Pulmonologist-led ultrasound guided lung biopsy safety and efficacy: a 4-year experience from a tertiary centre in Northern Malaysia

• Published in: Medical journal of Malaysia Vol. 78; no. 6; pp. 751 - 755
• Main Authors: Ismail, I N, Alaga, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.11.2023
• ISSN: 0300-5283

INTRODUCTIONUltrasound guided lung biopsy (USLB) is a minimally invasive diagnostic tool with short examination time and real-time monitoring conducted bedside for accurate diagnosis in order to provide the best treatment. However, it is not widely performed by pulmonologists. We aim to explicate the efficacy and safety of USLB led by pulmonologists. The objective of this study is to assess safety and efficacy of USLB performed by pulmonologists in an outpatient setting.MATERIALS AND METHODSWe retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent the procedure from January 2018 to April 2022. Under real time ultrasound (Hitachi Medical ProSound F37), thoracic lesions adjacent to the chest wall were sampled with a full-core biopsy needle (CT Core Single Action Biopsy Device, 18G × 15 cm, Vigeo, Italy). Chest x-ray was performed 30 minutes post procedure ruling out pneumothorax. Patients were discharged home 1-2 hours post biopsy. Data was analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010 and Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 26.RESULTSA total of 18 patients (14 males, 4 females) underwent USLB for lung tumours. Biopsies were histologically deemed adequate with an overall diagnostic yield of 77.8% (14/18). A total of 57% were positive for thoracic malignancy (21% squamous cell carcinoma, 21% adenocarcinoma, 15% small cell carcinoma) and another 43% were positive for extra thoracic malignancy (1 hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 DLBCL, 1 Hodgkin's lymphoma, 1 seminoma, 1 thymoma). Four patients had inconclusive results but managed to get positive results from surgical or lymph node biopsy (thymoma and adenocarcinoma). Statistical analysis showed more than two passes are needed to achieve a positive HPE yield (p value<0.05). There were nil complications to all the cases done.CONCLUSIONSUSLB can safely and effectively be performed by trained pulmonologists with excellent accuracy and low complication rate in outpatients.