title: Preliminary clinical experience with a dedicated interventional robotic system for CT-guided biopsies of lung lesions: a comparison with the conventional manual technique.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evaluate the performance of a robotic system for CT-guided lung biopsy in comparison to the conventional manual technique.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred patients referred for CT-guided lung biopsy were randomly assigned to group A (robot-assisted procedure) or group B (conventional procedure). Size, distance from entry point and position in lung of target lesions were evaluated to assess homogeneity differences between the two groups. Procedure duration, dose length product (DLP), precision of needle positioning, diagnostic performance of the biopsy and rate of complications were evaluated to assess the clinical performance of the robotic system as compared to the conventional technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All biopsies were successfully performed. The size (p = 0.41), distance from entry point (p = 0.86) and position in lung (p = 0.32) of target lesions were similar in both groups (p = 0.05). Procedure duration and radiation dose were significantly reduced in group A as compared to group B (p = 0.001). Precision of needle positioning, diagnostic performance of the biopsy and rate of complications were similar in both groups (p = 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robot-assisted CT-guided lung biopsy can be performed safely and with high diagnostic accuracy, reducing procedure duration and radiation dose in comparison to the conventional manual technique.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • CT-guided biopsy is the main procedure to obtain diagnosis in lung tumours. • The robotic device facilitates percutaneous needle placement under CT guidance. • Robot-assisted CT-guided lung biopsy reduces procedure duration and radiation dose.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological, Oncological and Anatomopathological Sciences - Radiology - Sapienza, University of Rome, Viale Regina Elena 324, 00161, Rome, Italy, michele.anzidei@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anzidei
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Argirò
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Porfiri
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Boni
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Anile
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zaccagna
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vitolo
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Venuta
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bezzi
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catalano
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*