[A new biopsy needle for transcutaneous histology procurement]

The new Vacu-Cut biopsy needle differs from previous types by its simpler manipulation and the production of a stronger vacuum to extract the tissue core. This vacuum is caused by withdrawal of a stylet through an air-tight sealing membrane. The instrument is a hollow needle with an inner cutting-edge and a diameter of 0.95 mm. 49 patients with suspected lesions of the pulmonary parenchyma were biopsied transcutaneously under x-ray monitoring. The biopsy material allowed a clearcut diagnosis in 44 patients, including 2 repeat biopsies; the success rate was thus 86% of all biopsies performed. 7 attempts (14%) did not yield useful material as the lesions were too small (diameter below 2.5 cm) or were not penetrated. In 35% of all biopsies small pneumothoraces were observed after a few hours. In two cases transitory hemoptysis occurred.