Percutaneous biopsy is the most frequent interventional radiologic procedure. Itsincreased use is related to new imaging technique facilitating needle placement, greater safety offine needle and advances in cytology. Over a period of recent 3 years, 174 cases who underwent percutaneous needle aspiration and biopsy were analyzed.

174 biopsies under fluoroscopic or ultrasonic guidance were performed. Various anatormic sites were targeted, chest 82, liver 55, neck 10, pancreas 10, intraabdominal 6, retrperitoneal 4, thyroid 2, kidney 1, breast 1.

Obtained cytologic specimen and tissue were diagnostic in 170 of the 174 biopsies(97.7%). 4 biopsies yielded inadequate or were composed of necrotic debris. The overall accuracy for both suspected malignant and infectious diseases were 98%. The diagnosis weremalignancy in 127 biopsies and benign disease in 47 biopsies. No complications other thanpneumothorax(7 cases ; 4.1%) and a transient hemoptysis(3 cases: 17%) was observed in 10cases(5.8%).

The author obtained extremely high diagnostic accuracy of malignant andbeign or inflammatory lesions using percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy without seriouscomplirations. It is a valuabel diagnostic methd in the lesion of the body at any location.