Fluoroscopic transbronchial fine needle aspiration for diagnosis of peripheral pulmonary nodules.

Transbronchial fine needle aspiration (TBNA) was performed under fluoroscopic guidance in 21 patients with either solitary (15 patients) or multiple (6 patients) peripherally located nodules. Good aspirate could be obtained in 16 patients (76.1%). Ten were confirmed to be malignant and 2 turned out to be tubercular. Nonspecific benign inflammatory aspirate was obtained in the other four. There were no significant complications. TBNA is thus an effective, safe and quick method for diagnosis of solitary/multiple pulmonary nodules.