A Stepwise Approach for Performing Ultrasound Guided Transthoracic Lung Biopsy

Diagnosing patients with radiological lung lesions, especially those suspected of having primary lung cancer, is a common and critical clinical scenario. When selecting the most suitable invasive procedure to establish a diagnosis in these cases, a delicate balance must be struck between achieving a high diagnostic yield, providing staging information, minimizing potential complications, enhancing the patient experience, and controlling costs. The integration of thoracic ultrasound as a routine clinical tool in respiratory medicine has led to increased awareness and utilization of ultrasound-guided invasive techniques in chest procedures, including transthoracic biopsies. By following a systematic and stepwise approach, transthoracic ultrasound-guided lung biopsy emerges as a safe, cost-effective procedure with a remarkable diagnostic accuracy. These attributes collectively position it as an ideal invasive technique when technically feasible. Consequently, in patients presenting subpleural lung lesions suspected of malignancy, transthoracic ultrasound-guided lung biopsy has become a standard procedure in the realm of modern invasive pulmonology.