M. Scholz et al., MIN-BIOPSY OF BRAIN-TUMORS - OPERATIVE TECHNIQUE AND HISTOMORPHOLOGICAL RESULTS, Minimally invasive neurosurgery, 39(1), 1996, pp. 12-16
MIN-biopsy is defined as an open minimal invasive biopsy, performed by
microsurgical principles over a small osteoplastic trepanation or bor
e hole. Localization of the lesion is performed by exact calculation u
sing the CT-topogram. Between 1993 and 1995 ten patients with unknown
intracranial lesions were operated using the MIN-biopsy approach. Age
ranged between 36 to 84 years (median age 57.8 years). Patients includ
ed five females and five males. Histomorphological diagnosis was possi
ble in all cases. Histological diagnoses were glioblastoma multiforme
in three patients and B-cell malignant lymphoma in four cases. Anaplas
tic astrocytoma was found in one case and the diagnosis of metastatic
adenocarcinoma was observed in two patients. Complications or neurolog
ical deterioration were not observed. MIN-biopsy seems to be a safe pr
ocedure to arrive at exact neuropathological diagnosis of brain tumors
. The procedure is com pa red with the established method of stereotac
tic biopsy by review of the literature.