title: Stereotactic biopsy for intracranial lesions: clinical-pathological compatibility in 60 patients.
abstract: Image guided stereotactic biopsy (SB) provides cerebral tissue samples for histological analysis from minimal lesions or those that are located in deep regions, being crucial in the elaboration of therapeutic strategies, as well as the prevention of unnecessary neurosurgical interventions.
  
  
  
  Sixty patients with central nervous lesions underwent SB from November 1999 to March 2008. They were followed up to 65 months. Preoperative diagnosis was based on clinical presentation and neuro-radiological features, pathologic diagnosis, clinical outcome. The compatibility of these findings with the pathologic diagnosis was analyzed.
  
  
  
  Considering diagnosis confirmation when inflammatory hypothesis were made, our accuracy was of 76%, with 94% of those cases having clinic-pathological correspondence after an average of 65.2 months of follow up. Considering diagnosis confirmation with the preoperative hypothesis of neoplasm, our accuracy was of 69% with 90% of these cases having clinic-pathological correspondence after an average of 47.3 months of follow-up. Morbidity rate was of 5% and mortality was zero. The diagnosis rate was 95%.
  
  
  
  Stereotactic biopsy represents a safe and precise method for diagnosis. Anatomic and histopathological analyses have high compatibility with long-term clinical outcome.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Neurosurgery, Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. eduardourbano@uol.com.br
authors.forename: Eduardo Urbano da
authors.initials: EU
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Lucas Perez de
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Vasconcellos
authors.forename: Nilton Alves
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Lara
authors.forename: José Carlos Esteves
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Veiga
authors.forename: Carmen Lúcia Penteado
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Lancellotti
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shiozawa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D055815:Young Adult