In 4 out of 73 patients (Fig.
10.) specimen was not obtained due to poor compliance (anxiety,
pain despite local analgesia,
excessive respiratory motions,
inability to reach lesion because of central location).
Pathohistological diagnosis
In 69 patients (Fig.
11.,
12.
and 17.) that underwent transthoracic biopsy,
patohistological results of analised tissue samples revealed 48 neoplastic lesions (14 adenocarcinomas,
6 squamous cell carcinomas,
4 small cell carcinomas,
1 LCNEC, 2 solitary fibrous tumors,
2 mesotheliomas,
2 non-diferentiated non-small cell carcinomas,
12 metastases,
2 lymphomas,
1 lesion suspicious of malignacy and 2 inconclusive lesions).
Among thoracic metastases,
most common found in our study were malignant melanoma metastases (4).
There were 2 breast carcinoma metastases,
2 colon adenocarcinoma metastases,
1 renal cell carcinoma metastasis,
1 uterine adenocarcinoma metastasis,
1 ovarian leiomyosarcoma metastasis and 1 mesothelioma metastasis.
Non-neoplastic lesions (inflammatory infiltrates,
connective tissue,
fibrin,
erythrocytes,
etc.) were found in 17 patients and normal tissue in 4 patients.
Depth of lesions was 23-138 mm and diameter of the smallest bioptied nodule was 6 mm (Fig.
13.).
Complications
The most common complication was pneumothorax,
but only three patients required insertion of the chest tube.
In two cases,
a bit larger pneumothorax was obvious during the procedure,
therefore the radiologist drain it after samples were taken using syringe attached to the introducer needle (there was no need to insert chest tube),
Fig.
14.
Pulmonary hemorrhage,
although mostly perifocal,
was also often reported complication but nobody required further actions other than monitoring red blood count more often (Fig.
15.
and 16.).