title: Six years' experience with perthoracic core needle biopsy in pulmonary lesions.
abstract: Six years' experience of percutaneous core needle biopsy using the Hausser needle in 502 patients, aged 20-89 years, is reported. A biopsy was carried out when sputum and bronchoscopic methods had failed to establish a definitive histological diagnosis. Over 60% of the lesions were peripheral and about 40% were 2-4 cm in diameter. A correct diagnosis was made by this means in 312 of the 339 patients shown eventually to have a malignant lesion (92%) and in 130 of 146 patients with a benign lesion (89%). A definitive diagnosis was never established in 17 patients. Complications arose in 15% of cases. Pneumothorax occurred in 43 patients (7%), of whom 12 required a chest drain. Further complications included a small haemoptysis (less than 30 ml) in 27 patients (5%), haemothorax necessitating a chest drain in three patients, and an intrapulmonary haematoma in five patients. There were no fatal or permanent complications. Percutaneous core needle biopsy is a valuable procedure with a high diagnostic accuracy in these patients and a low rate of complications.
authors.affiliation: Klinik Michelsberg, Münnerstadt, Federal German Republic.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morgenroth
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Pfeuffer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Austgen
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Viereck
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Trendelenburg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged