General rightsThis document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/pure/about/ebr-terms However this service is not universally available and may be unsuitable for some patients.Image-guided cutting-needle biopsies under computed tomography or ultrasound guidance have high diagnostic rates and are useful in a wide patient population. The main role of Abrams biopsies is in the diagnosis of tuberculous pleuritis in resource-poor settings.