Background: Stereotactic biopsies are procedures with a high diagnostic yield and a low but serious risk of hemorrhage. Postoperative management remains controversial.
Objectives: To evaluate the predictive value of intraoperative bleeding and its implication on postoperative management.
Methods: Cases of intraoperative bleeding were prospectively documented in a consecutive series comprising 303 patients. Categories were as follows: no bleeding, single drop, ≤10 drops and >10 drops. Incidence, size of hemorrhage and neurological deterioration were noted. Hemorrhage on routine postoperative CT scans was correlated with intraoperative findings, sample size, location and pathology.
Results: A total of 93 patients (30.7%) showed intraoperative bleeding and 68 (22.4%) showed blood on postoperative CT. In 13 patients (4.3%) the diameter was >1 cm; 19 patients (6.3%) experienced neurological worsening, 9 (3.0%) having postoperative hemorrhage and 3 (1.0%) permanent neurological deficits. Bleeding was associated with postoperative hemorrhage (p < 0.0001). The negative predictive values to rule out any postoperative hemorrhage or hemorrhages >1 cm were 92 and 100%, respectively. Number of samples, location and pathology had no significant influence on postoperative hemorrhage.
Conclusion: Stereotactic biopsies have a low risk of symptomatic hemorrhages. Intraoperative bleeding is a surveillance parameter of hemorrhage on CT. Therefore, routine postoperative CT may be restricted to patients who show intraoperative bleeding.
© 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.