CT Guided percutaneous needle biopsy of pulmonary masses

Percutaneous apiration of a pulmonary tumor can be performed through the chest wall, using CT scanning to guide the placement of the needle within the lesion. The yield froma a percutaneous approach is generally higer than the yield from fiberoptic bronchoscopy. Overall, the diagnostic yield from percutaneous needle aspiration has been reported to range from 43 to 97 percent