Abstract
Purpose: CT-guided percutaneous lung biopsy is an important tool in diagnosis of one of the most common and severe types of cancer, lung cancer. The purpose of this study has been to enlighten and confirm the problems met during this procedure.
Materials and methods: The article is based on a non-systematic literature review and experience gathered from different interventional radiology groups in Norway.
Results: Compared to England and the USA there are no national guidelines for CT-guided lung biopsy in Norway, but there are a number of different local guidelines based on the experience of the existent doctor/ operator. A main finding is the identification multitude of different devices designed to maximise biopsy accuracy and minimise procedure complications. The span and range of products is wide, from simple needle guide devices to complex experimental robots. None of the existing devices solves all the different challenges related to the procedure.
Discussion: CT-guided lung biopsy is a valuable diagnostic procedure, but it is a technical challenge. A non-existing national guideline is a problem not only concerning the safety of the patients but also the education of intervention radiologist. None of the wide range of devices, designed and tested throughout the years, have solved all the technical challenges related to the procedure. A new mechanical device from Norway (TeleMark) has shown initial promising results, but further studies needs to be performed.