Transtorasik lung biopsy with CT guided coaxial semi-automatic cutter needle technique: histopathologic results, complication rates and factors affecting complications

ABSTRACT In this study, we evaluated the results and complications of 251 transthoracic CT-guided percutaneous biopsy procedures that were performed between January 2009- December 2015 at Dicle University Faculty of Medicine Department of Radiology. 251 procedures were performed in 243 patients with an age range of 4 to 94. Histopathological examination of lesions was benign in 40 (15.9%) cases, malignant in 160( 63.7 %) cases and a final diagnosis could not be established in 24 (9.6%) cases. 63 (25.1%) cases developed pneumothorax and 93 (37.3%) cases suffered parenchymal hemorrhage as a complication during or after the procedure. 6 cases out of 63 incidences of pneumothorax underwent chest tube intervention . Other complications regressed spontaneously. Statistically significant association found between lesion depth and the number of pneumothorax incidents. Additionaly, statistically significant association was found between lesion depth and the number of parenchymal hemorrhage and lesion size. There was no statistically significant association between complications and other factors investigated. In conclusion, the most common complications of percutaneous transthoracic biopsy performed with a semi-automatic biopsy needle under CT guidance are parenchymal hemorrhage and pneumothorax. The size of the lesion and the depth of lesion within the parenchyma were the most important determinants of complication rates. percutaneous transthoracic biopsy with a semi-automatic biopsy needle under CT guidance is easy to perform, has high diagnosis rates and has low complication rates in diagnosis of lung masses. Keywords: Transthoracic, Mass, Biopsy, Needle, CT