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Karger Publishers, European Neurology, 1(64), p. 42-45, 2010

DOI: 10.1159/000315032

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Brain Biopsy in the Management of Neurology Patients

Journal article published in 2010 by Sui H. Wong, M. D. Jenkinson ORCID, Brian Faragher, S. Thomas, D. Crooks, T. Solomon
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

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Abstract

<i>Background and Methods:</i> To evaluate the value of brain biopsy for neurology patients in our unit, we conducted a retrospective audit of neurology patients referred for brain biopsies for non-neoplastic disease from 1993 to 2007. <i>Results:</i> 64 patients [median (range) age 51 (16–74) years] were included. The clinical presentation was diffuse encephalopathy for 40 patients, focal for 13 and multifocal for 11. The biopsy was diagnostic in 34 patients, abnormal but non-diagnostic in 21 and normal in 9. There was a statistically significant association between clinical presentation and biopsy result (p = 0.004); diagnostic biopsies were more common in patients with focal or multifocal clinical presentations. Twenty patients (31%) had alterations of management as a result of their brain biopsy, comprising specific treatment (11 patients) or prognosis/diagnosis of untreatable conditions (9 patients). Diagnoses of treatable conditions included Whipple’s disease, tuberculoma, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, and neurosarcoidosis. Five patients (7.8%) had complications. <i>Conclusions:</i> Brain biopsy is useful and relatively safe in the management of neurology patients, with a diagnostic yield of 53% in our series; some led to significant changes in management, including treatment of infections. Patients with focal or multifocal presentation are more likely to yield a diagnostic biopsy result.