title: Non-invasive real-time biopsy of intracranial lesions using short time expanded circulating tumor cells on glass slide: report of two cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Circulating Tumor Cells (CTCs) are promising biomarkers for monitoring solid cancer and were used to monitor brain tumors. Here we report two cases in which, for the first time, CTCs were used in cytological diagnostic evaluation to discriminate a space-occupying lesion of the brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two cases of focal intracranial lesions, unclassified for diagnosis, untreated and apparently symptomatic, were examined after high-contrast resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging and/or Computed Tomography scans. CTCs were seeded on chamber slides and short-time expanded under the optimized conditions as we previously reported. The first case was a focal lesion localized in the parietal-occipital area in a 67-year-old woman. The second case was a 31-year-old man with an expansive intracerebral lesion localized in the left peri-trigonal area. Both patients underwent excisional biopsy. Histopathological evaluation of the biopsy confirmed the previous cytological diagnoses, and the analysis of the clinical outcomes retrospectively validated both diagnoses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The cases here reported illustrate the potential for using expanded CTCs as non-invasive, real-time biopsy. Moreover, non-invasive real-time biopsy can represent an alternative diagnostic tool to be used when a functional area of the brain is at risk of injury from excisional biopsy procedures.
authors: IRC-FSH Laboratories Department of Health Science, University Magna Graecia, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. nataliamalara@unicz.it.|Bionem Laboratories, Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy. nataliamalara@unicz.it.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Malara
authors: Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgery Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Guzzi
authors: Pathological Anatomy, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Mignogna
authors: Cellular Toxicological Laboratory. Department of Health Science, Salvatore Venuta Campus, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Trunzo
authors: Pathological Anatomy, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Camastra
authors: Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgery Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Della Torre
authors: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Di Vito
authors: Anatomical and Pathological Sciences, Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: A M
authors: AM
authors: Lavecchia
authors: IRC-FSH Laboratories Department of Health Science, University Magna Graecia, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Gliozzi
authors: Neurosurgery Unit, Pugliese-Ciaccio Hospital, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Ceccotti
authors: Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgery Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Volpentesta
authors: Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Medical and Surgery Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Lavano
authors: Pathological Anatomy, Department of Health Science, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Donato
authors: IRC-FSH Laboratories Department of Health Science, University Magna Graecia, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.|Cellular Toxicological Laboratory. Department of Health Science, Salvatore Venuta Campus, University "Magna Graecia", 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
authors: V
authors: V
authors: Mollace
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003287:Contrast Media; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D009360:Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / Q000473:pathology*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: Circulating tumor cells; Intracranial tumor; Short-term expansion