[Percutaneous fine needle biopsy for malignant mediastinal tumors]

Seventeen patients with mediastinal malignant tumors (four neurogenic tumors, four thymomas, three germ cell tumors, two malignant lymphomas and one each of carcinoid, malignant melanoma, multiple myeloma and carcinoma simplex) were examined for the evaluation of percutaneous fine needle biopsy. In 16 cases of them, adequate materials for cytodiagnosis were obtained. Fifteen of the 17 cases (88%) were positive for malignant cells, and 1 case was negative. As for the histological types, 9 cytological diagnoses (60%) were compatible and 4 diagnoses (27%) were not. Regarding complications of percutaneous fine needle biopsy, 1 case of subcutaneous needle tract implantation was noted. Percutaneous fine needle biopsy is strongly recommended for diagnosis of mediastinal tumors.