World Neurosurg
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Closed (percutaneous) brain biopsy is an important diagnostic procedure. Information on patient outcomes after biopsy come largely from single-institution series or population-based samples that include patients treated during periods that may not reflect current neurosurgical practice. We sought to determine the rates of in-hospital mortality and discharge to home after closed brain biopsy, and predictors of these outcomes by using a large population-based hospital discharge database with near-complete case ascertainment. ⋯ Closed brain biopsy is associated with a greater rate of mortality than is generally recognized. Most patients are able to return to home directly after biopsy, but the rate of discharge to home is lower at hospitals with lower procedure volumes.