Multiplanar reconstruction technique for difficult computed tomography-guided lung biopsy: Improved accuracy and...

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Interventional Pulmonology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy is crucial for diagnosing lung lesions.
• Difficult cases pose challenges to diagnostic accuracy and patient safety.
• Traditional biopsy methods may be associated with complications and lower diagnostic yields.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the multiplanar reconstruction technique (MRT) in CT-guided lung biopsies.
• To compare MRT with the traditional method in terms of diagnostic accuracy, complications, radiation dose, and procedure duration.
• To determine if MRT enhances outcomes for difficult lung biopsy cases.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective analysis of 72 difficult CT-guided lung biopsy cases.
• Comparison between the traditional biopsy method (n=44) and the MRT-assisted method (n=28).
• Evaluation of patient and lesion characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, complication rates, radiation dose (dose-length product), and procedure duration.

Main Results:

• Diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher with MRT (100%) compared to the traditional method (84.1%, P = 0.038).
• No severe complications occurred in the MRT group, whereas the traditional group had one severe pneumothorax and one fatal hemothorax.
• The dose-length product rate was lower with MRT, although procedure duration was slightly longer.

Conclusions:

• Multiplanar reconstruction technique (MRT) significantly improves diagnostic accuracy in CT-guided lung biopsies.
• MRT is associated with a reduced risk of severe complications compared to traditional methods.
• MRT represents a valuable advancement for performing challenging CT-guided lung biopsies.