title: A prospective randomized comparison of fine needle aspiration biopsy and fibreoptic bronchoscopy in the investigation of peripheral pulmonary opacities.
abstract: Twenty-nine patients, aged 66(+/- 7) years with a peripheral pulmonary opacity (mean diameter 3.6 +/- 1.8 cm) believed to be a tumor, were randomly allocated to initial investigation by either fibreoptic bronchoscopy or percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy, the latter performed under fluoroscopic control. The patients proceeded to the alternative investigation in the event of the first failing to achieve a diagnosis. Malignancy was confirmed by the initial procedure in 14/15 patients randomized to fine needle aspiration biopsy but only in 1/14 patients randomized to fibreoptic bronchoscopy (P less than 0.01). Overall, these figures were 25/28 fine needle aspiration biopsy and 2/15 fibreoptic bronchoscopy (P less than 0.01). These results confirm the clinical suspicion that fine needle aspiration biopsy is far more likely than fibreoptic bronchoscopy to establish the presence of malignancy in peripheral pulmonary opacities.
authors.affiliation: Regional Cardiothoracic Unit, Freeman Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Swinburn
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Veale
authors.forename: E T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Peel
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wadehra
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Sumerling
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Corris
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D005260:Female; D005336:Fiber Optic Technology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography; D011897:Random Allocation