title: Transthoracic hilar and mediastinal biopsy.
abstract: TNB of the mediastinum is an accurate, safe, and cost-effective diagnostic tool for the evaluation of mediastinal masses and lymphadenopathy. The technique is most useful in the staging of carcinoma, where it serves as a less expensive and minimally invasive alternative to mediastinoscopy for establishing unresectability. With recent advances in immunohistochemical and core biopsy techniques, TNB has become more accurate for establishing the initial diagnosis of lymphoma and for confirming recurrent disease. Core-needle biopsy has improved the accuracy of TNB and is particularly useful when fine-needle aspiration fails to yield a specific diagnosis, or when lymphoma or a noncarcinomatous lesion is suspected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital of Saint Raphael, New Haven, Connecticut 06511, USA. ZENONP@worldnet.att.net
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Protopapas
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Westcott
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D009339:Needles; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed