CT-guided fine-needle biopsy of focal lung lesions as the method for reducing the number of invasive diagnostic procedures

Background: CT-guided fine-needle biopsy (FNB) of focal lung lesions is one of the possibilities of obtaining histopathological diagnosis in pulmonary diseases. Its place in the algorithm is determined by the invasiveness. In case of no diagnosis after bronchoscopy or endobronchial ultrasonography (EBUS) guided biopsy, CT-guided FNB can become an alternative for more invasive procedures, such as open lung biopsy - thoracotomy. Material/Methods: Since January 2009 until February 2010, we performed 37 CT-guided FNB in 34 patients aged 31 to 76 (mean age 60.9). Among them, there were 16 women and 18 men. All patients underwent a standard chest CT with contrast medium injection. They were diagnosed with focal lesions and they were rejected from surgery as the primary method of treatment. During biopsy, the patient was positioned prone or supine, depending on the location of lesions. After performing a scout image and initial slices, we marked the level of biopsy, using a metal marker. Next, the biopsy needle was introduced under local anesthesia. When the obtained position of the needle in the lesion was correct, the specimen was taken. After needle removal, the patient was controlled for the presence of complications (i.e. pneumothorax). Biopsy time ranged from 10 to 50 minutes. Results: In 94.6% of biopsies, the specimens for histopathological and cytological examinations were obtained. In 22 (64.7%) patients, histopathological diagnoses (in 14 cases this was the non-small cell cancer and in 8, inflammatory lesions) were established which allowed us to resign from invasive thoracotomy and to introduce an appropriate treatment. In the remaining 12 patients, no diagnosis was established. Complications in the form of a minor pneumothorax occurred in 2 patients. Conclusions: Fine-needle biopsy of the focal lung lesions is an affective and a relatively safe method, which can replace the more invasive diagnostic thoracotomy in the majority of patients.