Subpleural ground glass opacities diagnosed by bronchoscopic brush cytology with manual mapping navigation: A case report

RATIONALE: Ground-glass opacity nodules (GGNs) are a computed tomography (CT) finding suggestive of lung cancer. Conventional bronchoscopy with brush cytology is a simple diagnostic modality but has a low diagnostic yield for peripheral lesions, especially peripheral GGNs. Therefore, maximizing the detection rate of bronchoscopic brushings should be a key objective. We report a case of a subpleural ground glass opacity (GGO) with a cytological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma by bronchoscopic brushing guided by manual mapping navigation. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 46-year-old man was hospitalized for GGO in the right lung. Follow-up CT revealed a subpleural nodule sized 1.2 cm × 0.9 cm in the superior segment of the right lower lobe. DIAGNOSES: CT findings of the patient's nodule were suggestive of malignancy. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent conventional bronchoscopy combined with brushing guided by manual mapping navigation, with subsequent cytological diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. The patient then underwent right lower lobectomy with mediastinal lymph node dissection. OUTCOMES: There were no postoperative complications. Postoperative pathological examination showed lung adenocarcinoma with lepidic and acinar growth without visceral pleural invasion (pT1aN0M0, IA1). LESSONS: Exfoliated cells present in peripheral GGNs are rarely detected on brush sampling. However, use of a manual mapping navigation system may help increase the sensitivity of conventional bronchoscopic brushing for the diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary lesions.