CT/fluoroscopy-guided transthoracic needle biopsy: sensitivity and complication rate in 98 procedures
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Updated: Oct 2, 2026
Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration (E-TTNA) for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
Michael Muehlstaedt1, Roland Bruening, Joachim Diebold
1Institute for Clinical Radiology, University of Munich-Grosshadern, Munich, Germany.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate CT/fluoroscopy (CTF)-guided core needle biopsies (CNBs) in the thorax.
Method:
Ninety-eight biopsies were performed using a core biopsy needle (18G) with a reusable biopsy gun under CT/F. All results were compared to surgery plus histology or to clinical follow-up of >12 months. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated.
Results:
For pulmonary biopsies, sensitivity was 94%, specificity 100%, and NPV 73%; no significant correlation between the pneumothorax rate and the intrathoracic penetration depth was found. For biopsies of the mediastinum and pleura, sensitivities were 87 and 80%, respectively; specificity was 100% in both locations. A pneumothorax occurred in 21%, a pneumothorax requiring drainage in 2.0%.
Conclusion:
CT/F-guided CNB is a reliable method to obtain thoracic biopsies, with a complication rate of 2.0%.
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