title: Percutaneous core needle biopsy in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to determine the contribution of percutaneous core cutting needle biopsy (PCNB) in the diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective review of 70 patients with mediastinal lesions who underwent CT-guided PCNB between 1988 and 1996.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PCNB provided adequate material in 62/70 cases, giving a total sample rate of 88.6%. Of these 62 patients, 57 were diagnosed correctly by PCNB whereas 5/62 were misdiagnosed as nonspecific inflammation, providing an overall sensitivity of 91.9%. PCNB established a specific histologic diagnosis in 90.3% of the patients, mainly in cases of lymphoma, bronchogenic carcinoma, and thymoma. Pneumothorax was the most commonly encountered complication (11%). Hemoptysis (30-50 ml) occurred in only one (1.6%) of the patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT guided PCNB is an easy and safe procedure which can provide a precise diagnosis in the majority of mediastinal tumors and can obviate the need for exploratory thoracic surgery in cases which are medically treatable or non-resectable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greif
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Staroselsky
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gernjac
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Schwarz
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marmur
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Perlsman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yellin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D002283:Carcinoma, Bronchogenic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D018237:Germinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013724:Teratoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013945:Thymoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013953:Thymus Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed