Use of percutaneous core needle biopsy for diagnosing acral bone tumors

This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of percutaneous core needle biopsy (PCNB) in diagnosing acral bone tumors. The clinical PCNB data of 341 patients with bone tumors were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnostic accuracy was calculated according to the lesion components (sclerotic, parenchymatous, or cystic), benign or malignant character, and whether a soft tissue mass was present. The chi-square test was performed to assess diagnostic accuracy. The accuracy rate for sclerotic and substantive lesions was high (87.5% and 90.1%, respectively), while that for cystic lesions was the lowest. The accuracy difference in diagnosing benign and malignant lesions was significant (P<0.001). The existence of an extraskeletal soft tissue mass significantly affected the diagnostic accuracy (P=0.007). PCNB is a safe, accurate, rapid, and effective screening method in diagnosing bone tumors; however, the diagnostic accuracy for cystic lesions was poorest. The lesions without a diagnostic biopsy result were most likely to be benign, and the existence of an extraskeletal soft tissue mass significantly affected diagnostic accuracy; therefore, the correct diagnosis of skeletal system lesions still relies on the coordinated efforts of clinics, pathology, and imaging.