title: Transthoracic fine needle aspiration and core biopsy of pulmonary lesions. A study of 296 patients.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Chest Surgery, Respiratory Medicine and Diagonostic Radiology,  Korea University Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: Han Kyeom
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Bong Kyung
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Seong Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Jeong Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Moon
authors.forename: Min Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Chung Yeul
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seong Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Kwang Taik
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Kwang Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: In
authors.forename: Yu Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Eun-Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Sung-Hay
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Insun
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: 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