Value of CT-guided core-needle biopsy in diagnosis and classification of malignant lymphomas using automated biopsy gun.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the value of CT-guided core-needle biopsy in diagnosis and classification of malignant lymphomas.


METHODS
From January 1999 to October 2004, CT-guided core-needle biopsies were performed in 80 patients with suspected malignant lymphoma. Biopsies were performed with an 18-20 G biopsy-cut (CR Bard, Inc., Covington, GA, USA) needle driven by a spring-loaded Bard biopsy gun.


RESULTS
A definite diagnosis and accurate histological subtype were obtained in 61 patients with a success rate of 76.25% (61/80). Surgical sampling was performed in 19 patients (23.75%) with non-diagnostic core-needle biopsies. The success rate of CT-guided core-needle biopsy varied with the histopathologic subtypes in our group. The relatively high success rates of core-needle biopsy were noted in diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL, 88.89%) and peripheral T-cell NHL (90%). However, the success rates were relatively low in anaplastic large cell (T/null cell) lymphoma (ALCL, 44.44%) and Hodgkin's disease (HD, 28.57%) in our group.


CONCLUSIONS
CT-guided core-needle biopsy is a reliable means of diagnosing and classifying malignant lymphomas, and can be widely applied in the management of patients with suspected malignant lymphoma.
Li
Li
L
Imaging Diagnosis and Interventional Center, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, 651 Dongfeng Road East, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong Province, China.
Wu
Qiu-Liang
QL
Liu
Li-Zhi
LZ
Mo
Yun-Xian
YX
Xie
Chuan-Miao
CM
Zheng
Lie
L
Chen
Lin
L
Wu
Pei-Hong
PH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001331:Automation; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*