What the risks are:

In a very small percentage of lung needle biopsies, a collapsed lung (also called a pneumothorax) occurs. A chest x-ray will be done after the needle biopsy to check for this. The risk is higher if you have certain lung diseases such as emphysema. However, if the pneumothorax is large, a chest tube may need to be inserted to expand your lung.

In rare cases, pneumothorax can be life threatening if air escapes from the lung, gets trapped in the chest, and presses on the rest of your lungs or heart.

Whenever a biopsy is done, there is a risk of excessive bleeding (hemorrhage). Some bleeding is common, and a health care provider will monitor the amount of bleeding. Rarely, major and life-threatening bleeding may occur.

A needle biopsy should NOT be performed if other tests show that you have:

• Blood coagulation disorder of any type
• Bullae (enlarged alveoli that occur with emphysema)
• Cor pulmonale
• Cysts of the lung
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Severe hypoxia (low oxygen)

Special considerations:

Signs of a collapsed lung include:

• Blueness of the skin
• Chest pain
• Rapid heart rate (rapid pulse)
• Shortness of breath

If any of these occur, report them to your health care provider immediately.