Diagnostic yield of percutaneous core needle biopsy in suspected soft tissue lesions of extremities

Abstract

Objective This retrospective study was performed to investigate the diagnostic yield of percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) for suspected soft tissue lesions of the extremities. Methods The medical records of 139 consecutive patients who underwent percutaneous CNB for suspected soft tissue lesions of the extremities from January 2014 to December 2016 at a single institution were reviewed. The pathologic findings or clinical follow-ups were used to evaluate the performance of CNB. Alterations in the treatment regimen from pre- to post-biopsy were also analyzed. Complications, when present, were documented. Results In total, 141 biopsy procedures were performed in 139 patients. In total, 136 (96%) biopsies were successful, among which 5 were false-negative and 131 were diagnosed accurately. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of CNB in the differentiation of malignant from benign lesions were 94%, 100%, 96%, 100%, and 90%, respectively. The treatment regimen was altered based on the biopsy findings in 25 cases. Two patients developed mild nerve injury but fully recovered during follow-up. Conclusions CNB is effective and safe, with high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for the diagnosis of soft tissue lesions, especially for differentiating malignant from benign lesions.