title: Current role of computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of metastatic lung lesions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As part of the Catania symposium on lung metastasectomy we reviewed our practice of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy of pulmonary metastatic lesions with particular emphasis on diagnostic accuracy and nature of complications lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 patients with metastatic lesions of the lung have been evaluated between May 2010 and February 2014. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients with histologically confirmed, metastatic disease of the lung, those receiving a CT-guided needle biopsy, were at least 18 years of age; and with adequate hepatic, renal and hematological function. We recorded also the size of the sampled lesions, their distance from the pleura, the complications encountered (pneumothorax and thoracostomy tube placement), the cytological diagnosis and the outcome in all the cases.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy were performed on 23 of 25 patients with suspected lung metastases. 17 males and six females with a mean age of 71.4 years. The mean size of lesions was 4.2 cm (range: 1 to 17 cm). For CT-guided needle biopsy, an 18 gauge semi-automatic needle biopsy device was used. Of 23 biopsies, 20 (87%) yielded a correct diagnosis with specific histological typing for metastasis. Pneumothorax was the most common complication occurring in four cases (5.7%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CT-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy is a firm, useful and safe technique for the diagnosis of suspected pulmonary metastases as it avoids open biopsy in most cases.
authors: IBFM-CNR at Department of Radiology (Department of Biotechnology, Biopathology and Forensic Medicine), University of Palermo, via del Vespro 127, 90129 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Anna
authors: A
authors: Galluzzo
authors: Claudio
authors: C
authors: Genova
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Dioguardi
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Midiri
authors: Massimo
authors: M
authors: Cajozzo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: CT-guided biopsy; lung metastasis; transthoracic needle biopsy