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Imprint cytology improves accuracy of computed tomography-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy

Depts of ¹ Medical Imaging, ² Internal Medicine, ³ Laboratory Medicine, ⁴ Pathology, and, ⁶ Medical Research, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, and ⁵ National Center of Excellence for General Clinical Trial and Research, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

CORRESPONDENCE: P-C. Yang, Dept of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine, 7 Chung-Shan South Road, Taipei 100, Taiwan. Fax: 886 223582867. E-mail: pcyang{at}ntu.edu.tw

Keywords: Computed tomography, cytology, diagnostic accuracy, needle lung biopsy

Received: April 1, 2007
Accepted September 14, 2007

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether imprint cytology can improve the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography-guided transthoracic core biopsy.

Between October 1997 and June 2004, thoracic lesions in 622 patients underwent biopsy using 19-gauge coaxial guiding needles and 20-gauge biopsy needles under computed tomography guidance. Touch imprint cytology and histopathology were performed for all biopsy specimens.

Of these lesions, 431 (74.1%) were diagnosed as malignant, 151 (25.9%) as benign and 40 (6%) as nondiagnostic. Imprint cytology plus histology shows an improved diagnostic accuracy of 96.4% compared with that of imprint cytology alone (92.3%) or histopathology alone (93.0%). Procedure-related complications requiring further treatment occurred in eight (1.4%) patients.

In conclusion, imprint cytology combined with histopathology can improve the diagnostic accuracy of computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle biopsy.