[The Importance of Electromagnetic Navigation Bronchoscopy in the Clarification of Pulmonary Nodules].

Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is a very helpful examination for clarifying pulmonary nodules (PDs). The advantages are the low complication rate, avoiding the dangers of punctures in several areas of the lungs during an examination under general anesthesia and no radiation exposure. If malignancy is confirmed, PDs are curatively treatable as they are often early-stage cancers and, in case the disease is benign, it is treatable as other infectious diseases. With experience and routine use, the ENB procedure can contribute to the successful diagnosis of peripheral lesions (at least 1.5 cm in size) in about 75 % of cases. Due to the increase in CT chest examinations and the aging population, clarification of patients with PD is becoming increasingly important in lung clinics. The ENB should therefore develop into a routine examination procedure in interventional pulmonology in addition to the now indispensable endobronchial ultrasound examination. Unfortunately, the ENB is not yet mapped in the DRG system in a cost-relevant manner.