Risks of pneumothorax in transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy of the lung

Objective To determine the risk factors for the rate of pneumothorax associated with TNAB of the lung. Methods This study involved 424 consecutive patients who underwent TNAB in our hospital under consistent methods. Patient age,sex,needle size,lesion size,distance of lesion from the pleura and results of pulmonary function tests were analyzed as single variables for pneumothorax. Results Forty-three patients had pneumothorax (10.1%) after TNAB. Age associated with higher rate of pneumothorax ( P 0.01). Increased lesion depth was a significant predictor of pneumothorax ( P 0.01). Smaller lesion size was correlated with increased risk of pneumothorax ( P 0.01). The FEV 1%、FEV 1/FVC ratio were lower in patients with pneumothorax ( P 0.01). Needle size was also correlated with increased risk of pneumothorax (P=0.0397).Conclusion Age,increased lesion depth and smaller lesion size,needle size and PFTs are correlated strongly with the development of pneumothorax. Our findings suggest that PFTs is necessary to perform in all patients prior to biopsy.