Does Ipsilateral-Dependent Positioning During Percutaneous Lung Biopsy Decrease the Risk of Pneumothorax?

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to determine whether placing patients in an ipsilateral-dependent position during percutaneous CT-guided transthoracic biopsy reduces the pneumothorax rate. MATERIALS AND METHODS. Between July 2013 and August 2017, a total of 516 patients (317 men and 199 women; mean age, 66.4 years) underwent core needle biopsies performed using 17- and 18-gauge needles. The overall pneumothorax rate and the rate of pneumothorax requiring drainage catheter insertion were compared between group A (patients placed in an ipsilateral-dependent position) and group B (patients placed in a position other than the ipsilateral-dependent position), with use of a chi-square test or Fisher exact test, as appropriate. Linear regression analysis and multiple regression analysis were performed for risk factors of pneumothorax, including patient characteristics (e.g., emphysema along the needle track), lesion characteristics (e.g., size and position), and biopsy technique characteristics (e.g., ne...