title: Transthoracoscopic needle biopsy for indeterminate lung nodules.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The usefulness of transthoracoscopic needle biopsy for preoperatively indeterminate intrapulmonary nodules was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thoracoscopy was performed on 38 patients with pulmonary solitary nodules suspected to be primary lung carcinomas. When the nodule was localized by simple observation or tactile sensor, a biopsy specimen of the tumor was obtained by a biopsy needle introduced through a trocar.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The nodules were 7 to 55 mm in diameter. All were located in the peripheral region of the lung. Biopsy specimens were obtained even from 17 nodules with no associated pleural changes. By cytology, all the malignant tumors were precisely diagnosed, 29 as primary lung cancers and 3 as metastatic lung neoplasms. Five of the remaining six benign nodules were not precisely diagnosed. However, they were cytologically classified as class I.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transthoracoscopic needle biopsy is feasible for diagnosing small intrapulmonary nodules, particularly those of malignant neoplasms. As compared with thoracoscopic excisional biopsy, transthoracoscopic needle biopsy saves time and may reduce the possibility of tumor dissemination during the procedure.
authors: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, 1-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo 113, Japan.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Nakajima
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Furuse
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Kohno
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Ohtsuka
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Matsumoto
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Oka
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013906:Thoracoscopy