Low-dose versus standard-dose computed tomography-guided biopsy for pulmonary nodules: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Pulmonology
• Interventional Radiology

Background:

• Pulmonary nodules (PNs) require accurate diagnosis.
• Computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy is a common diagnostic tool.
• Assessing the safety and efficacy of different CT dose levels is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the safety and diagnostic performance of low-dose versus standard-dose CT-guided biopsy for PNs.
• To evaluate radiation dose reduction and diagnostic yield.

Main Methods:

• A prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 200 patients with PNs.
• Patients were randomized into low-dose or standard-dose CT-guided biopsy groups.
• Primary outcome: diagnostic accuracy; Secondary outcomes: technical success, diagnostic yield, operation time, radiation dose, complications.

Main Results:

• No significant difference in operation time, diagnostic yield, or accuracy between low-dose and standard-dose groups.
• Low-dose CT significantly reduced radiation dose (mean dose-length product 31.5 vs. 333.5 mGy-cm).
• Diagnostic accuracy was high in both groups (94% low-dose vs. 92% standard-dose), with comparable complication rates.

Conclusions:

• Low-dose CT-guided biopsy for PNs is a safe and effective alternative to standard-dose CT.
• This method significantly lowers radiation exposure without compromising diagnostic performance.
• Low-dose CT represents an optimized approach for pulmonary nodule biopsy.