Related Experiment Video For body CT
Updated: May 5, 2026
Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration E-TTNA for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
CT-guided core biopsy of malignant lung lesions: how many needle passes are needed?
Chaehun Lim1, Kyo Young Lee, Young Kyoon Kim
1Department of Radiology, Seoul St Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Aim:
The study aims to determine the number of needle pass in the CT-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) in making a diagnosis of pulmonary malignancy.
Materials And Methods:
A total of 434 CNB records were retrospectively reviewed. The specimen obtained from each needle pass was put in a formalin container and then labelled for separate histopathological reporting. The patients were divided into five groups according to the total number of needle passes (n = 1, n = 2, n = 3, n = 4 and n ≥ 5). In each of the groups 2-4, it was analysed how many needle passes are required before a plateau in diagnostic yield is achieved.
Results:
CNB produced 283 true-positive and 23 false-negative diagnosis of malignancy. Cumulative sensitivity significantly (P < 0.05) increased between the first and second as well as the second and the third (if done) needle passes, but not between the third and fourth ones.
Conclusion:
Three coaxial needle passes might be optimal in the diagnosis of lung malignancy.
