Diagnostic yield of stereotactic brain biopsy guided by positron emission tomography with [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose

Abstract

✓ The aim of the present study was to determine whether routine integration of positron emission tomography (PET) with 18F-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in the planning of stereotactic brain biopsy increases the technique's diagnostic yield. Forty-three patients underwent combined FDG-PET— and computerized tomography (CT)-guided stereotactic biopsy of intracranial lesions according to a previously described technique. In 36 patients, an area of abnormal FDG uptake was used to guide at least one stereotactic biopsy trajectory. A total of 90 stereotactic trajectories were performed; among them, 55 were based on FDG-PET—defined targets and 35 were based on CT-defined targets. Histological diagnosis was obtained in all patients, but six of the 90 trajectories were nondiagnostic; all six were based on targets defined by CT only. Differences between the diagnostic yield of trajectories based on FDG-PET—defined targets and those based on CT-defined targets were statistically significant in patients with contr...