title: CT-guided transthoracic cutting needle biopsy of intrathoracic lesions: comparison between coaxial and single needle technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the complication rates and diagnostic accuracy of two different CT-guided transthoracic cutting needle biopsy techniques: coaxial method and single needle method.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study involved 198 consecutive subjects with 198 intrathoracic lesions. The first 98 consecutive subjects received a single needle cutting technique and the next 100 consecutive subjects received a coaxial technique. Both groups were compared in relation the diagnostic accuracy and complication rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant difference was found between the two groups concerning patient characteristics, lesions and procedure variables. There was a borderline statistical difference in the incidence of pneumothorax at within 24-h post biopsy between patients in the single needle group (5%) and the coaxial group (13%) (P=0.053). Little difference was found in the pneumothorax rate at immediately post biopsy between the two groups, which was 28% in the single needle group and 31% in the coaxial group. There was no significant difference in the hemoptysis rate between the two groups, which was 9.2% in the single needle group and 11% in the coaxial group. Both techniques yielded an overall diagnostic accuracy of 98% for malignant lesions with similar sensitivity (single needle: 96.9% vs. coaxial: 96.4%) and specificity (single needle: 100% vs. coaxial: 100%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is little difference in the pneumothorax rates and bleeding complications between patients who either received a single needle or a coaxial transthoracic cutting biopsy. Both techniques produce an overall diagnostic accuracy of 98% for malignant lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Chi-Mei Foundation Medical Center, Tainan, Taiwan. renghong@gmail.com
authors.forename: Reng-Hong
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wen-Sheng
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Tzeng
authors.forename: Wei-Jing
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shih-Chin
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chia-Huei
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jui-Lung
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Yen-Jen
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chee-Wai
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Mak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed