Abstract
Purpose: The usefulness of ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy for diagnosis of lung cancer has been previously reported. It is possible to more safely and reliably perform tests by evaluating the blood flow within the lesion by color Doppler sonography. We investigated the efficacy and safety of US-guided biopsy using color Doppler sonography for visualization of intrathoracic lesions by transthoracic ultrasound. Subjects and Methods: US-guided transthoracic biopsy using color Doppler sonography was performed in 50 patients with thoracic lesions. Ultrasonographic images of thoracic lesions were obtained and the vascular structures in the lesions were evaluated with color Doppler sonography. Biopsy was performed based on the following criteria: (1) located as close as possible to the thoracic wall, (2) regions without large blood vessels, and (3) regions with some blood vessels. The pathological diagnosis was compared with the final clinical diagnosis. Results and Discussion: Sufficient specimens for examination were obtained in 49 out of 50 cases. The pathological diagnosis was malignancy in 37 (75.5%) cases, with the final clinical diagnosis also being malignancy in all of these 37 cases. As for the other 12 cases, the final clinical diagnosis was malignancy in one case (9.1%) and benign in 11 cases (91.7%). One case developed asymptomatic pneumothorax, and one case developed hemosputum. Both were mild and resolved without treatment. Conclusion: The present findings suggest that US-guided transthoracic biopsy for thoracic lesions could be performed safely and accurately using color Doppler sonography.
