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Updated: Jun 7, 2025

Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration E-TTNA for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
Nonlinear association between lung needle path CT attenuation values and postprocedural immediate pneumothorax
Shao-Quan Zhou1, Fang Luo2, Xiong Ran1
1Department of Radiology, Chongqing General Hospital, Yubei District, Chongqing, 401147, China.
Background:
Pneumothorax is a potential complication following computed tomography-guided lung biopsy (CT-LB). However, the relationship between the lung needle path CT attenuation values and risk of post-procedural immediate pneumothorax remains unclear. The study aims to investigate this relationship.
Methods:
The present single-center retrospective cohort study analyzed the data obtained from 453 patients who underwent CT-LB from 2019 to 2022. The relationship between the lung needle path CT attenuation values and post-procedural immediate pneumothorax was assessed using restricted cubic splines, which were adjusted for potential confounders, and validated using linear and nonlinear binomial logistic models.
Results:
A total of 453 patients (mean age: 60.2 ± 12.0 years old, 217 male patients) were evaluated. The incidence of post-procedural immediate pneumothorax was 41.06% (186/453). The median needle path CT attenuation was - 831 Hounsfield units (Hu). The linear models indicated an unstable association between lung needle path CT attenuation and post-procedural immediate pneumothorax (odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.99-1.00). The nonlinear analysis identified an inflection point at a CT attenuation value of -805 Hu. A stronger negative link was identified for needle path CT attenuation values below - 805 Hu (odds ratio: 0.99, 95% confidence interval: 0.98-0.99) between the needle path CT attenuation value and pneumothorax, while no statistically significant association was identified between these when the CT attenuation value was above - 805 Hu.
Conclusion:
There is a nonlinear association between the lung needle path CT attenuation values and risk of post-procedural immediate pneumothorax. For CT attenuation values below - 805 Hu, increasing the needle path CT attenuation values might reduce the risk of pneumothorax.
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