Iatrogenic seeding of anaplastic astrocytoma following stereotactic biopsy

Abstract

We present a case of probable tumor seeding along the needle tract following computer tomography-guided stereotactic biopsy of an anaplastic astrocytoma in a 23 year old male. Six months after the initial biopsy and 3 months following a second stereotactic procedure for cyst aspiration, a second lesion appeared directly along the biopsy trajectory at a distance from the primary tumor. This lesion is presumed to be recurrent tumor and appears to have been spread iatrogenically following the biopsy of the initial tumor and the subsequent cyst aspiration along the same tract.