PERCUTANEOUS CT-GUIDED CORE BIOPSY OF PULMONARY LESIONS PERFORMED BY RESPIRATORY PHYSICIANS IS SAFE WITH GOOD DIAGNOSTIC YIELD.

IS KHOR¹, CS ANG², A IRFHAN¹, KKM BEH², LK LEM¹

¹Respiratory Department, and ²Clinical Research Centre, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.

ABSTRACT

Aims:  To evaluate the rate and associating factors of diagnostic yield and complications of percutaneous CT-guided core biopsy performed by respiratory physicians and fellows in respiratory training. Methods:  A retrospective analysis was performed on 99 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous CT-guided core biopsies performed by respiratory team between 01 January 2016 and 31 August 2018. Diagnostic yield and complication rate were calculated. Demographic and clinical data, pathology results and outcomes were analysed to evaluate the factors associated with diagnostic yield and occurrence of complications. Results: The diagnostic yield was 82.8% (82/99) and the complication rate was 28.3% (28/99), of which only 3 cases out of the 28 were classed as major complications requiring interventional procedures. There was no cases of mortality. Using multivariate analysis, only operator’s experience (more than 6 years) was associated with diagnostic yield and occurrence of complications was associated with number of needle passes, length of needle path and if needle passing through aerated lung. Conclusion: Percutaneous CT-guided core biopsy of intrathoracic lesions performed by respiratory physicians with minimal 6 years of experience, in our centre is safe and feasible, with good diagnostic yield.

Keywords: Complications, Image-guided biopsy, Lung Neoplasms, Pulmonary nodules, Pulmonologists.

Corresponding author: Dr KHOR Inn Shih, (UKM, MRCPI), Physician and respiratory fellow, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hospital Pulau Pinang, Jalan Residensi, 10990 Georgetown, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia. Telephone: (+60)04-2225333; (+60)012-5548737

Email: khoris2224@gmail.com

Brunei Int Med J. 2019;15:133-139