With this retrospective study we evaluated the results and the complications of our 343 CT-guided transthoracic biopsies, which we performed in 300 @entity1 with localised and infiltrative lesions of the lung and the mediastinum during 4 years, using the VacuCut-needle in 96% of our cases. In 256 pts. bronchoscopy without final diagnosis was performed before transthoracic biopsy. In 219 pts. (73.0%) we had positive results. In 209 pts. with @entity5 the positive rate was 73.7%. In @entity1 with benign processes the positive rate was less (67.8%). Out of 32 pts, suffering from mediastinal lesions 29 had @entity5 . In 79.3% positive results were obtained. The rate of complications was low (9%) in 311 biopsies of @entity358 , most were pneumothoraces (7.7%). @entity548 occurred in 4 pts. (1.3%) 5 pts. (1.6%) required drainage because of pneumothorax. On the base of our good results and the low complication rate we recommend CT-guided transthoracic aspiration biopsy with the VacuCut-needle as a useful and accurate diagnostic technique.

[CT-assisted transthoracic puncture of XXXX and mediastinal infiltrations. A retrospective study of 300 @entity1 ].

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['patients'] @entity358 :: ('MESH:D008171', 'Disease') :: ['pulmonary lesions'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['malignancies'] @entity548 :: ('MESH:D006470', 'Disease') :: ['Haemorrhages']
@entity358 :: (MESH:D008171,Disease) :: ['pulmonary lesions']
