Abstract
From May, 1987, to December, 1990, 173 percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsies (PTNB) using a 19-gauge spinal needle under uniplane fluoroscopic guidance were performed in 160 patients. Thirty-one patients had a final diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. These patients with tuberculosis underwent a total of 35 biopsies. Twenty of 35 (57%) had definite histologic features of tuberculosis with stainable acid-fast bacilli, 4/35 (11.5%) had granulomatous or caseous lesion consistent with tuberculosis, and 11/35 had nonspecific inflammatory changes. When results were matched with the sputum culture results, 15/35 specimens (43%) provided the exclusive means of diagnosis of tuberculosis. Five of 35 (14%) patients developed postbiopsy pneumothoraces. The overall acceptance by patients was good. This report indicates the potential usefulness of PTNB in the rapid diagnosis of selected cases of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis. The yield was comparable to fiberoptic bronchoscopy, currently commonly used in the diagnosis of pulmonary mycobacterial disease. The procedure was noted for its simplicity.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Danek SJ, Bower JS (1979) Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis by flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Am Rev Respir Dis 119:677–679
Hong Kong Chest Service/Tuberculosis Research Centre, Madras/British Medical Research Council (1989) A controlled trial of 3-month, 4-month and 6-month regimens of chemotherapy for sputum-smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis. Results at 5 years. Am Rev Respir Dis 139:871–876
Narain R, Subba Rao MS, Chandrasekhar P, Pyarelal (1971) Microscopy positive and microscopy negative cases of pulmonary tuberculosis. Am Rev Respir Dis 103:761–773
Pant K, Chawla R, Mann PS, Jaggi OP (1989) Fiberbronchoscopy in smear-negative miliary tuberculosis. Chest 95:1151–1152
Sarkar SK, Sharma GS, Gupta PR, Sharma RK (1980) Fiberoptic bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Tubercle 61:97–99
Sinner WN (1984) Fine needle biopsy of tuberculomas. Chest 85:836
So SY, Lam WK, Yu DYC (1982) Rapid diagnosis of suspected pulmonary tuberculosis by fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Tubercle 63:195–200
Wallace JM, Deutsch AL, Harrell JH, Moser KM (1981) Bronchoscopy and transbronchial biopsy in evaluation of patients with suspected active tuberculosis. Am J Med 70:1189–1194
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yew, W.W., Kwan, S.Yl., Wong, P.C. et al. Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsies in the rapid diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Lung 169, 285–289 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02714164
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02714164