Usefulness of CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy using an automated biopsy gun and an 18-gauge cutting needle

The usefulness of CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy using an automated biopsy gun (ABG) and an 18-gauge cutting needle (18 G needle) was studied and compared with the use of an ABG and a 20-gauge cutting needle (20 G needle). Materials consisted of 83 examinations (83 patients, 83 lesions) of CT-guided lung biopsies using an ABG; 20 Gy needles were used in 66 of the 83 examinations (Group A), and 18 G needles were used in the other 17 (Group-B). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of biopsy success rate, complication rate, mean examination time, or diagnostic accuracy in the cases of malignant tumors. Biopsied specimens were graded according to both tissue quantity and quality from 0 to 4. The mean score in Group-B was superior to that in Group-A (p<0.05). Accuracy in histological diagnosis tended to be higher in Group-B than in Group-A, especially in the diagnosis of benign lesions. The results suggest that CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy using an ABG and an 18-gauge cutting needle will be useful when detailed histological investigation is needed. (author)