Tuberc Respir Dis.  1989 Dec;36(4):328-332. 10.4046/trd.1989.36.4.328.

Usefulness of Computed Tomography Guided Percutaneous Fine Needle Aspiration Lung Biopsy

• KMID: 2528525
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1989.36.4.328

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT)-guided fine needle aspiration biopsies were done in 62 patients with abnormal mass-like densities on routine chest films. When CT-guided needle aspiration revealed no diagnostic findings in these patients, additional histopathological l examinations of specimens obtained by open thoracotomy, lymph node biopsy and/ or transbronchial lung biopsy were carried out for definitive diagnosis. The overall diagnostic rate of CT-guided needle aspiration was 80.6%: higher in neoplastic diseases (83%) and lower in infectious diseases (63%). The diagnostic rate was more satisfactory in patients with lesions in or adjacent to the mediastinum, and also in the middle lung fields. The CT-guided biopsy was complicated by 3 cases of pneumothorax, all of which had lesions in posterior portions of right lower lobes and necessitated chest tube insertion for treatment. Nevertheless, our study reconfirms that the procedure is a relatively safe. simple and satisfactory diagnostic tool in patients with mass-like lesions within the thorax.