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Brain biopsy in benign neurological disease

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Abstract

Brain biopsy is well established in clinical practice when there is suspicion of CNS malignancy. However, there is little consensus regarding the indications for brain biopsy in non-malignant neurological disease. This is due in no small part to limitations in the available literature pertaining to diagnostic brain biopsies. The published evidence largely comprises small, retrospective, single-centre analyses performed over long time periods, including non-homogeneous patient groups with considerable variation in reported outcomes. Here we present pragmatic guidance for those clinicians considering diagnostic brain biopsy in a patient with non-neoplastic neurological disease and highlight practice points with the aim of maximising the probability of gaining clinically useful information from the procedure.

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Acknowledgments

CMR gratefully acknowledges the support of the National Institute for Health Research and The Burden Neurological Institute.

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Correspondence to C. M. Rice.

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Gilkes, C.E., Love, S., Hardie, R.J. et al. Brain biopsy in benign neurological disease. J Neurol 259, 995–1000 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-012-6455-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-012-6455-0

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