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Biopsy needle characteristics assessed in the laboratory.
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1983
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Clinical Laboratory TechnologiesMinimally Invasive ProcedureStandard Biopsy TechniqueDiagnosisPathologyHistologyTopographical AnatomyClinical AnatomyInterventional RadiologyAnatomyDermatologyProper NeedleDiagnostic TestSurgical PathologyLaboratory MedicineRadiologyHealth SciencesMedical ImagingHistopathologyPercutaneous BiopsyBiopsy Needle CharacteristicsMedicineCytopathology
Percutaneous biopsy is common, but choosing the right needle is increasingly complex due to many options and claims of improved outcomes with specific designs. The study tested a broad range of needles differing in caliber, tip shape, and bevel, applying a standard in‑vitro biopsy technique and assessing samples by weight and cytopathology. Large‑bore needles outperformed skinny needles, and small‑bore needles with acute bevels yielded larger, better‑preserved specimens than flat‑bevel counterparts of the same gauge.
Radiologists are frequently called upon to perform percutaneous biopsy. Selection of the proper needle is becoming more complex as the number of types increases and reports of better results with certain needles proliferate. The authors evaluated a wide variety of needles of different caliber, cutting tip, and bevel. Using a standard biopsy technique for in vitro specimens, the samples were analyzed quantitatively by precise weight measurement and qualitatively by cytopathological means. It was concluded that large-bore needles were superior to "skinny" needles, and small-bore needles having an acute bevel angle were superior to flat-bevel needles of similar gauge in terms of specimen size and preservation.