Image-Guided Pleural Needle Biopsy in Pleural Diseases

In recent observational studies show that ultrasound guidance generally increases the success of pleural needle biopsies, it has been shown that the diagnostic success of needle biopsies is compromised and increased when the presence of pleural fluid is associated with a pleural lesion or pleural thickening or pleural nodular lesions. There is no evidence to support a common view on which needle is appropriate in which situation in terms of diagnostic success, reliability of benign diagnoses, and safety of side effects. This study aimed to compare and evaluate the diagnostic yield of the Abrams biopsy needle and the cutting biopsy needle in US-guided pleural needle biopsy to determine which needle is appropriate in which situation. As a result of the study, the diagnostic yield of the cutting needle was found to be higher in cases with pleural thickening of 1 cm or more, and the diagnostic yield of the Abrams needle was found to be higher in patients with pleural thickening of less than 1 cm.