CT guided percutaneous needle biopsy of mediastinal lymph nodes for staging of primary lung carcinoma
Akamatsu, H.; Amano, J.; Suzuki, A.; Kikushima, Y.
Kyobu Geka. Japanese Journal of Thoracic Surgery 47(6): 462-465
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-5252 PMID: 8207886 Document Number: 430790
In cases of primary lung carcinoma, diagnosis of metastatic mediastinal lymph nodes using computed tomography (CT) is usually difficult, and mediastinoscopy is highly invasive for patients. By using CT guided percutaneous needle aspiration technique, we diagnosed the metastasis to mediastinal lymph nodes in three cases of primary lung carcinoma. In this method, percutaneous biopsy was easily performed even in obesed patient, and metastatic lymph nodes were differentiated from large vessels by using enhanced CT to avoid dangerous punctures. Furthermore, biopsy of almost all mediastinal lymph nodes may be feasible by using both anterior and posterior approach. This method seems to be very useful for the diagnosis of the staging of primary lung carcinoma.