Role of brain biopsy in the management of focal brain lesions in HIV-infected patients. Gruppo Italiano Cooperativo AIDS & Tumori.
In this multicenter, retrospective study of 160 brain biopsies in the assessment of HIV-related focal brain lesions, diagnostic sensitivity was acceptable (87%), but the procedure carried considerable morbidity (7.5%) and mortality (3.1%). Moreover, it is not always possible to initiate the changes in therapy indicated by the results, and overall survival remains poor, with a median of 2 months. Criteria for brain biopsy for the diagnosis of focal brain lesions should be redefined to include selected patients for whom a less invasive approach does not yield a definitive diagnosis.
Antinori
A
A
Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS L. Spallanzani, Rome, Italy.
Ammassari
A
A
Luzzati
R
R
Castagna
A
A
Maserati
R
R
Rizzardini
G
G
Ridolfo
A
A
Fasan
M
M
Vaccher
E
E
Landonio
G
G
Scerrati
M
M
Rocca
A
A
Butti
G
G
Nicolato
A
A
Lazzarin
A
A
Tirelli
U
U
D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis