutral 10% buffered formalin. In the pathology laboratory the sample will be embedded in paraffin followed by staining with hematoxylin and eosin or special stain according to the requirement to allow an exact classification. The samples will be analyzed and assessed by one pathologist according to common standards describing adequacy of the sample, crush artifacts, specific diagnosis. The pathologist will be blinded from the biopsy technique that has been used. Diagnostic yield will be defined by the ability to make an adequate diagnosis on histopathological examination of the sampled tissue. Diagnostic yield will be calculated for each biopsy technique as the number of diagnostic procedures divided by number of non-diagnostic procedures plus the number of diagnostic procedures.