Biopsies
General Principles
Pre-Procedural
- Review of the case and choosing the right lesion to biopsy
- Coagulation check and tranexamic acid prophylaxis
- Consent
Procedural
- FNAC vs Biopsy
- Machine
- Tray
- Guns
- Sedation and Anesthesia
- General / Conscious
- Local - pleural, diaphragmatic, traversing nerves
- Sampling (how much and for what)
- Case 68: 26-years old - L3 body lesion - transpedicular approach and perivertebral soft tissue - how to maximize obtaining adequate material - tuberculosis
- Case 85: 66-years old - L4/5 discitis - posterolateral perivertebral approach - post-operative spine - don't forget fungal - Candida fungal infection
- Case 86: 26-years old - L5/S1 infectious spondylitis - S1 ala biopsy - don't forget fungal (geography matters) - Coccidiodes immitis infection
- Bone and Soft Tissue Mass Biopsy Rules
- Diagnosis on Table
- Case 49: 75-years old - L4 body lesion - transpedicular approach - black tissue cores - melanoma metastasis
- Case 50: 34-years old - pretracheal and paratracheal mass - extrapleural approach with hydrodissection - rock hard to feel - mediastinal fibrosis
- Case 51: 32-years old - apical posterior mediastinal mass - electric shock on touching - schwannoma
- Case 57: 40-years old - left adrenal nodule - posterior approach - skin lesions of Addison's disease - histoplasmosis
- Case 147: 54-years old - mesenteric mass - anterior approach - milky white lymph aspirate - mesenteric lymphatic cyst
- Tips and Tricks
- Gantry Angulation
- Patient Positioning
- Flexion/Extension
- Changing Positions
- Decubitus (see lung nodules)
- Needle Angulation
- Understanding the Importance of Stylet Length During Needle Placement
- Flipping / Multidirectional / Multiquadrant biopsy
- Railroading
- Correcting Breathed Out Needles
- Transorgan
- Transosseous
- Case 36: 36-years old - prevascular space masss - transsternal approach - germ cell tumor - seminoma
- Case 37: 53-years old - prevascular space mass - transsternal transpulmonary approach - thymoma
- Case 38: 76-years old - pretracheal space mass - transsternal approach - adenocarcinoma
- Case 39: 23-years old - loculated pleural collection - transscapular approach - tuberculosis
- Case 62: 60-years old - right common iliac node - transsacral approach - metastasis
- Case 84: 20-years old - sacroilitis - prone approach - transosseous - transiliac bone - tuberculosis
- Case 156: 72-years old - tuberculosis - left para-aortic nodal mass - transsternal approach
- Transpulmonary
- Transpleural (pneumothorax, effusion, collection)
- Transhepatic
- Transpancreatic
- Transbowel
- Transiliopsoas
- Transthyroid
- Transosseous
- Displacing Structures (Bowel, Organs, etc)
- Fixed Point Method
- Blind Biopsies - Using Measurements and Feel
- Curved/Bent Needle Technique
- Blunt Needle Technique to Bypass Bowel, Vessels, etc
- Intraprocedural Contrast (See also Pancreas, Porta, Mediastinum)
- Hydrodissection
- Case 1: 12-years old - right paratracheal node biopsy with an extrapleural approach
- Case 30: 15-years old - 31 mm subcarinal node - extrapleural approach - tuberculosis
- Case 45: 17-years old - 21.1 mm subcarinal node - extrapleural - tuberculosis
- Case 77: 54-years old - left para-aortic mass - parasternal approach with hydrodissection (salinoma) - metastasis
- Sclerotic Bone Biopsy
- Complications
- Do No Harm
- Bleeding
- Pneumothorax (see in lung)
- Case 8: Respect the lung
- Case 18: Managing entry pneumothorax
- Entry and exit pneumothorax - strategies to reduce incidence and manage if the pneumothorax still occurs
- Case 99: 69-years old - lung mass - pneumothorax, aspirated
- Case 122: 64-years old - lung adenocarcinoma - rapid rollover to reduce the rate of pneumothorax and chest drain insertion
- Vasovagal
Post-Procedural
- Managing samples
- Managing patients
- Follow-up of reports and patients
- Case 45: 17-years old - 21.1 mm subcarinal node - extrapleural - the need for patience - all initial reports negative - only culture at 6 weeks positive
- Case 46: 75-years old - D12 vertebral body tuberculosis - costovertebral approach - the need for patience - all initial reports negative - only culture positive at 6 weeks.
- Case 65 - 22-years old - sacrolitis - prone approach - the value of patience and waiting for the culture report before repeating a biopsy - tuberculosis
- Repeating biopsies
Individual Organs
Chest
-
Lung
- Masses (> 30 mm)
- Nodules
-
Solid
- < 6 mm
- 6-10 mm
- 10-20 mm
- Case 17: 62-years old - 15 mm nodule right lower lobe - metastasis
- Case 34: 34-years old - 18 mm right middle lobe subpleural nodule - left lateral decubitus - metastasis
- Case 35: 63-years old - 10.4 mm right lower lobe nodule - spearing the nodule - tuberculosis
- Case 76: 57-years old - 15.2 mm right upper lobe lung nodule - multiple positioning attempts - supine oblique - needle breathed out - metastasis
- Case 120: 67-years old ex-smoker with emphysema - 16.7 mm right upper lobe lung nodule - adenosquamous carcinoma - discussion on when to fly back
- Case 127: 55-years old - 15.5 mm cavitated lung nodule - biopsy of superior wall - metastasis from ampulla of Vater carcinoma
- 20-30 mm
- Case 15: 75-years old - 24 mm nodule right lower lobe with IPF - prone - squamous cell ca
- Case 67: 66-years old - 23 mm nodule right middle lobe - left lateral decubitus - tuberculosis
- Case 81: 60-years old - 20.22 mm left apical nodule - gantry angulation - organizing pneumonia
- Case 122: 64-years old - 21.9 mm known lung adenocarcinoma for mutation studies and rapid rollover to reduce the rate of pneumothorax and chest drain insertion
- Case 146: 73-years old - 20.5 mm lung nodule with UIP-IPF - granulomatous
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Subsolid
-
- Consolidation
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Mediastinum
- Prevascular Space
- Case 36: 36-years old - prevascular space masss - transsternal approach - germ cell tumor - seminoma
- Case 37: 53-years old - prevascular space mass - transsternal transpulmonary approach - thymoma
- Case 69: 30-years old - prevascular space mass - parasternal approach - lymphoma
- Case 137: 46-years old - prevascular space mass - right costoclavicular approach - lymphoma
- Case 141: 56-years old - thymoma - thymic tumor biopsies, seeding issues, etc
- Case 156: 72-years old - tuberculosis - left para-aortic nodal mass - transsternal approach
- Left Para-aortic and Aortopulmonary Window
- Paratracheal / Pretracheal (Visceral Space)
- Case 1: 12-years old - right paratracheal node biopsy with an extrapleural approach - tuberculosis
- Case 38: 76-years old - pretracheal space mass - transsternal approach - adenocarcinoma
- Case 50: 34-years old - pretracheal and paratracheal mass - extrapleural approach with hydrodissection - mediastinal fibrosis
- Subcarinal
- Case 30: 15-years old - 31 mm subcarinal node - extrapleural approach with hydrodissection (salinoma) - tuberculosis
- Case 31: 36-years old - 20 mm subcarinal node - transpulmonary approach - tuberculosis
- Case 32: 55-years old - 26.4 mm subcarinal node - transpleural approach - pre-existing pneumothorax - sarcoidosis
- Case 45: 17-years old - 21.1 mm subcarinal node - extrapleural approach with hydrodissection (salinoma) - tuberculosis
- Posterior Mediastinum (Paravertebral & Others)
- Others
- Prevascular Space
-
Pleura
- Case 39: 23-years old - loculated pleural collection - transscapular approach - tuberculosis
- Case 106: 71-years old - pleural thickening - metastastic adenocarcinoma
- Case 114: 41-years old - small dry pleural nodule - metastatic thymoma
- Case 130: 71-years old - small pleural nodule - metastasis from lung adenocarcinoma - parallel approach
- Case 143: 71-years old - small visceral pleural nodule - metastasis from carcinoma tongue - long parallel approach from the opposite side
Abdomen and Pelvis
-
Liver
- Case 97: 50-years old - multiple liver lesions & pancreatic body lesion - segment 4B liver mass biopsy - metastasis from pancreatic primary
- Case 102 - 42-years old - isodense liver lesion not seen on USG - measurements and feel - metastasis from carcinoma breast
- Case 145: 66-years old - caudate lobe surface lesion - transpancreatic route - metastatic renal cell carcinoma
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Gallbladder
-
Porta
-
Pancreas
- Head & Uncinate Process
- Case 6: 64-years old - uncinate process & head mass - adenocarcinoma
- Case 79: 57-years old - pancreatic head mass - transcolonic approach - adenocarcinoma
- Case 82: 66-years old - pancreatic head mass - displacing bowel - adenocarcinoma
- Case 112: 63-years old - diffuse pancreatic disease - IgG4 disease
- Case 153: 47-years old - pancreatic head lesion biopsy – using a blunt-tip stylet to bypass vessels with an almost 0 mm narrow window - adenocarcinoma
- Body
- Tail
- Head & Uncinate Process
-
Spleen
-
Adrenal Glands
- Case 21: 76-years old - 11.6 mm left adrenal nodule - ipsilateral decubitus - tuberculosis
- Case 22: 70-years old - 18.8 mm left adrenal nodule - posterolateral approach - metastasis
- Case 56: 47-years old - 11.3 mm left adrenal nodule - posterior approach - tuberculosis
- Case 57: 40-years old - 23 mm left adrenal nodule - posterior approach - histoplasmosis
- Case 90: 58-years old - 18.4 mm left adrenal nodule - posterior approach with bending of the needle for a curve needle approach - metastasis
- Case 150: 40-years old - >30 mm right adrenal gland nodule - posterior, mediolateral approach - pheochromocytoma
-
Kidneys
-
Ureters
-
Bowel
-
Omentum and Peritoneum
-
Mesentery
-
Retroperitoneum
- Retrocrural
- Para-aortic
- Case 42: 38-years old - complex retroperitoneal mass - prone - para-aortic biopy with intravenous contrast - pancreatic adenocarcinoma
- Case 43: 64-years old - left para-aortic node from carcinoma sigmoid - first prone, then supine - for mutation studies
- Case 93: 86-years old - left para-aortic node biopsy - metastasis from endometrial carcinoma - multidirectional rotation of the biopsy gun
- Aortocaval
- Retrocaval / paracaval / precaval
- Periaortic
-
Pelvis
- Ovary
- Uterus
- Nodes
Axial Skeleton
-
Skull
-
Spine
- Lecture: Approach to Spine Biopsies - Tips and Tricks
- Lecture: The Role of Image Guided Biopsy - When the Biopsy Makes a World of Difference
- Snippet: Why Every Infectious Spondylitis Needs a Biopsy - Three Recent Unusual Spine Infections
- Craniovertebral Junction
- Cervical
- Dorsal
- Case 11: 16-years old - D3 transverse process lesion - Langerhans cell histiocytosis
- Case 46: 75-years old - D12 body lesion - costovertebral approach - tuberculosis
- Case 73: 59-years old - D2 body lesion - costovertebral approach - lymphoma
- Case 131: 48-years old - D2/3 infectious spondylitis - transpedicular approach - Brucellosis
- Lumbar
- Case 3: 40-years old - L2 vertebral lesion - perivertebral biopsy and psoas aspiration - tuberculosis
- Case 49: 75-years old - L4 body lesion - transpedicular approach - melanoma metastasis
- Case 68: 26-years old - L3 body lesion - transpedicular approach and perivertebral soft tissue - tuberculosis
- Case 75: 49-years old - L5/S1 discitis - transsacral posterolateral approach - no specific diagnosis
- Case 85: 66-years old - L4/5 discitis - posterolateral perivertebral approach - post-operative spine - Candida fungal infection
- Sacrum
-
Sacroiliac (SI) Joints
- Case 60: 63-years old - sacroilitis - prone approach - MRSA Staphylococcus aureus infection
- Case 61: 29-years old - sacroilitis - prone approach - tuberculosis
- Case 65: 22-years old - sacroilitis - prone approach - tuberculosis
- Case 84: 20-years old - sacroilitis - prone approach - transosseous - transiliac bone - tuberculosis
-
Chest Wall
- Axilla
- Ribs
- Internal Mammary
- Intercostal Space
- Costal Cartilage & Costochondral Junction
- Sternum
- Scapula
- Clavicle
-
Bony Pelvis
- Case 10: 26-years old - right ischial tuberosity biopsy - Langerhans cell histioytosis (LCH)
- Case 12: 74-years old - multifocal osteolytic and osteosclerotic bone lesions - right iliac bone osteolytic lesion - non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Case 64: 49-years old - multifocal osteolytic and osteosclerotic bone lesions - repeat biopsy done from osteolytic and sclerotic foci - three sites - lymphoma
- Case 94: 47-years old - iliopubic ramus biopsy using railroading - squamous cell metastasis from buccal carcinoma
- Case 144: 77-years old - ischiopubic ramus biopsy of a focal sclerotic lesion - metastastic adenocarcinoma from prostate
Appendicular Skeleton
-
Lecture
-
Bones & Joints
- Upper Extremity
- Lower Extremity
-
Soft Tissues
- Upper Extremity
- Lower Extremity
Head & Neck
-
Suprahyoid
- Case 23: 23-years old - sphenoid bone lesion - subzygomatic approach - adenoid cystic carcinoma
- Case 24: 66-years old - oropharygeal mass - paramaxillary approach - non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
- Case 78: 47-years old - lateral pharyngeal/retropharyngeal mass - paramaxillary approach - metastasis
- Case 113: 60-years old - intra-maxillary sinus biopsy - anterolateral approach - lymphoma
- Case 123: 78-years old - nasopharyngeal mass - paramaxillary approach - inflammation
- Case 133: 81-years old - deep parotid lesion biopsy - retromandibular, premastoid approach - oncocytoma
- Case 149: 54-years old - upper buccal space - paramaxillary approach - squamous cell carcinoma recurrence
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Infrahyoid
Ablations
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA)
-
Bone
- Osteoid Osteoma
- Chondroblastoma
- Osteoblastoma
- Metastases
-
Lung
-
Liver
Cryoablation
-
Liver
-
Renal Tumors
-
Fibromatosis
-
Bone Tumors
Tumor Injection Ablations
-
Aneurysmal Bone Cyst
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Langerhans Cell Histiocystosis