Percutaneous Biopsy of Lesions in the Cavernous Sinus: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: A wide variety of lesions may develop in the cavernous sinus region, including tumors or pseudotumors of inflammatory origin. Sometimes imaging is insufficient to ascertain a pathologic diagnosis. Percutaneous biopsy performed through the foramen ovale route may aid therapeutic decision making, avoiding unnecessary open surgery when lesions are confirmed to be nonsurgical or unresectable. We conducted a systematic review to determine the efficacy of percutaneous biopsy of cavernous sinus lesions.

METHOD: A systematic search in PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science, and Scopus yielded 4495 potentially eligible abstracts. Fourteen studies describing 75 biopsy procedures for lesions in the cavernous sinus region were reviewed. The primary outcome measure was diagnostic success. Data were analyzed according to standard systemic review techniques.

RESULTS: A diagnosis was obtained in 65 of the 75 cases described in the literature. Among all series, only 3 patients had permanent deficits. No individual studies reported mortality. The histopathologic evaluation revealed neoplastic diseases in 58 lesions. Meningiomas were found in 26 biopsy samples. Nonneoplastic diseases, originating from infectious, inflammatory, or deposition diseases, accounted for 6 biopsy samples.

CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous biopsy of cavernous sinus lesions is effective for diagnosis. Biopsy can be performed in patients with cavernous sinus masses, especially when neuroimaging fails to provide sufficient histopathologic data.