Does image guidance improve accuracy of core needle biopsy in diagnosis of soft tissue tumours?

The aim of this study was to compare accuracy of an image guided percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB), using ultrasound or computed tomography, to PCNB without image guidance in the diagnosis of palpable soft tissue tumours. One hundred forty patients with a suspected soft tissue sarcoma underwent a percutaneous core needle biopsy with or without image guidance. One hundred eleven patients had subsequent surgical excision. The accuracy of guided PCNB and blind PCNB was calculated by comparing the histological results of the needle biopsy to the surgical specimen. The diagnostic accuracy of blind percutaneous core needle biopsy was 78% (36 of 46 biopsies) and was significantly lower (p < or = 0.025) in comparison to image guided percutaneous core needle biopsy, which was 95% (62 of 65 biopsies). We suggest that image guidance improves the diagnostic accuracy of PCNB especially for small-size deep sited suspected soft tissue tumours.