The usefulness of needle biopsy in chest lesions of different sizes and locations.

Abstract

Needle biopsies were done on 125 chest lesions in 117 patients, for the purpose of evaluating the procedure in relation to size and location of the tumor. Fifty of these lesions were centrally located and 75 were peripherally located. Lesions (64), with diameters of 2 cm or less, were classified as small; 61 were classified as large. In peripheral lesions diagnostic yield was higher, but accuracy was lower than it was in central lesions. Diagnostic yields was the same in small lesions as it was in large ones, although accuracy was higher in small lesions. The complication rate was lower in central lesions than it was in peripheral lesions; the rate did not differ between large and small lesions.