title: Percutaneous core-needle biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes in the diagnosis and subclassification of malignant lymphomas.
abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of percutaneous core-needle biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes in the diagnosis and subclassification of malignant lymphomas. In a 1-year period 158 image-guided percutaneous core-needle biopsies of enlarged lymph nodes were performed on 149 consecutive patients using a Tru-cut needle fired by a biopsy gun. In 135 cases the biopsy findings could be confirmed by histologic examination of additional tissue samples (n = 59) or by correlation with the patient's clinical and radiologic course (n = 76). The final diagnoses were malignant lymphoma in 65 cases, leukemic nodal infiltration in 2, nodal metastases from a solid tumor in 37 and benign changes or no evidence of malignancy in 31 cases. The core-needle biopsies correctly diagnosed 58 of 65 malignant lymphomas, corresponding to a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 97%. Fifty-five of the 58 (95%) correctly diagnosed malignant lymphomas could be subclassified on the basis of the core-needle biopsy. Image-guided core-needle biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes with a Tru-cut needle is a useful method for the diagnosis and subclassification of malignant lymphomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Zentralklinikum Augsburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Demharter
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schlimok
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haude
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bohndorf
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography