title: CT-guided transthoracic biopsy: histopathologic results and complication rates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to investigate the effectiveness and complications of transthoracic CT-guided biopsy techniques.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 94 CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic biopsy procedures performed in 85 patients were retrospectively evaluated. Core biopsy technique was used in 87 procedures and transthoracic fine-needle aspiration biopsy was used in seven procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Diagnostic results were achieved in 79 of 94 biopsy procedures. Pathology results were malignant in 54 patients, suspicious for malignancy in three patients, benign in five patients, and benign nonspecific in 17 patients. Specific diagnoses were obtained in 59 patients (62.8%) using core biopsy, but no specific diagnosis could be reached with transthoracic fine-needle aspiration biopsy. Complications included pneumothorax in 27 patients (28.7%) and parenchymal hemorrhage during and after the procedure in eight patients (8.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy is a highly accurate procedure for histopathological diagnosis of thoracic masses. In addition, percutaneous transthoracic biopsy has an acceptably low complication rate and it reduces the need for more invasive surgical procedures.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Suleyman Demirel University School of Medicine, Isparta, Turkey. aykutraktas@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Aykut Recep
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Aktaş
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gözlek
authors.forename: Ömer
authors.initials: Ö
authors.lastname: Yılmaz
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kayan
authors.forename: Nisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ünlü
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Demirtaş
authors.forename: Bumin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Değirmenci
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*