Factores pronósticos de neumotórax después de biopsia transtorácica con aguja guiada por tomografía axial computarizada Prognostic factors of pneumothorax after computed tomography-guided transthoracic needle biopsy

Pneumothorax is the main complication of transthoracic needle biopsy. It was studied a cohort of patients who underwent transthoracic needle biopsy guided by computed tomography images from November 1st, 2008 until October 8th, 2010, at "Carlos Manuel de Céspedes" University Hospital, in Bayamo, Granma, to identify the association with pneumothorax of factors related to the patient (age, sex, tobaccoism, pulmonary emphysema and pleural effusion), the punctured REVISTA DE CIENCIAS MÉDICAS. LA HABANA. 2012 18 (1) http://scielo.sld.cu 12 lesion (location, presence of perilesional bullae, size and distance from the parietal pleura) and the technique used (thoracic entry wall, puncture repetition due to poor sample, lower entry angle of the needle with respect to parietal pleura). A univariate analysis was performed by determining the relative risks of each variable and then a multivariate analysis using logistic regression. It was found an increased risk of pneumothorax in localized lesions within the lung parenchyma surrounded by aerated tissue (RR: 1.10 ≤ 2.98 ≤ 8.03) and towards the upper lobes of both lungs (RR: 1.00 ≤ 2, 28 ≤ 5.25), showing both having independent influence. The presence of pleural effusion behaved as a protective factor (RR: 0.07 ≤ 0.29 ≤ 1.16). It is concluded that lesions located within the lung parenchyma and upper lobes increase the risk of pneumothorax.