Currently, brain biopsy can be performed by open biopsy or stereotactic biopsy. Open biopsy can be easily performed for superficial lesions on the surface of the cerebral cortex. However, for small lesions, especially deep in the brain parenchyma, open biopsy can be difficult to obtain accurate tissue samples.

Previously, brain tumor biopsy was performed through opening the skull in the operating room. Nowadays, to minimize the level of invasiveness and risks caused by opening, other closed brain biopsy methods have been born, including free-hand brain biopsy under the guidance of computer tomography.