[Ultrasound-guided transparietal thoracic puncture biopsy].

Unlabelled: Transthoracic needle biopsy is a reliable method for the diagnosis of thoracic lesions, specially when they are peripleral.
Aim: The main objective was to evaluate the results of US guidance for thoracic needle biopsy in 159 cases.
Result: Overall sensitivity was 83% as tissue was obtained in 132/159 cases. In 24 cases, 2 or 3 biopsies were necessary. In 17 cases, analysis was made on cytology only with a 70.6% sensitivity. One pneumothorax and two cases of hemoptisies were encountered.
Commentary: US guidance is a useful method for the diagnosis of peripheral thoracic masses, yielding a high sensitivity and a very low complication rate.