Clinical Utility of Needle-Based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy for Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions

September 14, 2026 updated by: First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University

This prospective, multicenter diagnostic accuracy study will evaluate the clinical utility of needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE) for differentiating malignant from benign peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs). A total of 100 participants undergoing bronchoscopic evaluation of PPLs will be enrolled at three hospitals in China.

Following successful lesion localization using radial endobronchial ultrasound, nCLE imaging will be performed after intravenous administration of fluorescein, followed by standard bronchoscopic tissue sampling. nCLE findings will be compared with the final diagnosis established by histopathology, surgical pathology, or six-month clinical and imaging follow-up when necessary.

The primary outcomes are the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall diagnostic accuracy of nCLE. Procedure duration and procedure-related adverse events will also be recorded. The investigators hypothesize that nCLE can accurately distinguish malignant from benign PPLs in real time.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

100

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • China
    • Hefei
      • Hefei, Hefei, China, 230022
        • Anhui Chest Hospital
        • Contact:
    • Ningbo
      • Zhejiang, Ningbo, China, 315000
        • The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University
        • Contact:
    • Shanghai Municipality
      • Shanghai, Shanghai Municipality, China, 200030
        • Shanghai Chest Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will consist of adults aged 18 years or older with peripheral pulmonary lesions detected on chest computed tomography who are referred to the respiratory endoscopy units of three participating tertiary hospitals in China for clinically indicated diagnostic bronchoscopy and tissue sampling. Eligible patients will be prospectively screened and invited to participate. Participants must be willing to undergo radial probe endobronchial ultrasound localization and needle-based confocal laser endomicroscopy and must provide written informed consent. Patients with lesions ultimately diagnosed as either malignant or benign will be included.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • (1) Age 18 years or older. (2) A peripheral pulmonary lesion identified on chest CT. (3) Bronchoscopic biopsy considered clinically necessary by the treating physician to establish a pathologic diagnosis. (4) Willingness to undergo r-EBUS and nCLE examinations. (5) Voluntary participation with written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • (1) A contraindication to bronchoscopy, including severe cardiopulmonary disease, coagulation disorder, failure to discontinue anticoagulant therapy or anticoagulant medication for at least 5 days before the procedure, poor tolerance of anesthesia, psychiatric illness, or severe neurosis. (2) Pregnancy or breastfeeding. (3) Known allergy to fluorescein sodium. (4) Coagulation disorder. (5) A known allergic disorder, history of asthma, hepatic failure, renal failure, or another contraindication to fluorescein sodium injection. (6) Continued use of a systemic beta-blocker on the day of the procedure, or inability to discontinue the beta-blocker safely as assessed by the investigator and anesthesiologist. (7) Inability to cooperate with the study for any reason, or any other condition that the investigator considers unsuitable for enrollment.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Diagnostic Accuracy of Needle-Based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy for Differentiating Malignant From Benign Peripheral Pulmonary Lesions
Time Frame: Up to 6 months after the index bronchoscopy
Up to 6 months after the index bronchoscopy

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Incidence and Severity of Procedure-Related Adverse Events
Time Frame: Periprocedural
Periprocedural
Duration of the nCLE Procedure
Time Frame: Periprocedural
Periprocedural

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Frequency of Guide-Sheath Adjustments Guided by Needle-Based Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy
Time Frame: Periprocedural
Periprocedural

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University

Collaborators

Shanghai Chest Hospital
Anhui Chest Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 18, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 14, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2026-R324-01

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Subscribe