The Safety of CT-Guided Percutaneous Lung Biopsy in Elderly Patients With Solitary Pulmonary Nodules

Objective: Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous lung biopsy is an effective diagnostic procedure for patients with solitary pulmonary nodules (SPN). The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety of this procedure for elderly patients with SPN. Methods: A total of 125 patients with SPN who received a CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into elderly (age 65 and above) and non-elderly groups. The patients' characteristics and procedure-related complications were compared between the two groups. Results: The elderly and non-elderly groups included 74 and 51 patients, respectively. The success rate of a CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy was 100%. The diagnosis rate of lung cancer in the elderly group was significantly higher than that in the non-elderly group (83.78% vs. 64.70%, p = 0.014). The incidence of pulmonary hemorrhage after lung biopsy in the elderly group (44, 59.45%) was significantly higher than that in the non-elderly group (21, 41.17%, p = 0.044), and moderate hemorrhage was the main contributor. The incidence rate of pneumothorax in the elderly group numerically increased, but the difference did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion: Computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy was an efficient procedure for diagnosing SPN in elderly patients. Although complication rates were relatively higher in elderly patients, the safety of this procedure was acceptable.