Usefulness of new automated cutting needle for tissue-core biopsy of lung nodules under CT fluoroscopic guidance.

OBJECTIVES The goal of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new type of automated cutting needle for tissue-core lung biopsy under real-time CT fluoroscopic guidance. DESIGN Observational MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred ten percutaneous needle tissue-core lung biopsies were performed with the Auto Surecut needle (Create Medic; Yokohama, Japan) under CT fluoroscopic guidance, and the specimens obtained underwent histopathologic evaluation. A final diagnosis was confirmed by independent surgical pathology. RESULTS The rate of success for the diagnosis for specimens that were adequate for histopathologic analysis was 94.5% (104 of 110 specimens). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in diagnosing malignancy were 95.1%, 100%, and 96.2%, respectively. A specific cell type could be characterized in 95.2% of those 104 lesions (99 lesions; malignant, 76 lesions; benign, 23 lesions). The specific cell type was precisely diagnosed, and was confirmed after surgery in 65 malignant lesions and 23 benign lesions. The biopsy-induced complications encountered were pneumothorax in 34.5% (38 of 110 patients) and hemoptysis in 6.4% (7 of 110 patients). No patient had a serious complication. CONCLUSION CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy using the Auto Surecut needle provides a high degree of diagnostic accuracy, allows for the specific characterization of lung nodules, and can be performed safely.