Accuracy of core needle biopsy for histologic diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma

• Published in: Scientific reports 2022-02, Vol.12 (1), p.1886-1886, Article 1886
• Main Authors: Kiefer, J., Mutschler, M., Kurz, Ph, Stark, G. B., Bannasch, H., Simunovic, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 692/4028/546; 692/4028/67/1798; Accuracy; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biopsy; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle; Databases, Factual; Diagnosis; Female; Hematoma; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Neoplasm Grading; Pathology; Patients; Predictive Value of Tests; Reproducibility of Results; Retrospective Studies; Sarcoma; Sarcoma - pathology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Soft Tissue Neoplasms - pathology; Soft tissue sarcoma; Tumors; Wound infection
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05752-4

The biopsy technique of choice in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) diagnosis is controversial. We examined the diagnostic accuracy of percutaneous core needle biopsy (CNB) and compared it to open incisional biopsy. A retrospective study included 91 incisional biopsies and 102 CNBs. A pair-match investigation was conducted on 19 patient pairs, comparing sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, we investigated the role of molecular pathology in sarcoma diagnostics. In 81/91 (89%) patients with incisional biopsy, the entity was confirmed by definitive pathology, whereas this was the case in 89/102 (87%) CNB patients ( p  = 0.52). Grading remained unchanged in 46/55 (84%) of incisional and 54/62 (87%) of CNBs ( p  = 0.61). The pair matched analysis showed that the correct entity was determined in 96% of incisional and 97.6% of core needle biopsies. The time between the initial consultation and the interdisciplinary tumor board's treatment recommendation was shorter in core needle biopsies (8.37 vs. 15.63 days; p