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Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration (E-TTNA) for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
Value of repeat ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration in nodules with benign cytological diagnosis
1Department of Radiology, Sungkyunkwan University, School of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea.
Purpose:
To assess the value of repeat ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) in nodules with benign cytological diagnosis.
Material And Methods:
One-hundred-and-eighty-seven patients undergoing repeat US-FNA were included after a benign cytological diagnosis had been made by the initial US-FNA. They were divided into a re-aspiration group, who underwent repeat US-FNA within 6 months for a discordant pathological and clinico-radiological result, and a follow-up aspiration group, who underwent repeat US-FNA after 6 months without any clinical or radiological suspicion. The cancer rate in each group and the US findings of the later-diagnosed malignant nodules were assessed.
Results:
Nine malignancies were verified in the 187 cases (4.8%) by repeat US-FNA or surgery. In 44 patients in the re-aspiration group, 6 malignancies were identified (13.6%), compared with 3 malignancies in the 143 patients in the follow-up aspiration group (2.1%) (P<0.05). The later-diagnosed malignant nodules were an average of 1.0 cm in diameter; 66.7% were round; 66.7% were circumscribed; 100% were solid; 88.9% were hypoechoic; and 55.6% contained calcifications on US.
Conclusion:
The follow-up of nodules with benign cytological diagnosis without clinicoradiological suspicion of malignancy is warranted using imaging surveillance rather than repeated US-FNA.