Objective To investigate the clinical value and complication factors of percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB) guided by multislice computed tomography (MSCT). Methods From January 2013 to December 2016, 179 patients treated with MSCT-guided lung biopsy in the Affiliated Hospital of North Sichuan Medical College and Dianjiang People’s Hospital were reviewed. Occurrence rate and the influencing factors of complications were analyzed. Meanwhile, biopsy findings and diagnostic accuracy rate were summarized. Results A total of 129 cases of lung cancer were detected under MSCT-guided percutaneous biopsy in 179 patients with a diagnostic accuracy of 93.30%. The correct rate of malignant tumor diagnosis was 92.14%. The main complications were pneumothorax, pulmonary hemorrhage, dyspnea and hemoptysis. Major risk factors of MSCT-guided PTNB complications included lesion size ≤ 2 cm, the shortest distance to the diaphragm ≤ 5 cm, puncture depth > 5 cm, pleural puncture angle > 50°, the puncture times ≥ 2, puncture time ≥ 20 minutes, age of patients > 60 years, and existence of pulmonary disease (P<0.05). Conclusions The clinical application value of MSCT-guided PTNB is high. Skilled puncture technique and appropriate puncture procedure are helpful to reduce complications.