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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration (E-TTNA) for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
Fatal paradoxical pulmonary air embolism complicating percutaneous computed tomography-guided needle biopsy of the
Rajesh Chakravarti1, Virendra Singh, Rethish Isaac
1Department of Radiology and Medicine, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India. dr_rajesh321@hotmail.com
Abstract:
A 63-year-old man with left upper zone haziness on chest X-ray and an infiltrative lesion with a pleural mass in the left upper lobe on CT scan was scheduled for CT-guided percutaneous trans-thoracic needle biopsy. During the procedure, the patient had massive haemoptysis and cardiorespiratory arrest and could not be revived. Post-mortem CT showed air in the right atrium, right ventricle, pulmonary artery and also in the left atrium and aorta. A discussion on paradoxical air embolism following percutaneous trans-thoracic needle biopsy is presented.
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