Abstract
Percutaneous aspiration needle biopsy of the intrathoracic disease is a safe, easy, and accurate diagnostic
method. It usually causes mild pain or discomfort during the procedure. We had a patient who complained of
severe sharp pain, well localized at the biopsy site of the target mass during CT-guided transthoracic aspiration
biopsy. It was pathologically confirmed as an intrathoracic schwannoma after special staining. To our knowledge,
there has been no published report of such a painful percutaneous needle biopsy in a patient with
schwannoma in Korea. Two cases were reported in other radiologic journals.
The severe sharp pain developed during the transthoracic aspiration needle biopsy is a reliable sign of
neurogenic tumor, therefore the participating radiologist should recommend specific immumochemical stain for
neurogenic tumor to pathologist.