Percutaneous Aspiration Biopsy Of Discrete Lung Lesions

Using a fine bore needle and image-amplification fluoroscopic guidance, percutaneous aspiration biopsies were performed on 59 patients with discrete lung lesions. Diagnostic accuracy of malignancy was 80%; correlation in tumor typing when compared with histologic diagnoses made from autopsy or operative material was good. Two methods of cytologic preparation, by direct smear and Nuclepore filter, were compared with histologic sections of the aspirate, the most reliable preparation being the smear made directly from fresh aspirate. It is concluded that the percutaneous aspiration biopsy is a reliable additional method of diagnosing lung cancer, that it can be successfully employed for lesions out of reach of the bronchoscope, including those in the upper lobes, and that it has particular application in tumors which are inoperable, whether due to the stage of malignancy, the poor general condition of the patient, or the presence of metastases.