title: Comparison of the Tru-cut biopsy needle with the Abrams punch for pleural biopsy.
abstract: In a prospective study pleural biopsy specimens obtained with a Tru-cut needle were compared with those obtained with an Abrams pleural biopsy punch from 36 patients in Zimbabwe judged to have an effusion of at least 1.5 litres; one patient had two biopsies. Both instruments were used on each patient, the Abrams punch being followed by the Tru-cut needle. There were no serious complications. The diagnoses determined by biopsy were: tuberculosis (11); carcinoma (12); chronic inflammation (9); and pleural fibrosis (4); one biopsy showed nothing abnormal. In 23 (62%) patients both biopsy needles produced adequate diagnostic material; in eight the Tru-cut needle alone produced diagnostic material and in six the Abrams punch alone. Thus diagnostic material was obtained in 31 patients from the Tru-cut needle and in 29 from the Abrams punch. The Tru-cut needle was useful and safe for pleural biopsy in this series and appeared to be particularly useful when the pleura was thickened.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Godfrey Huggins School of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, Harare.
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ternouth
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nkanza
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies