Diagnostic yield of percutaneous core needle biopsy in suspected soft tissue lesions of extremities

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was performed to investigate the diagnostic yield of percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) for suspected soft tissue lesions of the extremities. METHODS: The medical records of 139 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous CNB for suspected soft tissue lesions of the extremities from January 2014 to December 2016 at a single institution were reviewed. The pathologic findings or clinical follow-ups were used to evaluate the performance of CNB. Alterations in the treatment regimen from pre- to post-biopsy were also analyzed. Complications, when present, were documented. RESULTS: In total, 141 biopsy procedures were performed in 139 patients. In total, 136 (96%) biopsies were successful, among which 5 were false-negative and 131 were diagnosed accurately. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CNB in the differentiation of malignant from benign lesions were 94%, 100%, 96%, 100%, and 90%, respectively. The treatment regimen was altered based on the biopsy findings in 25 cases. Two patients developed mild nerve injury but fully recovered during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: CNB is effective and safe, with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the diagnosis of soft tissue lesions, especially for differentiating malignant from benign lesions.