一般肺臟腫瘤可藉由支氣管內視鏡檢查取得檢體。如果肺腫瘤長的位置遠離較大的支氣管,無法使用支氣管鏡時,就須要用電腦斷層來取得組織切片檢體,進行病理化驗。但其檢查過程卻易發生氣胸及血胸的併發症,尤以氣胸發生的特別急劇。此時如沒有緊急治療病患的氣胸,將危害到病人的生命安危。此研究方法就是當病患在做電腦斷層切片檢查中,發生中度或嚴重的氣胸時,由放射科醫師立即在檢查台上,利用靜脈留置軟針及50㏄ 空針管的人工抽吸方式,將胸腔內多餘的空氣外抽。反覆抽吸約5–10分鐘後,再利用電腦斷層掃描氣胸的位置。待確定氣胸情形已經減緩時,就可將軟針外把,完成這個簡易人工抽吸治療。本研究連續收集154位做切片檢查的病例,共有34位(22.1%)發生氣胸,其中有9位發生中度或嚴重氣胸,且都立即使用簡易人工抽吸治療。最後在這34位氣胸患者中,有32位只需照胸部X光追蹤即可,只有2位(1.3%)因延遲性氣胸而配置胸腔引流管。這個結果發現,當病患於檢查中發生中度或嚴重氣胸時,立即使用簡易人工抽吸治療,確實可以避免病人配置胸腔引流管的機率。有了此法將降低病患做電腦斷層切片檢查的風險,維護到病患安危,同時也能做為臨床相關專科的參考依據。
Generally, specimens of lung tumors can be obtained by with bronchoscopy. However, the specimens cannot be acquired by bronchoscopy when they arise from more distally and smaller bronchi and CT-guided biopsy is needed. When lung is traversed, pneumothorax and hemothorax can happen and they are the most common complications. Pneumothorax can be a dangerous condition, because it may progress quickly causing tension pneumothorax and the condition is life-threatening. When moderate or severe pneumothoraces occur during or after CT-guided needle biopsy, we immediately insert an intravenous catheter (IC) into the pleural cavity and perform air aspiration using a 50m1 syringe, until patient's symptom/sign caused by pneumothorax is relieved. We then remove the IC. In this study there were 34 (22.1%) pneumothoraces occurred after 154 biopsy procedures, 9 were moderate or severe, and treated by immediate manual aspiration. In 32 of the 34 pneumothoraces, the pneumothorax had resolved completely on follow-up chest radiographs. Only 2 patient (1.3%. 2 of 154) required chest tube placement. The method of treating pneumothorax may lower the chest tube insertion rate and patient morbidity.