Lesions of the foramen ovale: CT-guided fine-needle aspiration

To verify perineural spread of tumor along the mandibular division of the trigeminal nerve in four patients, the authors obtained cytologic specimens by means of a CT-guided transfacial fine-needle aspiration technique. Diagnoses were squamous cell carcinoma (n = 3) and meningioma (n = 1). The technique allows biopsy of deep lesions that would otherwise require open surgical biopsy.