[Experiences with the pneumatic drill for the taking of biopsy cylinders]

Surgical excisional biopsies, needle biopsies and aspiration biopsies are at present the most frequently used technical procedures in the diagnosis of tumors or other pathologic conditions. An additional, lesser known method of obtaining tissue for microscopic examination with a high speed pneumatic drill biopsy device is described. Over a period of 29 months 118 biopsies have been performed in 99 patients for histologic examinations limited to breast lymph nodes, skin and scars, thyroid gland, bone and parotic gland. Only 8 (6.8%) out of 118 biopsies were inadequate for microscopic evaluation. The 110 (93.2%) histologically adequate biopsies showed 76 (64.4%) specimens with pathologic changes and 28 (23.7%) were correctly negative. Consequently, 104 (88.1%) of the biopsies performed gave correct results. 6 cases (5.1%) were false-negative. False-positive cases were not obtained. In view of the number of successful examinations with adequate results, it can be concluded that the method presented is a useful diagnostic tool. The procedure involves little stress for the patient and can be performed under local anesthesia on an out-patient basis.