Endobronchial electrocautery.

Endobronchial electrocautery is a tool with diagnostic and therapeutic applications in the management of obstructing endobronchial disease. We have performed cautery procedures in 18 patients. Of these 18, five patients had benign diagnoses and 13 had malignancies. All patients with benign lesions had only endobronchial resections and four have done well. Four procedures resulted in the establishment of a diagnosis which had eluded other biopsy techniques. In 11 patients with malignant disease, electrocautery was used for palliation of airway obstruction, and in two patients, the snare was used as a biopsy technique. There have been no complications while utilizing the snare; however, application of electrocautery probes was associated with two complications. Our experience demonstrates the value and safety of using cautery wire snares to diagnose and treat endobronchial lesions.