Table 5.
Timeline of significant morbidity and mortality following biopsy (grade 3 and 4 complications).
| Patient 1 | Patient 2 | Patient 3 | Patient 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, sex | 61, M | 36, F | 74, M | 60, M |
| Co-morbidities | nil | Alcohol misuse, on anticoagulation | Hypertension, on anticoagulation | nil |
| Biopsy type | Stereotactic | Neuronavigation guided mini craniotomy | Stereotactic | Neuronavigation guided mini craniotomy |
| Lesion location | Right temporal lobe | Falx | Bilateral periventricular | Right frontal lobe |
| Lesion characteristics | Unifocal, superficial | Multifocal, superficial | Deep, multifocal | Unifocal, superficial |
| Final histology | Glioblastoma | Metastasis from primary melanoma | PCNSL | Glioblastoma |
| Complication | Death | Death | Death | Persistent hemiparesis and focal seizures |
| Complication grade | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Post-biopsy scan findings | Large volume parenchymal and intraventricular haemorrhage | Haemorrhage in biopsy bed with oedema | Intracerebral and intraventricular haemorrhage | No haemorrhage or ischaemia |
| Time from biopsy to deterioration | 2 h | 1.5 h | 2 h | 9.5 h |