Clinical Experience with Frame Based Stereotactic Biopsy for Intracranial Space Occupying Lesion

Preoperative diagnosis of intracranial space occupying lesion based solely on clinical and neuroimaging evaluation may not be sufficient to institute treatment plan without histopathological certainty. Frame based stereotactic biopsy is a technique of retrieving biopsy specimen to determine the histopathology. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy and accuracy of frame based technique.

This is a cross-sectional study conducted among 80 patients who underwent computed tomography guided frame based stereotactic biopsy during a period of 6 years. All operations were performed under local anesthesia. Histopathology reports were retrieved and accuracy of biopsy technique analyzed.

Out of 80 patients, 58 were male with male to female ratio of 2.6:1. Median age of patients were 50 years with range from 16 to 75 years. Most lesions were in deeper location 49 (61.3%). Most common location was Parietal, 15 (18.8%) followed by Thalamic, 12 (15%). Mean size of lesion was 2.88±0.71cms ranged from 2 to 5cms. Biopsy was accurate to retrieve target in 74 (92.5%) patients. Histopathology revealed glial tumor in 41 (51.2% ) of cases. Overall morbidity was observed in 3 (5.5%) patients. There is no procedure related mortality in this study during study period.

Frame based biopsy of intracranial space occupying lesion is safe and efficacious procedure with high diagnostic yield.