title: Ultrasound-guided Lung Biopsy in the Hands of Respiratory Physicians: Diagnostic Yield and Complications in 215 Consecutive Patients in 3 Centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic yield and prevalence of complications of ultrasound-guided transthoracic needle aspiration biopsies (US-TTNAB) performed by respiratory physicians after implementation of the procedure in an everyday clinical setting at 3 different centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients were included if they during the period from January 2012 to August 2014 had a registered US-TTNAB procedure code or if a US biopsy registration form had been filled out at either of the participating centers. Histology or cytology results were used as a reference test for diagnoses that could be made based on these results. Reference test for the remaining diagnoses was clinical follow-up. The diagnostic yield of US-TTNAB was defined as the proportion of patients in which the result of the US-TTNAB was consistent with the reference test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 215 patients in which a primary US-TTNAB had been performed were identified. The most common biopsy sites were lungs and pleurae with a total of 164 (76.3%) patients and 31 patients (14.4%), respectively. US-TTNAB diagnostic yield was 76.9% (95% CI, 70.3%-83.4%) for malignant diagnoses and 47.6% (95% CI, 31.9%-63.4%) for nonmalignant diagnoses. The most common complications of US-TTNAB were pneumothorax (2.5%; 95% CI, 0.03%-4.6%) and pain at the biopsy site (2%; 95% CI, 0.04%-3.9%). No fatalities related to US-TTNAB were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  US-TTNAB performed by respiratory physicians is a safe procedure with a low risk of complications and the diagnostic yield to establish a malignant diagnosis is acceptable.
authors.affiliation: *Department of Respiratory Medicine †Centre for Thoracic Oncology, Odense University Hospital ‡Institute for Clinical Research #Institute for Regional Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense C §Department of Respiratory Medicine, Gentofte University Hospital, Hellerup ∥Copenhagen Academy for Medical Simulation and Simulation (CAMES), University of Copenhagen and the Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen ¶Department of Respiratory and Internal Medicine, Næstved Hospital, Næstved **Radiology Department, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus N ††Center of Clinical Ultrasound (CECLUS), Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Laursen
authors.forename: Therese M H
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Naur
authors.forename: Uffe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bodtger
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Colella
authors.forename: Matiullah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naqibullah
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Minddal
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Konge
authors.forename: Jesper R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Davidsen
authors.forename: Niels-Christian
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Graumann
authors.forename: Paul F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Clementsen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D061765:Endoscopic Ultrasound-Guided Fine Needle Aspiration / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology*; D000072106:Pulmonologists; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012142:Respiratory Tract Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity