title: Efficacy and complications of transthoracic needle biopsy of lung in patients with Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and AIDS.
abstract: Transthoracic needle biopsy of lung was performed under fluoroscopic guidance in 16 patients with AIDS or suspected AIDS for diagnosing 18 episodes of possible P carinii infection. Diagnostic information was obtained in 15 of 18 cases. P carinii (10) and other infections agents (5) were diagnosed by TNB. The complications were pneumothorax in 44% (17% requiring chest tube drainage) and minor hemoptysis in 11%. Our incidence of pneumothorax following TNB in patients with diseases other than AIDS is 17% with 4.8% requiring chest tube drainage. Although TNB under fluoroscopic guidance is a cost-effective, rapid procedure with a high diagnostic yield, it is frequently complicated by pneumothorax in AIDS patients with diffuse pulmonary disease. This procedure should therefore only be performed in AIDS patients when transbronchial biopsy has failed to provide the diagnosis and prior to considering such patients for open lung biopsy.
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006469:Hemoptysis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology