RSNA: Core needle biopsy sufficient to diagnose neuroblastoma
CHICAGO--Core needle biopsy adequately provides tissue samples in pediatric patients with suspected neuroblastoma, according to a paper presented Thursday at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) annual meeting.

According to Dimitri A. Parra, MD, department of diagnostic imaging, Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, neuroblastoma, the most common solid tumor in infancy, requires tissue obtained either through open or needle biopsy for diagnosis. The researchers wanted to see whether core needle biopsy provided sufficient tissue for diagnosis.

The researchers looked at 39 patients (12 girls and 27 boys) who underwent an ultrasound guided core needle biopsy for a presumed diagnosis of neuroblastoma. The mean age of the patients was 2.75 years.

The lesions were in an abdominal location, with adrenal tumors being the most frequent. A coaxial technical was used in all the cases providing a mean number of 13 cores. A histological diagnosis was obtained in 37 patients (95 percent) — with neurogenic tumors the most frequent--neuroblastoma (27), ganglioneuroma (4) and ganglioneurblastomas (3)--with one case of malignant rhabdoid tumor, one of pulmonary sequestration and one of spindle cell sarcoma.

The researchers concluded that core needle biopsy can provide adequate tissue samples for the diagnosis of neuroblastoma.

Michael Bassett,

Contributor

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