@article {Konakondla7167, author = {Sanjay Konakondla and Jonathan Nakhla and Jimmy Xia and Sean M. Barber and Jared S. Fridley and Adetokunbo A. Oyelese and Ziya L. Gokaslan and Nikolai G. Rainov and Dimitar G. Haritonov and Ralf Wagner and Albert E. Telfeian}, title = {A Novel Endoscopic Technique for Biopsy and Tissue Diagnosis for a Paraspinal Thoracic Tumor in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report}, elocation-id = {7167}, year = {2020}, doi = {10.14444/7167}, publisher = {International Journal of Spine Surgery}, abstract = {Background Conventional approaches to the thoracic spine can require extensive tissue dissection, bony disruption, and instability that may warrant the need for instrumentation and fusion. Furthermore, anterior approaches may require the involvement of various surgeons from multiple disciplines to ensure a successful operation and mitigate complications. Currently, available minimally invasive approaches still require bony removal and usually rely heavily on computed tomography (CT)-guided imaging without direct gross visualization. Endoscopic spinal procedures have provided an ultra{\textendash}minimally invasive alternative to access many areas in and around the spinal column.Methods We present a 12-year-old boy with a right-sided 2.0 {\texttimes} 3.2-cm paravertebral lesion at the level of T5. The patient successfully underwent an endoscopic approach to the lesion with minimal tissue and bony disruption for tissue diagnosis and tumor resection.Results At initial and 6-month follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic and without issues.Conclusions We demonstrate here the feasibility and suggest the safety of a posterior ultra{\textendash}minimally invasive endoscopic spinal approach to obtain a tissue biopsy of an incidentally found ventrolateral paraspinal tumor in the thoracic region in a pediatric patient. This minimal approach can prove to achieve similar results as other approaches that may otherwise necessitate more extensive or transthoracic procedures.}, issn = {2211-4599}, URL = {http://www.ijssurgery.com/content/early/2020/12/17/7167}, eprint = {http://www.ijssurgery.com/content/early/2020/12/17/7167.full.pdf}, journal = {International Journal of Spine Surgery} }