(Biopsy-Pleural, Percutaneous Pleural Biopsy)
Procedure Overview
What is a pleural biopsy?
A biopsy is a procedure performed to remove tissue or cells from the body for examination under a microscope. A pleural biopsy is a procedure in which a sample of the pleura (the membrane that surrounds the lungs) is removed with a special biopsy needle or during surgery to determine if disease, infection, or cancer is present.
There are three types of pleural biopsies:
Needle biopsy - After a local anesthetic is given, the physician inserts the special biopsy needle into the pleural space (the space between the pleura and the chest wall) to obtain a sample. Ultrasound (high-frequency sound waves) or computed tomography (CT scan, a combination of X-rays and computer technology) may be used to guide the biopsy needle insertion. Most pleural biopsies are performed using this technique. This procedure may also be referred to as a thoracentesis.
Thoracoscopic biopsy - A special type of endoscope (thin, flexible, lighted tube) is inserted into the pleural space under either local or general anesthesia. Through the endoscope, the physician is able to visualize the pleural tissue and take a biopsy of any suspicious tissue.
Open biopsy - After a general anesthetic is given, the physician makes an incision in the skin and surgically removes a piece of the pleura. Depending upon the lab findings, further surgery may be performed.
Other related procedures that may be used to help diagnose lung problems include chest X-ray, chest fluoroscopy, CT scan of the chest, bronchoscopy, bronchography, chest ultrasound, lung biopsy, lung scan, mediastinoscopy, positron emission tomography (PET scan), pulmonary angiogram, pulmonary function tests, and thoracentesis. Please see these procedures for additional information.
Anatomy of the respiratory system
The respiratory system is made up of the organs involved in the interchanges of gases, and consists of the:
Nose
Pharynx
Larynx
Trachea
Bronchi
Lungs
The upper respiratory tract includes the:
Nose
Nasal cavity
Ethmoidal air cells
Frontal sinuses
Maxillary sinus
Larynx
Trachea
The lower respiratory tract includes the lungs, bronchi, and alveoli.
What are the functions of the lungs?
The lungs take in oxygen, which cells need to live and carry out their normal functions. The lungs also get rid of carbon dioxide, a waste product of the body's cells.
The lungs are a pair of cone-shaped organs made up of spongy, pinkish-gray tissue. They take up most of the space in the chest, or the thorax (the part of the body between the base of the neck and diaphragm).
The lungs are enveloped in a membrane called the pleura.
The lungs are separated from each other by the mediastinum, an area that contains the following:
The heart and its large vessels
Trachea (windpipe)
Esophagus
Thymus
Lymph nodes
The right lung has three sections, called lobes. The left lung has two lobes. When you breathe, the air enters the body through the nose or the mouth. It then travels down the throat through the larynx (voice box) and trachea (windpipe) and goes into the lungs through tubes called main-stem bronchi.
One main-stem bronchus leads to the right lung and one to the left lung. In the lungs, the main-stem bronchi divide into smaller bronchi and then into even smaller tubes called bronchioles. Bronchioles end in tiny air sacs called alveoli.
Reasons for the Procedure
Reasons for which a pleural biopsy may be performed include, but are not limited to, the following:
To evaluate an abnormality of the pleura seen on chest X-ray
To diagnose the cause of a pleural infection (caused by bacteria, virus or fungus) or other condition
To investigate pleural effusion - fluid collection in the pleural space
To determine if a pleural mass is malignant (cancerous) or benign
To obtain further information after pleural fluid analysis suggests the presence of cancer, tuberculosis,or other infection
There may be other reasons for your physician to recommend a pleural biopsy.
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