[A comparative study on manual and coaxial automated percutaneous lung biopsy]

To evaluate the difference in diagnostic accuracy and complication rate and operational procedures between manual and coaxial automated percutaneous lung biopsy under CT-guidance.

Ninety-seven patients [aged from 19 - 87 (50 ± 17) years], with undiagnosed pulmonary lesions underwent CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy from June 2006 to May 2010 in this hospital. The final diagnosis was confirmed by surgical pathology or clinical follow-up. Fifty-three patients (32 males and 21 females) underwent manual percutaneous lung biopsy, while 44 patients (29 males and 15 females) underwent percutaneous lung biopsy by using a coaxial automated biopsy device (biopsy gun). Biopsies were carried out by the same physician in all cases with the 18G vitesse needle made by optimed company in German. Biopsy guns made by the same company were used in coaxial automated biopsy group. The puncture point, angle and depth were set according to the CT images under the guidance by CT grating. Generally, the puncture was directed vertically towards the lesions closest to the chest wall.

In the manual biopsy group, the diagnostic accuracy was 91% (48/53), the pneumothorax rate was 11% (6/53), and the hemorrhage rate was 15% (8/53), while in the coaxial automated biopsy group, they were 75% (33/44), 30% (13/44) and 27% (12/44), respectively.

The diagnostic accuracy was higher while the pneumothorax rate was lower in the manual biopsy as compared to the coaxial automated biopsy group.