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- Biopsy
- • The diagnosis can be suggested by the above tests, but tumor tissue must be obtained by biopsy or surgery to
- confirm the tumor type and grade.
- • Sometimes the tumor is small or in an area of the brain where it cannot be easily approached or safely
- removed. In such cases a special procedure called a stereotactic biopsy can be performed. A computer is used
- to plot a pathway to the tumor based upon a CT or MRI image. A small-caliber needle is then passed through
- the brain to the site of the tumor and a biopsy is obtained. This approach has proved to be very safe and
- effective in establishing a tissue diagnosis. In many cases it can be performed under local anesthesia. Patients
- can usually be discharged from the hospital the following day.
- • When the tumor is accessible, a neurosurgeon may recommend an open operation (craniotomy) to attempt to
- remove some or nearly all of the tissue. Tumor samples will be sent for diagnosis at the time of the
- craniotomy.
