Value of ultrasound-guided core biopsy in the diagnosis of malignant lymphoma.
OBJECTIVE
Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy for the diagnosis and management of malignant lymphomas is controversial and has not been accepted as an alternative to surgical biopsy. We investigate the clinical usefulness of this procedure in a large series of patients.


METHODS
Over a 5-year period (2000-2004), ultrasound-guided core needle biopsies were performed in 102 malignant lymphomas. Five diagnostic categories were considered: large B-cell lymphomas (LBCL), small B-cell lymphomas (SBCL), Hodgkin's disease (HD), T cell lymphomas, and miscellaneous. Surgical excisional biopsy of the node was performed in 47 cases (46.1%) for diagnostic confirmation.


RESULTS
The overall diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy was 88.2% (90/102). SBCL (39), LBCL (36), HD (15), T cell lymphomas (5), and miscellaneous (7) [including T cell-rich B cell (2), natural killer cell (1), Burkitt's lymphoma (1), and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the B cell type, NOS (3)] were correctly diagnosed. Three HDs, 1 natural killer cell lymphoma, 1 follicular lymphoma, and 1 LBCL were not correctly diagnosed. The core needle biopsy did not yield tumor tissue in 6 cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy is effective in the diagnosis of malignant lymphomas and can be used as the first diagnostic approach in selected clinical situations.
de Larrinoa
Aitor Fernández
AF
Department of Anatomic Pathology, Hospital de Basurto, Avda. de Montevideo 18, Bilbao, 48013 Spain.
del Cura
Jose
J
Zabala
Rosa
R
Fuertes
Elena
E
Bilbao
Francisco
F
Lopez
Jose I
JI
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000473:pathology; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000175:diagnosis; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000175:diagnosis; D016399:Lymphoma, T-Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional