PERCUTANEOUS TRANSTHORACIC NEEDLE-BIOPSY IN AIDS - ANALYSIS IN 32 PATIENTS

PURPOSE: A retrospective study was performed to determine the success of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (TNB) as an aid in diagnos ing focal chest and mediastinal disease in patients with human immunod eficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). MA TERIALS AND METHODS: The study group was composed of 32 patients serop ositive for HIV; 31 of these patients had known AIDS. The subjects und erwent chest radiography, computed tomography, and TNB. RESULTS: In 27 of the 32 patients a specific diagnosis was enabled by TNB. Bronchoge nic carcinoma was diagnosed most frequently, although infectious agent s were isolated in most patients. CONCLUSION: TNB is a safe and effect ive procedure for evaluation of focal thoracic disease in this patient population and provides information that is often unavailable from al ternative diagnostic procedures.