Percutaneous aspiration needle biopsy for pulmonary lesions has been practised for many years but has not until recently gained popularity. Further proof of its simplicity, safety and accuracy for both central and peripheral lesions is given in this retrospective study of 181 biopsies performed in a community hospital. The diagnostic yield was higher in neoplastic (87.5%) than in nonneoplastic (68.4%) lesions and higher in malignant (91%) than in benign (58.3%) neoplasms. The larger the lesion the higher was the success rate--95.6% if the lesion was larger than 3 cm. The complication rate was low (14.9%) and there were no deaths. There was no difference in the success rate or the incidence of complications between biopsy done for central or peripheral lesions. The complication rate did not differ between large and small lesions, localized or diffuse. The sample could be used for cell block histologic sectioning, which gave the same diagnostic accuracy as cytologic examination. There were no false-positive cytologic diagnoses. During the procedure the operator (a radiologist in all cases) was able to predict the diagnosis in cases of hamartoma and neurofibroma.