Closed Stereotactic Needle Biopsy of Brainstem Small Cell Glioblastoma: A Case Report and Literature Review

Glioblastoma is the deadliest and most common of the malignant primary brain tumors that can occur in adults. In contrast, brainstem gliomas are extremely uncommon in adults; however, their precise incidence is not known, due to the difficult nature of obtaining tissue from the brainstem provoking low biopsy and resection rates. In this case report, we have examined a 34-year-old female who was diagnosed with pontomedullary small cell glioblastoma following a successful biopsy of the brainstem lesion. A closed stereotactic needle biopsy with a contralateral approach was utilized using stealth computed tomography (CT) neuronavigation for tissue diagnosis without causing additional neurological deficits. Our goal is to share this novel approach of obtaining tissue from the brainstem in order to aid others in definitively diagnosing brainstem gliomas and subsequently providing appropriate treatment early in the disease process.