[Investigation of CT guided percutaneous incisional needle biopsy in parapharyngeal region for suspicious nasopharyngeal carcinoma].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous incisional needle biopsy (PINB) in the parapharyngeal region under CT guide for highly suspicious nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) or recurrence of NPC after radiotherapy.


METHODS
PINB under CT guide was performed in 32 highly suspicious NPC or recurrence of NPC after radiotherapy through three puncture routes: posterolateral maxillary sinus fatty area, mandibular fossa area, and anterior-mastoid area. Specimens were fixed by 95% alcohol and then underwent pathologic examination.


RESULTS
CT guided PINB was successfully performed in every patients with a technical successful rate of 100%. Definitive histopathologic diagnosis was obtained in 30 patients: squamous-cell carcinoma 21, undifferentiated carcinoma 5 and adenocarcinoma 4. The remaining two negative cases were confirmed as fibrosis after radiotherapy. Complications included persistent bleeding of puncture point in one patient and bloody sputum in 3 patients which subsided after symptomatic management. None of these patients was found to have symptoms of nerve injury caused by PINB procedure.


CONCLUSIONS
The CT guided percutaneous incisional needle biopsy in parapharyngeal region through the above three puncture routes for highly suspicious nasopharyngeal carcinoma is safe, rapid and effective.
Yu
Yan-ping
YP
Department of Interventional Radiology, Zhejiang Cancer Hospital, Hangzhou 310022, China. yuyanping1962@yahoo.com. cn
Shao
Guo-liang
GL
Zheng
Jia-ping
JP
Jiang
Li-ming
LM
Pang
Wei-qiang
WQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010614:Pharynx / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D015641:Radiography, Interventional; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed