Comparison of the Tru-cut biopsy needle with the Abrams punch for pleural biopsy.
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.
McLeod
D T
DT
Department of Medicine, Godfrey Huggins School of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe, Harare.
Ternouth
I
I
Nkanza
N
N
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