Ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy skill for peripheral lung lesions and complications prevention

To investigate puncture skills and complications prevention in ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle biopsy for peripheral lung lesions.

Ninety-two peripheral lung lesions in 92 patients, detected via computed tomography (CT) and also visible on ultrasound, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent percutaneous peripheral lung lesion needle biopsy under traditional ultrasound or contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) guidance paying attention to avoiding necrotic areas and large blood vessels. All the specimens were examined histopathologically. Preprocedure all 92 lesions were performed by traditional ultrasonography to evaluate the size, the echogenecity, liquefaction areas and blood flow on color Doppler imaging, some of which were performed by CEUS for evaluating non-enhanced necrosis areas, contrast agent arrival time (AT) and characteristics of blood perfusion.

The histopathologic results of all 92 lesions were as follows: 67 malignant tumors (including 28 adenocarcinomas, 19 squamous cell carcinomas, 6 bronchoalveolar carcinomas, 5 small cell carcinomas, 5 metastatic cancers, 3 poorly differentiated cancers and 1 malignant mesothelioma), 20 benign lesions (including 9 pneumonia, 6 inflammatory pseudotumors and 5 tuberculomas), 5 undetermined lesions. Of 52 lesions by CEUS guidance, 7 lesions showed enhancement in the pulmonary arterial-phase (including 6 pneumonia and 1 malignant tumors), 45 lesions showed enhancement in the bronchial artery phase (including 37 malignant tumors, 3 inflammatory pseudotumors, 4 tuberculomas and 1 undetermined lesion). According to needle insertion angle along linear path, a total of 92 lesions were divided into two groups, 49 lesions at an angle of 70°-80° needle insertion and 43 lesions at an angle of 80°-90° needle insertion. In the study, linear and non-linear two puncture paths were used, we first tried to puncture along linear path in all lesions, if an attempt to insert into the lesions failed due to be blocked by the ribs and then changed to puncture along non-linear path instead. The success rate of biopsy procedure along linear puncture was significantly higher at an angle of 80°-90°group (93.0% vs. 20.4%, P<0.01), and the adoption rate of non-linear path biopsy for solving the puncture needle blocked by the ribs was significantly higher at angle of 70°-80°group (79.6% vs. 7.0%, P<0.01). Of 52 lesions by CEUS guidance, 27 (51.9%) showed non enhanced necrosis areas on CEUS, only 5 showed liquefaction necrosis areas on gray-scale ultrasound. Of 40 lesions by traditional ultrasound guidance, 4 showed necrosis areas on gray-scale ultrasound. There were no significant differences in lesion size, the average number of biopsy attempts and complication rates between CEUS guidance group and traditional ultrasound guidance group (P>0.05), the pathological confirmation rate in CEUS guidance group was higher than that in traditional ultrasound guidance group, but without significant difference (98.1% vs. 90.0%, P>0.05). Of all 92 cases, 3 cases (3.3%) had mild pneumothorax and 4 cases (4.3%) had hemoptysis.

In ultrasound-guided needle biopsy for peripheral lung lesions, using a combination of linear and non-linear puncture techniques and keeping away from necrotic areas and large blood vessels, may help to increase the success rate and reduce the incidence of complications further.