title: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy versus fine-needle capillary (nonaspiration) biopsy: in vivo comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate, in vivo, the efficacy of fine-needle capillary (nonaspiration) biopsy (FNCB) versus fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) when performed at the same site with a coaxial technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 91 patients, biopsy was performed at 140 sites in 93 lesions mostly throughout the chest and abdomen with either FNCB or FNAB, or both (98 sites). A coaxial technique with a 22-gauge needle was used. The quality of the specimen was graded by a blinded pathologist, who also made a pathologic diagnosis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No statistically significant difference was noted in the graded criteria performance plus diagnostic yield between the two techniques. When performed before FNAB, FNCB yielded a better quality specimen of a particular site. However, there was no difference in the graded quality of FNAB whether performed before or after FNCB. Insufficient specimens were obtained at 30 (21.4%) of 140 sites with FNCB versus only 18 (12.8%) with FNAB.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  FNCB is an alternative to FNAB and provides a cellular diagnostic specimen from most lesions. When a coaxial method is used and both techniques are employed, the diagnostic accuracy of these techniques is 84%.
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, Penn State University, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Abendroth
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hartzel
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: TenHave
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans