Fine-needle and screw-needle samples in CT-assisted biopsies of chest lesions

We compared samples obtained using a fine-needle with those made using a screw-needle (Rotex) of equal diameter in 28 patients. The biopsies were performed with the aid of computed tomography. All patients had lesions suggesting primary lung neoplasia or metastatic disease located in the lung parenchyma, pleura and in the ribs (17, 9 and 2 patients, respectively). Diagnostic material was obtained from 25 patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the yield of diagnostic material produced by the two procedures. Malignancy was found in 12 patients. Pneumothorax was the most common complication, occurring in 7 patients. CT-guided diagnostic needle biopsies have high diagnostic accuracy and a low complication rate. The diagnostic yield of the fine-needle and the screw-needle is equal.