title: Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy in the diagnosis of chronic pulmonary infection.
abstract: Fourteen patients, with abnormalities on their chest radiographs found over a period of > or = 4 weeks and diagnosed as chronic pulmonary infections in the follow-up, underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-guided FNAB). Six patients also underwent color Doppler ultrasound examination before needle aspiration biopsy. Nine patients had a confirmed diagnosis [tuberculosis (n = 1), cryptococcosis (n = 3), actinomycosis (n = 2), and aspergillosis (n = 1)] or a suggestive diagnosis [caseating granulomatous inflammation (n = 1) and caseous necrosis (n = 1)] made after US-guided FNAB. The remaining 5 patients were finally diagnosed by US-guided large-bore cutting biopsy (n = 1, tuberculosis) and surgical resection [aspergillosis and organized pneumonia (n = 1), mucormycosis and organized pneumonia (n = 1), penicillium infection and organized pneumonia (n = 1), and cryptococcosis (n = 1)]. In 8 patients receiving gray scale US examination only, complications developed in 2 patients after US-guided FNAB [minimal pneumothorax (n = 1) and hemoptysis (n = 1)]. Of the 6 patients who also underwent color Doppler US examination, 4 had detectable blood vessels within the lesion. Thus, the site for US-guided FNAB was changed in 2 patients to prevent injury to prominent blood vessels. There were no complications observed following color Doppler US examination. We conclude that US-guided FNAB is useful for diagnosing chronic pulmonary infections, and color Doppler US is valuable for preventing injury to blood vessels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*