Ultrasonically guided 19-gauge Surecut needle biopsy of apical and superior mediastinal tumors.

Four patients with apical tumors of the lung and two with superior mediastinal tumors underwent ultrasonically guided percutaneous needle biopsy through a supraclavicular approach in which a 19-gauge Surecut needle was used. Tissue cores were successfully obtained and could be used for diagnosis in all six patients: histological diagnoses of neurinoma were made in two cases and malignant tumors were diagnosed in four. No major complications such as pneumothorax, bleeding, or neurological injuries were seen. This procedure proved to be a safe and useful approach for the histological diagnosis of apical and superior mediastinal tumors.