Transthoracic adrenal biopsy procedure using artificial carbon dioxide pneumothorax as outpatient procedure

Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2013 Aug;36(4):1184-7. doi: 10.1007/s00270-012-0508-8. Epub 2012 Nov 14.

Abstract

Many routes have been described for percutaneous adrenal gland biopsy. They require either a complex non-axial path or a long hydrodissection or even pass through an organ thereby increasing complications. We describe here an approach using an artificially-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumothorax, performed as an outpatient procedure in a 57-year-old woman. Under local anaesthesia, 200 ml of CO2 was injected in the pleural space through a Veress needle under computed tomography fluoroscopy, to clear the lung parenchyma from the biopsy route. Using this technique, transthoracic adrenal biopsy can be performed under simple local anaesthesia as an safely outpatient procedure.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Letter

MeSH terms

  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging
  • Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Ambulatory Care* / methods
  • Biopsy, Fine-Needle / methods
  • Carbon Dioxide / pharmacology*
  • Female
  • Fluoroscopy / methods
  • Humans
  • Image-Guided Biopsy / methods*
  • Middle Aged
  • Patient Safety
  • Pneumothorax, Artificial / methods*
  • Radiography, Interventional / methods
  • Thorax / pathology
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*

Substances

  • Carbon Dioxide