Interventional procedures in superficial lesions: the value of 2D with additional coronal reformatted 4D ultrasonography guidance.
OBJECTIVE
We wanted to assess the usefulness of four-dimensional (4D) ultrasonography (US), i.e., real-time three-dimensional US, as an adjunct for performing various US-guided interventional procedures in superficial lesions.


METHODS
Thirty-three patients were referred for US-guided interventional procedures for superficial lesions, including core biopsy in 19, fine-needle aspiration in eight, therapeutic drug injection in four and needle puncture in two. The procedures were performed under 4D US guidance. We reviewed the pathologic/cytologic results of the core biopsies or needle aspirations, and also the outcomes of drug injection or needle puncture.


RESULTS
For all the patients who underwent 4D US-guided core biopsy, the specimens were adequate for making the pathological diagnosis, and specimens were successfully obtained for those patients who underwent 4D US-guided aspiration. The patients treated with 4D US-guided therapeutic drug injection or needle puncture had a good response. No major procedure-related complications occurred. The procedural times were similar to those procedural times with using two-dimensional US.


CONCLUSIONS
Combining the two dimensional and 4D US techniques aids the physician when performing US-guided interventional procedures for the superficial lesions.
Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan. cmychang@vghtpe.gov.tw
Cheng-Yen
CY
Chang
Hsin-Kai
HK
Wang
Hong-Jen
HJ
Chiou
Yi-Hong
YH
Chou
Tain-Hsiung
TH
Chen
See-Ying
SY
Chiou
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007267:Injections / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D011677:Punctures / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*