Percutaneous core-needle biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes in the diagnosis and subclassification of malignant lymphomas

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of percutaneous core-needle biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes in the diagnosi s and subclassification of malignant lymphomas. In a 1-year period 158 imag e-guided percutaneous core-needle biopsies of enlarged lymph nodes were per formed on 149 consecutive patients using a Tru-cut needle fired by a biopsy gun. In 135 cases the biopsy findings could be confirmed by histologic exa mination of additional tissue samples (n = 59) or by correlation with the p atient's clinical and radiologic course (n = 76). The final diagnoses were malignant lymphoma in 65 cases, leukemic nodal infiltration in 2, nodal met astases from a solid tumor in 37 and benign changes or no evidence of malig nancy in 31 cases. The core-needle biopsies correctly diagnosed 58 of 65 ma lignant lymphomas, corresponding to a sensitivity of 89 % and a specificity of 97 %, Fifty-five of the 58 (95 %) correctly diagnosed malignant lymphom as could be subclassified on the basis of the core-needle biopsy. Image-gui ded core-needle biopsy of enlarged lymph nodes with a Tru-cut needle is a u seful method for the diagnosis and subclassification of malignant lymphomas .