Needle aspiration biopsy is a procedure performed to diagnose and treat certain kind of illnesses. Thin needles are inserted into a mass or lump to extract cells that will be examined under a microscope. Fine needle aspiration biopsies are very safe, minor surgical procedures. Often, a major surgical (excisional or open) biopsy can be avoided by performing a needle aspiration biopsy instead. Diagnosis (from the Greek words dia = by and gnosis = knowledge) is the process of identifying a disease by its signs, symptoms and results of various diagnostic procedures. ... Illness can be a synonym for disease or it can be a persons perception of having poor health. ... 1852 microscope Compound microscope made by John Cuff in 1750 A microscope (Greek: micron = small and scopos = aim) is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. ... A typical modern surgery operation For other meanings of the word, see Surgery (disambiguation) Surgery (from the Greek cheirourgia - lit. ...

A needle aspiration biopsy is safer and less traumatic than an open surgical biopsy. Sometimes, surgery is needed to treat complications of a needle aspiration biopsy. But in such a case, the patient would have had to undergo a similar surgical procedure to obtain a diagnosis had the needle aspiration biopsy not been attempted.

Applications

This type of biopsy is performed for one of two reasons:

1. A biopsy is performed on a lump or mass when its nature is in question.
2. For known tumors, this biopsy is performed to assess the effect of treatment or to obtain tissue for special studies.

The biopsy is usually performed by a diagnostic radiologist, a doctor with special training in performing and inter-preting x-ray procedures and in performing biopsies using x-ray guidance, with the assistance of a cytopathologist. Radiology is the branch of medical science dealing with the medical use of x-ray machines or other such radiation devices. ... In the NATO phonetic alphabet, X-ray represents the letter X. An X-ray picture (radiograph) taken by Röntgen An X-ray is a form of electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength approximately in the range of 5 pm to 10 nanometers (corresponding to frequencies in the range 30 PHz... ...

Preparation

During this procedure, a very thin needle is used to remove cells or other material from a tumor or mass detected in the body. These cells will then be given to the cytopathologist, who will attempt to make a diagnosis. There may be times when a diagnosis cannot be made; not all cells removed during a needle aspiration biopsy can be identified with certainty. See the article about cancer for the main article about malignant tumors. ...

Several preparations are necessary before this procedure.

• Suspension of intake of aspirin or aspirin substitutes (ibuprofen, Motrin, Advil, Naprosyn, etc.) for one week before the procedure;
• Suspension of food intake a few hours before the procedure;
• Routine blood tests, including clotting profile) must be completed two weeks before the biopsy;
• Suspension of blood anticoagulants medications;
• Antibiotics prophylaxis may be instituted.

Before the procedure is started, vital signs (pulse, blood pressure, temperature, etc.) are taken. Then, depending on the nature of the biopsy, an intravenous line (I.V.) may be placed. Very anxious patients may want to be given sedation through this line. For patients with less anxiety, oral medication (Valium) can be prescribed to take before the procedure. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) widely marketed under various trademarks including Act-3, Advil, Brufen, Motrin, Nuprin, and Nurofen; a standing joke about some athletes regular use has produced Vitamin I as a slang term for it. ... Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis, primary dysmenorrhoea, pyrexia; and as an analgesic, especially where there is an inflammatory component. ... Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve the symptoms of arthritis, primary dysmenorrhoea, pyrexia; and as an analgesic, especially where there is an inflammatory component. ... Naproxen (trade names: Aleve, Anaprox, Naprosyn, Naprelan) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used for the reduction of mild to moderate pain, fever, inflammation and stiffness caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, gout, ankylosing spondylitis, injury, menstrual cramps, tendinitis, bursitis, and the treatment of... Coagulation is the thickening or congealing of any liquid into solid clots. ... An anticoagulant is a substance that prevents coagulation; that is, it stops blood from clotting. ... An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ... Prophylaxis refers to any medical or public health procedure whose purpose is to prevent, rather than treat or cure, disease. ... In medicine, a persons pulse is the throbbing of their arteries as an effect of the heart beat. ... Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. ... Temperature is the physical property of a system which underlies the common notions of hot and cold; the material with the higher temperature is said to be hotter. ... Anxiety is a complex combination of the feeling of fear, apprehension and worry often accompanied by physical sensations such as palpitations, chest pain and/or shortness of breath. ... Diazepam, brand names: Valium, Seduxen, in Europe Apozepam, is a 1,4-benzodiazepine derivative, which possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. ...

Procedure

The skin above the area to be biopsied is swabbed with an antiseptic solution and draped with sterile surgical towels. The skin, underlying fat, and muscle is then be numbed with a local anesthetic. After locating the mass for biopsy, using x-rays or palpation, a special needle of very fine diameter is passed through into the mass. The needle may be inserted and withdrawn several times. There are many reasons for this: Model of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ... An antiseptic is a substance that kills or prevents the growth and reproduction of various microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and viruses on the external surfaces of the body. ... Adipose tissue is an anatomical term for loose connective tissue composed of adipocytes. ... A top-down view of skeletal muscle Muscle is a contractile form of tissue. ... A local anesthetic is a drug that reversibly inhibits the propagation of signals along nerves. ... Palpation is a method of examination in which the examiner feels the size or shape or firmness or location of something (of body parts when the examiner is a health professional). ...

• One needle may be used as a guide, with the other needles placed along it to achieve a more precise position.
• Sometimes, several passes may be needed to obtain enough cells for the intricate tests which the cytopathologists perform.
• When the mass is small, several passes may be necessary to position properly the needle tip.

After the needles are placed into the mass, cells are withdrawn by aspiration with a syringe and placed into a special container. The patient's vital signs are taken again, and the patient is removed to an observatio area for about 3 to 5 hours. A syringe consists of a plunger fitted to a tube, called the barrel, which has a small opening on one end. ...

Post-operative care and complications

As with any surgical procedure, complications are possible. Fortunately, major complications due to thin needle aspiration biopsies are fairly uncommon, and when complications do occur, they are generally mild. The kind and severity of complications depend on the organs from which a biopsy is taken or the organs gone through to obtain cells.

After the procedure, mild analgesics are used to control post-operative pain. Aspirin or aspirin substitutes should not be taken for 48 hours after the procedure (unless aspirin is prescribed for a cardiac or neurological condition). Since sterility is maintained throughout the procedure, infection is rare. But should an infection occur, it will be treated with antibiotics. Bleeding is the most common complication of this procedure. A slight bruise may also appear. If a lung or kidney biopsy has been performed, it is very common to see a small amount of blood in sputum or urine after the procedure. Only a small amount of bleeding should occur. During the observation period after the procedure, bleeding should decrease over time. If more bleeding occurs, this will be monitored until it subsides. Rarely, major surgery will be necessary to stop the bleeding. An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... An antibiotic is a drug that kills or slows the growth of bacteria. ... Bleeding is the loss of blood from the body. ... The lungs flank the heart and great vessels in the chest cavity. ... Kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. ... A sputum sample is the name given to the mucus that is coughed up from the lungs. ... Urine is liquid waste excreted by the kidneys and eventually expelled from the body in a process known as urination. ...

Other complications depend upon the body part on which the biopsy takes place:

• Lung biopsies are frequently complicated by pneumothorax (collapsed lung). This complication can also accompany biopsies in the upper abdomen near the base of the lung. About one-quarter to one-half of patients having lung biopsies will develop pneumothorax. Usually, the degree of collapse is small and resolves on its own without treatment. A small percentage of patients will develop a pneumothorax serious enough to require hospitalization and placement of a chest tube for treatment. Although it is impossible to predict in whom this will occur, collapsed lungs are more frequent and more serious in patients with severe emphysema and in patients in whom the biopsy is difficult to perform.

• For biopsies of the liver, bile leakages may occur, but these are quite rare.

• Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) may occur after biopsies in the area around the pancreas.

• Deaths have been reported from needle aspiration biopsies, but such outcomes are extremely rare.

In medicine (pulmonology), a pneumothorax or collapsed lung is a medical emergency that can result from a penetrating chest wound or barotrauma to the lungs. ... The human abdomen Footballer John Arne Riise flashing his abdominals The human abdomen (from the Latin word meaning belly) is the part of the body between the pelvis and the thorax. ... The liver is an organ in vertebrates, including humans. ... Bile (or gall) is a bitter, greenish-yellow alkaline fluid secreted by the liver of most vertebrates. ... Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas. ... Inflammation is the first response of the immune system to infection or irritation and may be referred to as the innate cascade. ... The pancreas is a retroperitoneal organ that serves two functions: exocrine - it produces pancreatic juice containing digestive enzymes endocrine - it produces several important hormones // Anatomy The pancreas is a retroperitoneal organ located posterior to the stomach on the posterior abdominal wall. ...

Source

• Adapted from Preparing for Needle Aspiration Biopsy. Public domain text of the National Institutes of Health Warren Magnuson Grant Clinical Center.