DIAGNOSTIC YIELD OF PLEURAL BIOPSY USING ABRAMS NEEDLE

Background: To determine the diagnostic yield of closed percutaneous pleural biopsy using Abrams needle and obtaining specific diagnosis in cases of exudative pleural effusion. Material & Methods: This observational study was undertaken during March 2015 to September 2015 in the Department of Thoracic Medicine Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center Karachi. All patients with pleural effusion who were admitted and fulfilling the inclusion criteria were included in the study .Percutaneous pleural biopsy using Abrams needle was performed in all patients, the samples were sent for histopathology. The data was entered in a pre-designed performa. Results: A total of 60 patients participated in the study. The male to female ratio was 1.6:1. Average age of patients was 42.8 years. Data revealed that yield of pleural biopsy using Abrams needle was 70%. Specific diagnosis through Abram’s biopsy have shown 21 (35%) cases of tuberculosis, 16 (26.7%) cases of adenocarcinoma, 4 (6.7%) cases of chronic non specific inflammation, one (1.7%) case of lymphoma and 18 (30%) cases could not be reached for any diagnosis. Conclusion: Due to availability of newer techniques and image guided biopsies, closed needle biopsy procedures are becoming less common in developed countries. However, in a set up like Pakistan, due to the higher cost and lack of availability of newer techniques, closed biopsy procedures remain the standard of management for the diagnosis of pleural effusions.