Birmingham Intervention Tent Technique (BITT): A Technical Note

Area of Science:

• Medical imaging
• Interventional radiology
• Orthopedic oncology

Background:

• Biopsying osseous lesions can be challenging due to difficult patient positioning.
• Existing CT-guided biopsy techniques may not be suitable for all anatomical locations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and describe a novel CT biopsy technique, the Birmingham intervention tent technique (BITT).
• To evaluate the safety and applicability of the BITT for osseous lesions with challenging access.

Main Methods:

• The BITT involves attaching a plastic surgical forceps clamp to a biopsy needle at an angle, forming a tent shape.
• The forceps are stabilized on the examination table to guide the needle insertion.

Main Results:

• The BITT was successfully implemented in over 10 cases at the authors' institution.
• The technique demonstrated feasibility in biopsying osseous lesions where direct approaches were not possible.

Conclusions:

• The Birmingham intervention tent technique (BITT) is a novel, safe, and effective method for CT-guided bone biopsies.
• The BITT is an inexpensive, reproducible, and valuable addition to the interventional radiology toolkit for challenging osseous lesion biopsies.