[Fine-needle and incisional biopsy technics in the percutaneous puncture of abdominal space-occupying lesions]

Cutting needles for guided percutaneous biopsy of abdominal tumors have been introduced in recent years and provide better results than fine-needle aspiration. A total of 292 biopsies in 273 patients were evaluated retrospectively. The diagnostic accuracy was 83.4% with cutting needles and 54.4% for fine-needle aspiration. The sensitivity in detection of malignancy was 86.8% and 88.6%, respectively. The location of the lesion to be biopsied determined whether CT or US was used for guidance. US control was used in biopsies of the upper abdomen; CT was preferred for guidance in the retroperitoneal space and in the pelvis. The caliber of the cutting needles in transperitoneal or transintestinal biopsy was limited to 19 gauge. The complication risk using cutting needles up to 18 gauge is no higher than for fine-needle aspiration biopsy if suitable access routes are selected.