Diagnosis and Outcome of Biopsies of Indeterminate Lesions of the Cavernous Sinus and Meckel's Cave: A Retrospective Case Series in 85 Patients.

BACKGROUND

When clinical presentation, laboratory studies, or imaging cannot diagnose cavernous sinus (CS) and/or Meckel's cave (MC) lesions, biopsy may be necessary.

OBJECTIVE

To review our institutional series of biopsies of indeterminate CS and MC lesions.

METHODS

Records from January 1994 to June 2016 were searched for biopsied indeterminate CS and MC lesions. We defined indeterminate as having an atypical imaging appearance or a broad differential and the need for tissue for definitive diagnosis. We defined primary tumors as originating from cells inherent or near the CS and MC.

RESULTS

Eighty-five patients were included (median age 59 [2-85] yr); 22 (28%) had a cancer history. Approaches included frontotemporal craniotomy (n = 48, 56%), endoscopic endonasal (n = 20, 24%), percutaneous transforamen ovale (n = 12, 14%), or retrosigmoid craniotomy (n = 5, 6%). Final diagnosis was metastatic in 27 (32%), primary in 21 (25%), inflammatory in 13 (15%), hematologic in 11 (13%), fungal in 5 (5%), and nondefinitive or nondiagnostic in 8 (10%) patients. Thirteen (59%) patients with a cancer history (n = 22) had a diagnosis consistent with their prior cancer; the remaining had a second pathology (n = 6, 27%) or nondiagnostic biopsy (n = 3, 14%). Two patients had surgical complications resulting in death.

CONCLUSION

In this patient cohort, metastatic tumors were the most likely pathology. The biopsy threshold should be lower in patients with a cancer history if clinical or radiographic diagnosis is uncertain as 27% had a second disease. However, we consider biopsy as a last resort because the risk of major morbidity/mortality, while low, is not zero.