Needle aspiration biopsy in suspected pulmonary carcinoma

The results of 22 needle aspiration biopsies performed over a period of 1 year were analyzed to help determine the role of this procedure in diagnosing suspected pulmonary carcinoma. The sensitivity for diagnosing pulmonary carcinoma was 79% while the specificity was 100%. The accuracy was greatest when the pulmonary mass was against the chest wall. This study suggests that needle aspiration biopsy has an important role in diagnosing suspected pulmonary carcinoma and is the procedure of choice when the mass is against the chest wall.