The early examination of combined serum and imaging data under flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy as a novel predictor for refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia diagnosis

The treatment role of flexible bronchoscopy (FOB) for pediatric refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia (RMPP) has been well documented. Besides, the application indication of FOB is also studied in patients with general MPP (GMPP), especially in those with large pulmonary lesions. This study was designed to examine the diagnostic value of bronchoscopic features for RMPP. The FOB and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) were adopted for pediatric patients who showed clinical and radiograph indications. On the basis of the final diagnosis on discharge, patients were divided into general and refractory MPP groups. The clinical, laboratory, and bronchoscopic imaging features were retrospectively investigated between these 2 groups. From June 2012 to May 2014, a total of 62 RMPP and 101 GMPP patients were treated with therapeutic bronchoscopy. The comparison analysis showed that the CRP, HBDH, LDH were significantly different between RMPP and GMPP groups (all P < .001). In the bronchoscopic imaging, the mucus plug was significantly more commonly seen in the RMPP group (P < .001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the combined serum, clinical, and FOB imaging data possessed greater specificity and sensitivity than serum and clinical data alone. Our data suggest that the combined serum, clinical, and bronchoscopic imaging data might serve as a promising predictor for early RMPP diagnosis for pediatric patients with large pulmonary lesions.