Transforaminal Endoscopic Approach for Large-Sample Tumor Biopsy using Beveled Working Channel for Core Technique: A...

Area of Science:

• Spine oncology
• Minimally invasive surgery
• Histopathology

Background:

• Accurate histopathological diagnosis is crucial for spinal tumor treatment planning.
• Traditional biopsies and open procedures have limitations, including radiation exposure, nondiagnostic samples, soft-tissue damage, and iatrogenic injury.
• Endoscopic spinal approaches offer a viable alternative for obtaining tumor tissue.

Observation:

• A transforaminal endoscopic approach was used for tissue diagnosis of a lumbar spinal mass in a patient with a history of lymphoma after a nondiagnostic computed tomography-guided biopsy.
• The patient's final histopathological diagnosis was large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Findings:

• The endoscopic transforaminal approach successfully obtained adequate tissue for definitive histopathological diagnosis.
• A beveled working channel technique was utilized to acquire a large tissue core sample.

Implications:

• Endoscopic techniques can be effectively applied in spine oncology for tissue diagnosis.
• This approach can potentially reduce treatment delays, shorten hospital stays, and improve diagnostic yield compared to conventional methods.