Objetivo Descrever a técnica de biópsia percutânea de tumores pancreáticos guiada por tomografia computadorizada com pneumodissecção. Materiais e Métodos No período de junho de 2011 a maio de 2012, foram realizadas sete biópsias percutâneas de tumores pancreáticos guiadas por tomografia computadorizada utilizando a manobra de pneumodissecção em nossa instituição. Todas as biópsias foram realizadas utilizando pistola de disparo automático e sistema coaxial, com agulhas Tru-core. As amostras colhidas foram submetidas a avaliação histológica. Resultados Para todos os casos, não havia um acesso direto seguro pela tomografia computadorizada para atingir o tumor pancreático sem atravessar órgãos e estruturas importantes. A injeção de ar foi capaz de deslocar as estruturas adjacentes e criar uma nova rota de acesso, permitindo um trajeto seguro da agulha coaxial até a lesão, e a biópsia foi realizada com sucesso em todos os casos. Todas as biópsias forneceram material suficiente para análise histológica. Conclusão Esta técnica é segura, barata e tecnicamente fácil, podendo auxiliar na realização de biópsias percutâneas de tumores pancreáticos guiadas por tomografia computadorizada de casos selecionados em que não existe acesso direto à lesão.

Objective To describe the technique of computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy of pancreatic tumors with pneumodissection. Materials and Methods In the period from June 2011 to May 2012, seven computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsies of pancreatic tumors utilizing pneumodissection were performed in the authors' institution. All the procedures were performed with an automatic biopsy gun and coaxial system with Tru-core needles. The biopsy specimens were histologically assessed. Results In all the cases the pancreatic mass could not be directly approached by computed tomography without passing through major organs and structures. The injection of air allowed the displacement of adjacent structures and creation of a safe coaxial needle pathway toward the lesion. Biopsy was successfully performed in all the cases, yielding appropriate specimens for pathological analysis. Conclusion Pneumodissection is a safe, inexpensive and technically easy approach to perform percutaneous biopsy in selected cases where direct access to the pancreatic tumor is not feasible.

OBJECTIVE: To report oncological cases (excluding those related to breast cancer) for which radioguided surgery has been used in combination with the Radioguided Occult Lesion Localization technique. INTRODUCTION: Radioguided surgery enables a surgeon to identify lesions or tissues that have been preoperatively marked with radioactive substances. The Radioguided Occult Lesion Localization technique has been widely used to identify the sentinel lymph node and occult lesions in patients with breast cancer. However, few studies have reported the use of this technique for non-breast cancer pathologies. METHODOLOGY: In all cases, injection of Technecium-99m sulfur colloid was performed, directly inside or near by the suspicious lesion, guided by ultrasound or computed tomography, up to 36 hours prior to the surgical procedure. Intraoperative lesion detection was carried out using a gamma-probe. RESULTS: We report five oncology cases in which preoperative markings of the lesions were carried out using the Radioguided Occult Lesion Localization technique. The patients presented with the following: recurrence of renal cell carcinoma, cervical recurrence of papillary carcinoma of the thyroid, recurrence of retroperitoneal sarcoma, lesions of the popliteal fossa, and recurrence of rhabdomyosarcoma of a thigh. In each case, the lesions that were marked preoperatively were ultimately successfully excised. CONCLUSIONS: Radioguided surgery has proven to be a safe and effective alternative for the management of oncology patients. The Radioguided Occult Lesion Localization technique can be useful in selected cases where suspect lesions may be difficult to identify intraoperatively, due to their dimensions or anatomical location. The procedure allows for more conservative excisions and reduces the surgery-related morbidity.