Transthoracic fine needle aspiration and core biopsy of pulmonary lesions. A study of 296 patients.
OBJECTIVE
To retrospectively investigate and compare the usefulness of transthoracic fine needle aspiration (FNA), core biopsy and a combination of the two in the diagnosis of pulmonary lesions.


METHODS
Two hundred ninety-six patients who had undergone FNA, core biopsy or both for lung lesions were divided into malignant and benign groups according to the final diagnoses, which were based on the cytologic and histopathologic findings combined with clinical features. In each group, the diagnostic usefulness of FNA, core biopsy and a combination of the two were evaluated by comparing the results of each with the final diagnoses.


RESULTS
In the malignant group, FNA was diagnostically helpful in 188 of 205 patients (91.7%) and core biopsy in 158 of 180 patients (87.8%). The combination of the two methods improved the result to 172 of 178 patients (96.6%). The sensitivities were 94.6%, 88.3% and 97.2%, respectively, for each result. In the benign group, 71.1% (64/90), 70.1% (47/67) and 74.2% (49/66) of cases received specific or nonspecific diagnoses by FNA, core biopsy and their combination, respectively. The rates of specific diagnoses were 20.1%, 21.0% and 31.8%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The combination of FNA and core biopsy markedly improved the diagnostic yields in the malignant group and, to a lesser degree, also in the benign group.
Kim
Han Kyeom
HK
Department of Anatomical Pathology, Chest Surgery, Respiratory Medicine and Diagonostic Radiology,  Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
Shin
Bong Kyung
BK
Cho
Seong Jin
SJ
Moon
Jeong Seok
JS
Kim
Min Kyung
MK
Kim
Chung Yeul
CY
Park
Seong Hwan
SH
Kim
Kwang Taik
KT
In
Kwang Ho
KH
Oh
Yu Hwan
YH
Kang
Eun-Young
EY
Park
Sung-Hay
SH
Kim
Insun
I
D002282:Adenocarcinoma, Bronchiolo-Alveolar / Q000473:pathology*; D002288:Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous / Q000473:pathology; D001229:Aspergillosis, Allergic Bronchopulmonary / Q000473:pathology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000473:pathology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies