Preoperative CT-guided localization for pulmonary nodules: a comparative study between conventional and novel tailed...

Computed tomography (CT)-guided coil localization is a commonly employed technique for the preoperative localization of pulmonary nodules (PNs). This study was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of conventional CT-guidance versus coil localization for the preoperative assessment of PNs.

This retrospective study included consecutive patients with PNs who underwent either CT-guided conventional (n=41) or novel (n=42) coil localization before video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) resection between January 2023 and December 2024. The two groups were compared regarding localization success rates and VATS-related outcomes.

A total of 41 patients in the conventional coil group and 42 in the novel coil group underwent PN localization before VATS resection. Each patient was localized with 1 PN. The novel coil group achieved a significantly higher successful localization rate than the conventional coil group (100% vs. 87.8%, P=0.026). The duration of localization was comparable between the 2 groups (P=0.097). The rates of pneumothorax (12.2% vs. 16.7%, P=0.562) and lung hemorrhage (19.5% vs. 11.9%, P=0.340) were comparable between the 2 groups. Both groups achieved a 100% rate of VATS limited resection, with no significant difference in the types of limited resection (P=0.189). The duration of VATS procedure (P=0.804) and the distribution of final pathological diagnoses were both comparable between the two groups (P=0.751).

The novel coil localization technique showed higher efficacy than the conventional coil approach for preoperative localization of PNs, while maintaining a similar safety profile.