Case 99: Understanding the Importance of Stylet Length During Needle Placement

This 69-years old came with a right upper lobe lung mass. I decided to do the biopsy using an 18 G 20 mm throw gun in the left lateral decubitus position, through a pleural tag.

I did not take into account the 7 mm extension of the stylet beyond the cannula, leading to the cannula lying at the pleura-mass junction and causing a self-limiting pneumothorax.

The video explains the case and what to keep in mind when doing biopsies using such guns.