Current status of stereotactic biopsy

The safety and efficacy of CT guided stereotactic biopsy (STB) has been established in several reports published since the early 1980s. Presently, STB is used for the diagnosis of intrinsic brain masses which are judged to be unsuitable for radical excision because of their location, histology or number. It can be combined with adjuvant therapy as the initial treatment of both low and high grade gliomas. It is ideal in determining the histology of focal brain stem masses in children and all brain stem masses in adults. It is the technique of choice in the management of certain lesions such as pineal region germinomas, primary cerebral lymphomas, AIDS related brain masses and deep-seated and eloquent region inflammatory masses. Stereotactic biopsy is, thus, an important tool in the neurosurgeon's armamentarium.