Usefulness and complications of computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking for fluoroscopy-assisted thoracoscopic resection of small pulmonary nodules: experience with 174 nodules.

OBJECTIVE

Several techniques have been reported for the localization of small pulmonary nodules in thoracoscopic resection. In the present study we examined the usefulness and complications of computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking for thoracoscopic resection in our experience of 174 nodules.

METHODS

Computed tomography-guided lipiodol marking was performed on 174 nodules less than 30 mm in size. Of these nodules, 45 showed ground-glass opacity images and 129 showed solid images on computed tomography. The mean size of the nodules was 10 +/- 6 mm (range, 2-30 mm), and their mean depth from the pleural surface was 10 +/- 7 mm (range, 0-30 mm). One to 7 days before thoracoscopy, all of the nodules were marked with 0.4 to 0.5 mL of lipiodol by using computed tomography. The marked nodules were grasped with a ring-shaped forceps during fluoroscopy and resected by means of thoracoscopy.

RESULTS

All the nodules could be marked and localized by means of fluoroscopy as a clear spot during thoracoscopic surgery. Complications of the marking were chest pain requiring analgesia in 16 (11%) patients, hemosputum in 11 (6%) patients, pneumothorax in 30 (17%) patients, and hemopneumothorax in 1 (0.6%) patient. Eleven (6%) patients with pneumothorax required drainage, and the patient with hemopneumothorax required an emergency operation. No other complications were observed.

CONCLUSION

Lipiodol marking is a useful, safe, and inexpensive procedure for localizing ground-glass opacity lesions, small pulmonary nodules, or both for thoracoscopic resection.