title: CT-guided stereotactic biopsies of lesions in the medulla and a case of Leigh's disease.
abstract: CT-guided stereotactic biopsy of lower brain stem lesions in 7 consecutive cases is discussed. A frontal transincisural approach was used. Five patients had astrocytomas histologically. The single patient who had undergone empirical radiation therapy prior to tissue diagnosis revealed only necrosis. One patient was found to have pathology suggestive of Leigh's disease. This patient was not radiated and is the first alive adult to have this diagnosis confirmed. Although controversy still exists in the management of brain stem lesions, we intend to demonstrate the value of tissue diagnosis in the management of such lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Sahni
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Ghatak
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Leshner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberico
authors.forename: H F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Young
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000473:pathology*; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D001928:Brain Diseases, Metabolic / Q000473:pathology*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007888:Leigh Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed