To evaluate the accuracy of CT-guided percutaneous core biopsy of the thin-walled cavitary lesions.

The study included 28 patients (21 men, 7 women; age range 32-84 years) who had thin-walled cavitary pulmonary lesions and underwent CT-guided core needle biopsy. Thin-walled cavitary lesions were defined as having a wall thickness of less than 5 mm based on chest CT. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated on the basis of 26, as 2 lesions had indeterminated biopsy results. Each case was reviewed for complications including pneumothorax, thoracotomy tube insertion and hemoptysis.

There were 17 (61%) malignant and 9 (32%) benign lesions on final diagnosis. Two (7%) biopsy results were indeterminate (anthracofibrosis, focal interstitial thickening) and excluded from calculation of sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy because of loss of follow up. Wall thickness ranged from 1 to 5 mm and cavities ranged from 7 to 27 mm in diameter. The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of thin-walled cavities were 88%, 100%, and 92%, respectively. Metastasis from colon cancer and pulmonary adenocarcinoma were misdiagnosed as chronic nonspecific inflammation and...

CT guided core biopsy is useful diagnostic technique for cavitary pulmonary lesions with high diagnostic accuracy and has an acceptable complication rate.

1. Florian U, Jesaja K, William R. Lung cancers associated with cystic airspaces: Natural history, pathologic correlation, and mutational analysis. J Thorac Imaging 2017; 32(3); 176-188 2. Tae Jung Kim, Jae-Ho Lee, Choon-Taek Lee. Diagnostic Accuracy of CT-Guided Core Biopsy of Ground-Glass Opacity Pulmonary Lesions. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2008;190: 234-239