Role of ultrasound-guided transthoracic biopsy versus computed tomography-guided biopsy in the diagnosis of peripheral intrathoracic lesions

• Published in: The Egyptian journal of chest diseases and tuberculosis Vol. 69; no. 1; pp. 183 - 188
• Main Authors: Zamzam, Mohamed, Abd El-Aziz, Amal, El-Mahallway, Ibrahim, AbdeLaal, Gehan, Abd El-Mageed, Mohamed, Eid, Hanaa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01-01-2020; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd
• Subjects: Care and treatment; CAT scans; Comparative analysis; Diagnosis; Lung biopsy; Methods; Thoracic injuries; Ultrasound imaging; Egypt; computed tomography; core-needle biopsy; ultrasound
• ISSN: 0422-7638; 2090-9950
• DOI: 10.4103/ejcdt.ejcdt_48_19

Background Image-guided transthoracic biopsy either ultrasound (US)-guided or computed tomography (CT)-guided has become a widely accepted, effective, and safe minimally invasive technique to obtain tissue specimens from different intrathoracic lesions.
Objective The aim of this study was to assess and compare the diagnostic yield and complications of US-guided transthoracic biopsy versus CT-guided biopsy in peripheral intrathoracic lesions
Patients and methods This observational cohort study was carried out on 100 patients (50 patients for each group) with undiagnosed peripheral intrathoracic lesions. US-guided biopsy (group I) and CT-guided biopsy (group II) were performed using core-needle biopsy. The histopathological examination and complications were reported.
Results The diagnostic yield of US-guided transthoracic biopsy in the diagnosis of peripheral intrathoracic lesions was 94%, while the diagnostic yield of CT-guided transthoracic biopsy was 98%. In group I there were no complications, while in group II minimal complications were recorded.
Conclusion US-guided transthoracic biopsy is comparable to CT-guided biopsy in sampling peripheral intrathoracic lesions, in terms of diagnostic yield and safety while allowing for a significant reduction in procedure time with lower cost and fewer complications and is free from ionizing radiation.