Percutaneous fine-needle biopsy of the lung

Between February 1979 and December 1986, 618 lung biopsies were performed on 496 patients (122 with double puncture, using Tru-cut and (19-20 G needles). Overall diagnostic accuracy was 84.5%; the 77 patients examined in the past 18 months only underwent thin needle (19-20 G) biopsies - which were carried out by an experienced radiologist - and more sophisticated cyto-histological techniques were employed. Such a procedure gave better results (sensitivity 94.1%, accuracy 94.8%) than did the use of larger caliber needles in the past years; moreover, no complications occured in these patients. In conclusion, 19-20 G needles are to be preffered to bigger ones, provided that the operator be experienced and cyto-histology be correctly performed