[MRI-guided musculoskeletal biopsy].

MRI-guided musculoskeletal biopsy has been mentioned to be a minimally invasive method to obtain specimens for diagnostic purposes in bone tumors. To evaluate the viability, to assess the accuracy, and to record possible complications of this method, clinical data of 19 MRI-guided biopsies were analyzed. Interventions were performed on 18 patients (1-78 years) as an outpatient procedure: 15 skeletal and 4 soft tissue biopsies were taken from the pelvis, upper limb,or lower limb. We used T1-weighted gradient echoes (GE) for locating the puncture site and T2-weighted turbo spin echoes (TSE) for visualization of needle position. In 14 of 18 MRI-guided biopsies, a definite histological diagnosis was obtained. According to the pathologist, the inadequate size of the specimen was the main reason for missing the diagnoses in four cases.Long intervention time and inappropriate biopsy tools proved to be the main disadvantages of MRI-guided biopsy, but technical improvement might solve these technical problems in future.A postbiopsy hematoma was the only complication observed. Once technically improved, MRI-guided biopsy could be a precise alternative routine method for musculoskeletal biopsies in future.