CT guided transthoracic Needle Aspiration biopsy; effect of size of the lesion on the rate of pneumothorax

ABSTRACT

To analyze the rate of Pneumothorax after CT guided TNAB of lung masses, and correlating it with the size of the lesion. Descriptive study. Department of Radiology Mayo Hospital, Lahore. From June 2002 to April 2003, Seventy patients underwent CT guided FNA of the chest masses. Out of Seventy, 18 patients i.e.; 26% developed Pneumothorax. Lesion less than 1 cm, out of 6 patients 3 developed pneumothorax [50%], lesions 1-2 cm 5 out of 11 developed pneumothorax [45%], lesions with size of 2-3 cm 5 out of 14 patients developed pneumothorax [35%], lesions between 3-4 cm 2 out of 8 developed pneumothorax [25%], lesion sized 4-5 cm 1 out of 15 developed pneumothorax [6%], and lesion with more than 5 cm size 1 out of 16 developed pneumothorax [6%]. The study shows that the rate of Pneumothorax after CT guided TNAB of Lung Masses increases as the size of the lesion decreases