Does Repeating CT-Guided Transthoracic Fine Needle Aspiration Increase Diagnostic Yield and Complication Rate? A Single Institution Experience

BACKGROUND: Transthoracic fine needle aspiration biopsy is a well-established and safe technique for obtaining pulmonary tissue. However, there is very little data about repeating procedure. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate whether repeating CT-guided transthoracic fine needle aspiration (TFNA) increases diagnostic yield and complication rate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients underwent TFNA and the final diagnoses achieved were included in the study. Consequently, 316 TFNA procedures performed in 240 patients were investigated retrospectively. A diagnosis was not reached in the first TFNA in 64 patients, then they underwent repeated TFNA. The factors that affected the diagnostic yield and complication rate were recorded. RESULTS: The final diagnoses of 199 (82.9%) patients were malignant and 41 patients were benign. One hundred seventy six patients underwent the TFNA procedure only once. Sixty-four patients underwent a second procedure, while 12 underwent a third one. The diagnosis rate in the first procedures (diagnosis obtained in 142 out of 240 patients) was 59%. With the repeated procedures, 30 other patients were diagnosed. The diagnosis rate increased to 72% (172 out of 240 patients) (P<0.001). Twenty-nine (9.2%) pneumothoraces in 26 patients were detected in 316 TFNA procedures. In the repeated TFNA group (64 patients) there were seven pneumothoraces (11%) in the first TFNA procedure and six pneumothoraces (9%) in the repeated TFNA procedures (P=0.41). In three patients, pneumothorax was detected in the first and repeated procedures. Pneumothorax was significantly associated with the maximum diameter of the lesion (P=0.003), distance to pleura (P=0.001), contact to the pleura (P=0.0001) and smoking history (pack/year) (P=0.04). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that repeating the TFNA procedure in pulmonary lesions improves the diagnostic yield without an increase in the rate of pneumothorax.