Imaging-guided chest biopsies: techniques and clinical results.

Background: This article aims to comprehensively describe indications, contraindications, technical aspects, diagnostic accuracy and complications of percutaneous lung biopsy.

Methods: Imaging-guided biopsy currently represents one of the predominant methods for obtaining tissue specimens in patients with lung nodules; in many cases treatment protocols are based on histological information; thus, biopsy is frequently performed, when technically feasible, or in case other techniques (such as bronchoscopy with lavage) are inconclusive.

Results: Although a coaxial system is suitable in any case, two categories of needles can be used: fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) and core-needle biopsy (CNB), with the latter demonstrated to have a slightly higher overall sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.

Preliminary clinical experience with a dedicated interventional robotic system for CT-guided biopsies of lung lesions: a comparison with the conventional manual technique.

Objective: Evaluate the performance of a robotic system for CT-guided lung biopsy in comparison to the conventional manual technique.

Materials And Methods: One hundred patients referred for CT-guided lung biopsy were randomly assigned to group A (robot-assisted procedure) or group B (conventional procedure). Size, distance from entry point and position in lung of target lesions were evaluated to assess homogeneity differences between the two groups.

Prospective evaluation in 123 patients of strain ratio as provided by quantitative elastosonography and multiparametric ultrasound evaluation (ultrasound score) for the characterisation of thyroid nodules.

Purpose: This study was done to compare quantitative elastosonography and ultrasound analysis in the characterisation of thyroid nodules.

Materials And Methods: From July 2009 to September 2011, 123 patients with 147 thyroid nodules were included in our study. All patients enrolled had to undergo thyroidectomy because of nodular thyroid disease (goitre or nodules).

Ultrasound evaluation of liver fibrosis: preliminary experience with acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) software.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of acoustic structure quantification (ASQ) ultrasound software in estimating the degree of hepatic fibrosis compared to Fibroscan and liver biopsy.

Materials And Methods: Seventy-seven patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C underwent standard ultrasound examination, ASQ, Fibroscan and liver biopsy. ASQ analysis was conducted by placing a single region of interest (ROI) on each image captured, and calculating mode, average and standard deviation.