title: Percutaneous biopsy of the thoracic spine.
abstract: Percutaneous biopsy of the thoracic spine has become the procedure of choice for biopsy of the thoracic spine. Familiarity with triangulation and using biplane fluoroscopy or the CT scan is a requirement, however. Once these techniques have been mastered, biopsy of the thoracic spine is safe and effective for obtaining diagnostic tissue and only under rare circumstances is opened biopsy necessary. The technique is described as is a review of the results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: W F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Donaldson
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D009339:Needles; D013525:Surgical Instruments; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed