Increasingly sophisticated image guidance capabilities and improvement
s in equipment and techniques have expanded the scope of interventiona
l radiology in the chest. Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy is
routinely performed under fluoroscopic, computed tomographic, or, less
commonly, ultrasound guidance for diagnosis of lung, hilar, mediastin
al, pleural, and chest wall disease. Transthoracic air and fluid drain
age has expanded from simple fluoroscopic-guided pneumothorax evacuati
on and ultrasound-guided thoracentesis to catheter drainage of complex
processes previously managed surgically including empyemas and other
pleural fluid collections, drainage of lung and mediastinal abscesses,
and percutaneous treatment of aspergilloma.