MRI-guided access to the retropharynx.
OBJECTIVE
To describe MR-guided access to the retropharynx for precise fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and other indications for needle placement.


METHODS
A retrospective review was made of 15 procedures that had been performed on 14 patients. These patients had a retropharyngeal mass on MRI and had undergone MR-guided minimally invasive access to the retropharynx for either diagnostic or therapeutic intervention in the period of October 1989 to January 2000.


RESULTS
All 14 patients underwent MR-guided access to the retropharynx for FNAC without immediate or delayed complications. MRI confirmed that the biopsy needle was within the retropharyngeal mass in all patients. MR-guided FNAC revealed five true-positive, five true-negative, four indeterminate, and no false-positive cases. Ten of the 14 patients (71%) had diagnostic aspirations. In one patient with retropharyngeal extension of carcinoma, an MR-guided approach was used for the experimental interstitial laser therapy (ILT).


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that an MR-guided retromandibular approach to biopsy of retropharyngeal mass is minimally invasive and safe.
Lai
Annie
A
Department of Radiological Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California-San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA. apwlai@pol.net
Maghami
Ellie
E
Borges
Alexandra
A
Bonyadilou
Shahram
S
Curran
John
J
Abemayor
Elliot
E
Lufkin
Robert
R
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000473:pathology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies