THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF TRANSTHORACIC CT-GUIDED FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION BIOPSY. OUR EXPERIENCE IN HOSPITAL OF LITHUANIAN UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES KAUNO KLINIKOS

Abstract

Background. Transthoracic CT-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (TTNB) is a minimaly invasive procedure with high diagnostic value. This procedure is used to evaluate the morphology of pulmonary mases or disesases. Compared to other methods of lung biopsy, TTNB is safer, more accurate, has no need for special preparation or equipment, can be performed without patient sedation. Diagnostic value. Compared to transbronchial lung biopsy (TBB), whose accuracy highly depends on the localization and size of the nodule, TTNB displays high accuracy in central and peripheral nodules. According to Lithuanian and foreign researchers, diagnostic accuracy is above 90%. During TTNB life threatening complications are rare. Our experience.We retrospectively analysed 15 patients who underwent TTNB. For all of the patients the procedure was informative. Only 3 patients experienced clinically insignificant pneumothorax. Comparing to TBB the time between radiologic and histologic evaluations was significantly shorter for patientswho underwent TTNB. Conclusion.CTNB ismore informative and cheaper than TBB. Furthermore with this procedure, histologic evaluation can be achieved faster and complications can be successfuly managed.