[Clinical experience of stereotactic biopsy for the brain lesions]

To investigate the methodology of diversified advanced image-guided stereotactic biopsy for the brain lesions, and its diagnostic significance and experience in nervous system diseases.

Retrospectively reviewed 1187 cases of brain lesions underwent image-guided stereotactic biopsy from December 1987 to January 2009. There were 694 male (58.5%) and 493 female (41.5%) patients, aged from 1 to 85 years (average 39.7 years). There were 607 cases in CT-guided, including positron emission computed tomography (PET) guided stereotactic biopsy; 580 cases in MRI-guided, including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) guided stereotactic biopsy. Routine frame was used in 726 cases and frameless stereotactic biopsy in 461 cases, including neuroendoscopic biopsy in 28 cases, guided by computer assisted surgery (CAS) computer-assistant robot. In the early 450 cases, CT/MRI images films were employed to measure the coordinates of the target by hand, while in the late 737 cases, computer-assistant planning software rebuilt the CT/MRI images and figured out the optimal neurosurgical path for biopsy.

The positive diagnosis rate of biopsy was 97.4%, 983 (82.8%) cases were diagnosed pathologically as brain tumors, and 173 (14.6%) cases as non-tumor diseases. The tumors mainly including neuroglioma, metastatic tumor, primary central nervous system lymphoma and germ cell tumors. In non-tumor diseases, mainly including multiple sclerosis, tumefactive demyelinating lesion, neurodegenerative disease, inflammation and parasite. The biopsy operation caused small hematoma without neurological deficits in 20 cases (1.7%), and caused large hematoma (> 10 ml) which need neurosurgical treatment (catheterization or craniotomy evacuation of hematoma) in 9 cases (0.8%). Hemorrhage associated with biopsy caused 3 cases (0.3%) death. There were no severe intracranial infection cases.

The stereotactic biopsy with advanced image-guided technique represents a safe, reliable and minimally invasive method for pathological diagnosis of intracranial lesions. Moreover, the developments of biochemical imaging gives a new concept to the stereotactic biopsy.