Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 21, 2025
Use of Electromagnetic Navigational Transthoracic Needle Aspiration E-TTNA for Sampling of Lung Nodules
Published on: May 23, 2015
Endoscopic needle biopsy of thalamic tumors: technical note
Pietro Spennato1, Claudio Ruggiero2, Giuseppe Mirone2
1Department of Neurosciences, Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Santobono-Pausilipon Children's Hospital, Via Mario Fiore 6, 80121, Naples, Italy. pierospen@gmail.com.
Introduction:
Neuroendoscopic biopsy represents the procedure of choice for pure intraventricular lesions. Instead, in case of deep-seated paraventricular tumors, with intact ependyma, the advantage of neuroendoscopy over stereotactic biopsy is not so evident, because the lesion is not under direct vision; the tissue sample may be limited to more superficial ependymal layer, and bleeding may obscurate vision. Also, stereotactic biopsy may reserve additional problems for these lesions: inaccuracy caused by leak of cerebrospinal fluid and increased risk of severe hemorrhage due to damage of the ependymal vessels.
Case Reports:
We report two cases of young children affected by thalamic tumors that were biopsied using a modification of a recently proposed technique: endoscopic visual control, neuronavigated needle biopsy.
Conclusion:
This technique may combine the accuracy of a stereotactic needle biopsy with the advantage of visual control on site of ependymal puncture and possibility of immediate bleeding control.
