title: US-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of anterior mediastinal masses in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Anterior mediastinal masses in children are clinically challenging, requiring prompt histological diagnosis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to review the experience with US-guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) of anterior mediastinal masses in children, particularly with respect to safety and diagnostic accuracy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed the clinical presentation, imaging, sedation approach, procedural details and pathology results of US-guided PCNB of mediastinal masses that occurred during an 8-year period (2001-2008). Complications were graded and pathology was categorized into four groups based on adequacy and diagnostic yield.
  
  
  RESULTS
  32 US-guided PCNBs were performed on 32 children, mean age 12 years (range 18 months to 17 years), mean weight 48 kg (range 11.5 to 109 kg, median 49 kg). A coaxial US-guided technique was used, with a mean of 8.2 passes and a mean 7.6 cores obtained (range 2-15). There were no major complications. The biopsies were adequate in volume and quality of specimens in 29/32, and 25/32 were diagnostic. PCNB was diagnostic in all cases of non-Hodgkin disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Experience with anterior mediastinal masses suggests that US-guided PCNB can be considered a viable, safe and accurate method of reaching a diagnosis in the pediatric population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Image Guided Therapy, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Ave., Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCrone
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.forename: Cengiz
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karsli
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Joao G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: Dimitri
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Temple
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: John
authors.forename: Bairbre L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*