Transthoracic image-guided biopsy of lung nodules: When is benign really benign?

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Savage C., Walser E., Schnadig V., Woodside K., Üstüner E., Zwischenberger J.

JOURNAL OF VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY, vol.15, no.2, pp.161-164, 2004 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

• Publication Type: Article / Article
• Volume: 15 Issue: 2
• Publication Date: 2004
• Doi Number: 10.1097/01.rvi.0000109397.74740.8d
• Journal Name: JOURNAL OF VASCULAR AND INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY
• Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
• Page Numbers: pp.161-164
• Ankara University Affiliated: No

Abstract

PURPOSE: A pathologic diagnosis of malignancy by image-guided transthoracic fine needle aspiration (FNA) with or without (+/-) core biopsy is definitive. However, a benign diagnosis of a lung nodule by FNA core biopsy presents a management dilemma of resection for confirmation versus follow-up imaging and/or medical treatment. We propose three separate pathologic categories of benign diagnosis after FNA core biopsy: (i) benign specific (ie, aspergillosis); (ii) benign nonspecific (ie, fibrosis); and (iii) nondiagnostic. Our goal was to define when to resect "benign" nodules to avoid an unacceptably high false-negative rate.