Hemorrhagic complications during stereotactic biopsy of brain tumors

Relevance. Stereotactic biopsy (STB) is one of the main methods for diagnosing deep brain lesions. STB has several advantages over conventional intraoperative biopsy, as it is less traumatic and safer, especially for patients in critical condition. However, the most common complications of STB are hemorrhages, with a risk ranging from 0.9 % to 59.8 % depending on various studies. Intracranial hemorrhages are serious complications of surgical treatment of brain tumors, especially during biopsy using stereotactic techniques. Objective. To assess the risk of intracranial hemorrhages during STB of brain tumors and investigate possible factors influencing this risk, such as involvement of different brain regions in the neoplastic process, patient’s gender and age, degree of malignancy of the tumor, and use of different stereotactic devices. Materials and Methods. A retrospective study of data from 20 patients who underwent STB of brain tumors was conducted. Clinical data, examination results including coagulogram and aggregatogram, as well as data on involvement of different anatomical brain regions in the neoplastic process, degree of malignancy of the tumor, and use of a specific stereotactic device were analyzed. Results. Analysis of the frequency and structure of hemorrhagic complications of STB was performed, prognostic factors for high risk were identified, and preventive measures were proposed to reduce the number of hemorrhages. Conclusions. The introduction of the modern CRW Radionics stereotactic device into practice has reduced the frequency and severity of hemorrhagic complications after STB by two times. Lymphoproliferative processes and glioblastomas have a higher frequency of hemorrhages, but in most cases, they are clinically insignificant. There is a correlation between the degree of anaplasia of astrocytic tumors and the severity of hemorrhages. Ways to reduce the risks of intracranial hemorrhages during STB of brain tumors may include: careful preoperative planning of the biopsy trajectory; use of informative neurovisualization methods in planning the needle insertion trajectory; use of modern stereotactic systems by neurosurgeons who have undergone additional specialization and training on the specific device; use of modern biopsy needles. In addition, it is advisable to consider preoperative preventive hemostatic therapy in patients suspected of having a high degree of tumor anaplasia.