title: Computed tomography-guided minithoracotomy for the resection of small peripheral pulmonary nodules.
abstract: Small peripheral pulmonary nodules ranging in size from 1 mm to 20 mm were excised in 58 patients. Computed tomography was used to mark the skin overlying the nodules to minimize the surgical exposure needed for operative identification. The nodules were 1 cm or less in maximum diameter in 76% of the patients. Twenty-six patients had single nodules and 32 patients had multiple nodules. The preoperative diagnosis was inaccurate in 67% of the patients. In 61% of the patients in whom malignancy was suspected, no tumor was demonstrated. Conversely, of the 20 patients in whom a malignant nodule was excised, the preoperative diagnosis was correct in only 50%. Thirty-one patients required no further treatment apart from their biopsy and 27 required additional intervention. Small peripheral pulmonary nodules require biopsy for diagnosis. When percutaneous needle aspiration biopsy is unsuccessful, or technically difficult, a computed tomography-guided thoracotomy is an effective and minimally invasive surgical alternative.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, New England Medical Center, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Faling
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Diehl
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Bankoff
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*