title: Needle localization of small pediatric tumors for surgical biopsy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Small pediatric tumors may be difficult to biopsy or resect.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the benefits of needle localization of a variety of small pediatric tumors before surgical biopsy or excision.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven patients aged 1-19 years underwent 12 procedures for needle localization of suspected tumor. Two patients had undergone previous biopsies without needle localization with negative results. Computed tomography (four patients) or ultrasonography (three patients) guided needle placement. Each patient had suspected tumor(s) in 1-3 anatomical sites, including thigh (7), lung (2), parasacral region (2), and iliac bone (1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 12 lesions (9 less than 1 cm3 in volume) were successfully localized for excision or biopsy. Three small (<1 cm3) soft-tissue lesions (two ganglioneuroblastomas and one ganglioneuroma) were excised from one patient, a 0.65-cm3 residual soft-tissue sarcoma from another; and recurrent bilateral teratomas from a third. Two peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumors were excised with positive margins from a fourth patient. Two lesions contained only fibrosis, as determined by histopathology. Two other patients underwent thoracoscopic removal of lung metastases that were less than 0.1 cm3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Needle localization allows effective and less invasive excision or biopsy of a variety of small pediatric soft-tissue lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA.
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Hardaway
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Hoffer
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography