Tuberc Respir Dis.  1981 Mar;28(1):34-39. 10.4046/trd.1981.28.1.34.

Diagnostic Value of the Percutaneous Pleural Needle Biopsy

• KMID: 2528867
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4046/trd.1981.28.1.34

Abstract

From January 1969 to June 1978, pleural biopsies with Vim-Silverman and Abrams needle were performed at the Severance Hospital, Yonsei University, College of Medicine on 203 patienfs with exudative pleural effusion caused by various conditions. Both the inital clinical and the pathological diagnosis were compared in order to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the needle biopsies. The results are as follows. 1) One hundred and forty eight patients were subjected to the Vim-Silverman needle biopsy of the parietal pleura. Diagnostic tissue was obtained in 128 patients (74.9%). On the other hand, adequate tissue for diagnosis was obtained in all cases of 55 patients (100%) by using Abrams needle. 2) The histological diagnosis was caseating granuloma in 52.5%, metastatic cancer 31.7%, and chronic non-specific inflammation 15.8%. So the sensitivity rate of the pleural needle biopsy was 84.2%. 3) In comparing the clinical diagnosis with the pathological diagnosis, the clinical diagnosis corresponded with the pathological diagnosis at a rate of 65.8% in tuberculous cases and 63.3% in cancer patients. 4) The complication from needle biopsy included minimal pneumothorax in 6 patients who was recorved promptly after treatment with bed rest alone. In 2 patients, subcutaneous effusion was developed.