Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging during transsphenoidal surgery

2001 ◽  
Vol 95 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolf Fahlbusch ◽  
Oliver Ganslandt ◽  
Michael Buchfelder ◽  
Werner Schott ◽  
Christopher Nimsky

Object. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether intraoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can increase the efficacy of transsphenoidal microsurgery, primarily in non—hormone-secreting intra- and suprasellar pituitary macroadenomas. Methods. Intraoperative imaging was performed using a 0.2-tesla MR imager, which was located in a specially designed operating room. The patient was placed supine on the sliding table of the MR imager, with the head placed near the 5-gauss line. A standard flexible coil was placed around the patient's forehead. Microsurgery was performed using MR-compatible instruments. Image acquisition was started after the sliding table had been moved into the center of the magnet. Coronal and sagittal T1-weighted images each required over 8 minutes to acquire, and T2-weighted images were obtained optionally. To assess the reliability of intraoperative evaluation of tumor resection, the intraoperative findings were compared with those on conventional postoperative 1.5-tesla MR images, which were obtained 2 to 3 months after surgery. Among 44 patients with large intra- and suprasellar pituitary adenomas that were mainly hormonally inactive, intraoperative MR imaging allowed an ultra-early evaluation of tumor resection in 73% of cases; such an evaluation is normally only possible 2 to 3 months after surgery. A second intraoperative examination of 24 patients for suspected tumor remnants led to additional resection in 15 patients (34%). Conclusions. Intraoperative MR imaging undoubtedly offers the option of a second look within the same surgical procedure, if incomplete tumor resection is suspected. Thus, the rate of procedures during which complete tumor removal is achieved can be improved. Furthermore, additional treatments for those patients in whom tumor removal was incomplete can be planned at an early stage, namely just after surgery.

2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (5) ◽  
pp. 1115-1124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew A. Kanner ◽  
Michael A. Vogelbaum ◽  
Marc R. Mayberg ◽  
Joseph P. Weisenberger ◽  
Gene H. Barnett

Object. Intracranial navigation by using intraoperative magnetic resonance (iMR) imaging allows the surgeon to reassess anatomical relationships in near—real time during brain tumor surgery. The authors report their initial experience with a novel neuronavigation system coupled to a low-field iMR imaging system. Methods. Between October 2000 and December 2001, 70 neurosurgical procedures were performed using the mobile 0.12-tesla PoleStar N-10 iMR imaging system. The cases included 38 craniotomies, 15 brain biopsies, nine transsphenoidal approaches, and one drainage of a subdural hematoma. Tumor resection was performed using the awake method in seven of 38 cases. Of the craniotomies, image-confirmed complete or radical tumor resection was achieved in 28 cases, subtotal resection in eight cases, and open biopsies in two cases. Tumor resection was controlled with the use of image guidance until the final intraoperative images demonstrated that there was no residual tumor or that no critical brain tissue was at risk of compromise. In each stereotactic biopsy the location of the biopsy needle could be verified by intraoperative imaging and diagnostic tissue was obtained. Complications included a case of aseptic meningitis after a biopsy and one case of temporary intraoperative failure of the anesthesia machine. Awake craniotomies were performed successfully with no permanent neurological complications. Conclusions. Intraoperative MR image—based neuronavigation is feasible when using the Odin PoleStar N-10 system for tumor resections that require multiple other surgical adjuncts including awake procedures, cortical mapping, monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials, or electrocorticography. Use of the system for brain biopsies offers the opportunity of immediate verification of the needle tip location. Standard neurosurgical drills, microscopes, and other equipment can be used safely in conjunction with this iMR imaging system.


2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (6) ◽  
pp. 936-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Schulder ◽  
Danny Liang ◽  
Peter W. Carmel

Object. In this article the authors report on a novel, compact device for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging that has been developed for use in a standard neurosurgical operating room. Methods. The device includes a permanent magnet with a field strength of 0.12 tesla. The poles of the magnet are vertically aligned, with a gap of 25 cm. When not in use the magnet is stored in a shielded cage in a corner of the operating room; it is easily moved into position and attaches to a regular operating table. The magnet is raised for imaging when needed and may be lowered to allow surgery to proceed unencumbered. Surgical navigation with optical and/or magnetic probes is incorporated into the system. Twenty-five patients have undergone removal of intracranial lesions with the aid of this device. Operations included craniotomy for tumor or other lesion in 18 patients and transsphenoidal resection of tumor in seven. The number of scans ranged from two to five per surgery (average 3.4); image quality was excellent in 45%, adequate in 43%, and poor in 12%. In four patients MR imaging revealed additional tumor that was then resected; in five others visual examination of the operative field was inconclusive but complete tumor removal was confirmed on MR imaging. In 21 patients early postoperative diagnostic MR studies corroborated the findings on the final intraoperative MR image. Using a water-covered phantom, the accuracy of the navigational tools was assessed; 120 data points were measured. The accuracy of the magnetic probe averaged 1.3 mm and 2.1 mm in the coronal and axial planes, respectively; the optical probe accuracy was 2.1 mm and 1.8 mm in those planes. Conclusions. This device provides high-quality intraoperative imaging and accurate surgical navigation with minimal disruption in a standard neurosurgical operating room.


1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 300-305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leif Østergaard ◽  
Fred H. Hochberg ◽  
James D. Rabinov ◽  
A. Gregory Sorensen ◽  
Michael Lev ◽  
...  

Object. In this study the authors assessed the early changes in brain tumor physiology associated with glucocorticoid administration. Glucocorticoids have a dramatic effect on symptoms in patients with brain tumors over a time scale ranging from minutes to a few hours. Previous studies have indicated that glucocorticoids may act either by decreasing cerebral blood volume (CBV) or blood-tumor barrier (BTB) permeability and thereby the degree of vasogenic edema.Methods. Using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the authors examined the acute changes in CBV, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and BTB permeability to gadolinium-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid after administration of dexamethasone in six patients with brain tumors. In patients with acute decreases in BTB permeability after dexamethasone administration, changes in the degree of edema were assessed using the apparent diffusion coefficient of water.Conclusions. Dexamethasone was found to cause a dramatic decrease in BTB permeability and regional CBV but no significant changes in CBF or the degree of edema. The authors found that MR imaging provides a powerful tool for investigating the pathophysiological changes associated with the clinical effects of glucocorticoids.


2004 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vaijayantee Kulkarni ◽  
Vedantam Rajshekhar ◽  
Lakshminarayan Raghuram

Object. The authors studied whether cervical spine motion segments adjacent to a fused segment exhibit accelerated degenerative changes on short-term follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Methods. Preoperative and short-term follow-up (mean duration 17.5 months, range 10–48 months) cervical MR images obtained in 44 patients who had undergone one- or two-level corpectomy for cervical spondylotic myelopathy were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. The motion segment adjacent to the fused segment and a segment remote from the fused segment were evaluated for indentation of the thecal sac, disc height, and sagittal functional diameter of the spinal canal on midsagittal T2-weighted MR images. Thecal sac indentations were classifed as mild, moderate, and severe. New indentations of the thecal sac of varying severity (mild in 17 patients [38.6%], moderate in 10 [22.7%], and severe in six [13.6%]) had developed at the adjacent segments in 33 (75%) of 44 patients. The degenerative changes were seen at the superior level in 11 patients, inferior level in 10 patients, and at both levels in 12 patients and resulted from both anterior and posterior element degeneration in the majority (23 [69.6%]) of patients. The remote segments showed mild thecal sac indentations in seven patients and moderate indentations in two patients (nine [20.5%] of 44). Compared with the changes at the remote segment, the canal size was significantly decreased at the superior adjacent segment by 0.9 mm (p = 0.007). No patient sustained a new neurological deficit due to adjacent-segment changes. Conclusions. On short-term follow-up MR imaging, levels adjacent to the fused segment exhibited more pronounced degenerative changes (compared with remote levels) in 75% of patients who had undergone one- or two-level central corpectomy.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 591-597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Cuny ◽  
Dominique Guehl ◽  
Pierre Burbaud ◽  
Christian Gross ◽  
Vincent Dousset ◽  
...  

Object. The goal of this study was to determine the most suitable procedure(s) to localize the optimal site for high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) for the treatment of advanced Parkinson disease. Methods. Stereotactic coordinates of the STN were determined in 14 patients by using three different methods: direct identification of the STN on coronal and axial T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images and indirect targeting in which the STN coordinates are referred to the anterior commissure—posterior commissure (AC—PC) line, which, itself, is determined either by using stereotactic ventriculography or reconstruction from three-dimensional (3D) MR images. During the surgical procedure, electrode implantation was guided by single-unit microrecordings on multiple parallel trajectories and by clinical assessment of stimulations. The site where the optimal functional response was obtained was considered to be the best target. Computerized tomography scanning was performed 3 days later and the scans were combined with preoperative 3D MR images to transfer the position of the best target to the same system of stereotactic coordinates. An algorithm was designed to convert individual stereotactic coordinates into an all-purpose PC-referenced system for comparing the respective accuracy of each method of targeting, according to the position of the best target. Conclusions. The target that is directly identified by MR imaging is more remote (mainly in the lateral axis) from the site of the optimal functional response than targets obtained using other procedures, and the variability of this method in the lateral and superoinferior axes is greater. In contrast, the target defined by 3D MR imaging is closest to the target of optimal functional response and the variability of this method is the least great. Thus, 3D reconstruction adjusted to the AC—PC line is the most accurate technique for STN targeting, whereas direct visualization of the STN on MR images is the least effective. Electrophysiological guidance makes it possible to correct the inherent inaccuracy of the imaging and surgical techniques and is not designed to modify the initial targeting.


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 246-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene H. Barnett ◽  
Allan H. Ropper ◽  
Keith A. Johnson

✓ Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been largely restricted to patients who are neurologically and hemodynamically stable. The strong magnetic field and radiofrequency transmissions involved in acquiring images are potential sources of interference with monitoring equipment. A method of support and physiological monitoring of critically ill neurosurgical and neurological patients during MR imaging using a 0.6-tesla MR system is reported. This technique has not caused degradation of the MR image due to electrical interference. Adequate preparation and precautions allow many critically ill neurosurgical and neurological patients to safely undergo MR imaging.


1999 ◽  
Vol 91 (3) ◽  
pp. 384-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faruk İldan ◽  
Metin Tuna ◽  
Alp İskender Göcer ◽  
Bülent Boyar ◽  
Hüseyin Bağdatoğlu ◽  
...  

Object. The authors examined the relationships of brain—tumor interfaces, specific magnetic resonance (MR) imaging features, and angiographic findings in meningiomas to predict tumor cleavage and difficulty of resection.Methods. Magnetic resonance imaging studies, angiographic data, operative reports, clinical data, and histopathological findings were examined retrospectively in this series, which included 126 patients with intracranial meningiomas who underwent operations in which microsurgical techniques were used. The authors have identified three kinds of brain—tumor interfaces characterized by various difficulties in microsurgical dissection: smooth type, intermediate type, and invasive type. The signal intensity on T1-weighted MR images was very similar regardless of the type of brain—tumor interface (p > 0.1). However, on T2-weighted images the different interfaces seemed to correlate very precisely with the signal intensity and the amount of peritumoral edema (p < 0.01), allowing the prediction of microsurgical effort required during surgery. On angiographic studies, the pial—cortical arterial supply was seen to participate almost equally with the meningeal—dural arterial supply in vascularizing the tumor in 57.9% of patients. Meningiomas demonstrating hypervascularization on angiography, particularly those fed by the pial—cortical arteries, exhibited significantly more severe edema compared with those supplied only from meningeal arteries (p < 0.01). Indeed, a positive correlation was found between the vascular supply from pial—cortical arteries and the type of cleavage (p < 0.05).Conclusions. In this analysis the authors proved that there is a strong correlation between the amount of peritumoral edema, hyperintensity of the tumor on T2-weighted images, cortical penetration, vascular supply from pial—cortical arteries, and cleavage of the meningioma. Therefore, the consequent difficulty of microsurgical dissection can be predicted preoperatively by analyzing MR imaging and angiographic studies.


2000 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry W. S. Schroeder ◽  
Christiane Schweim ◽  
Klaus H. Schweim ◽  
Michael R. Gaab

Object. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate aqueductal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow after endoscopic aqueductoplasty. In all patients, preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed hydrocephalus caused by aqueductal stenosis and lack of aqueductal CSF flow.Methods. In 14 healthy volunteers and in eight patients with aqueductal stenosis who had undergone endoscopic aqueductoplasty, aqueductal CSF flow was investigated using cine cardiac-gated phase-contrast MR imaging. For qualitative evaluation of CSF flow, the authors used an in-plane phase-contrast sequence in the midsagittal plane. The MR images were displayed in a closed-loop cine format. Quantitative through-plane measurements were performed in the axial plane perpendicular to the aqueduct. Evaluation revealed no significant difference in aqueductal CSF flow between healthy volunteers and patients with regard to temporal parameters, CSF peak and mean velocities, mean flow, and stroke volume. All restored aqueducts have remained patent 7 to 31 months after surgery.Conclusions. Aqueductal CSF flow after endoscopic aqueductoplasty is similar to aqueductal CSF flow in healthy volunteers. The data indicate that endoscopic aqueductoplasty seems to restore physiological aqueductal CSF flow.


2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 342-347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris J. Neal ◽  
Michael K. Rosner ◽  
Timothy R. Kuklo

Object. Disc arthroplasty in the lumbar spine is an alternative to fusion when treating discogenic pain. Its theoretical benefits include preservation of the motion segment and the potential prevention of adjacent-segment degeneration. Despite the need to evaluate the benefit of preserving the adjacent segments after disc replacement, no study has been conducted to assess the ability of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to depict the adjacent segments in patients who have undergone disc replacement surgery. Methods. Postoperative lumbar MR images were obtained in the first 10 patients in whom a metal-on-metal disc arthroplasty system was used to treat the L4–5 or L5—S1 levels. At the superior adjacent level, the superior endplate and disc space were demonstrated on 90% of the images on both T1-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences despite the presence of artifacts. The inferior endplate at this level was documented on 70% of both T1-weighted FLAIR and T2-weighted sequences. At the level below the disc replacement in patients who underwent L4–5 surgery, the superior endplate was demonstrated on 66.7% of the T1-weighted FLAIR sequences but only 33.3% of the T2-weighted images. The disc space and inferior endplate were depicted on 66.7% of both T1-weighted FLAIR and T2-weighted sequences. Axial images revealed an artifact in every adjacent space except at the L5—S1 level. Conclusions. Based on the results of this pilot study, it appears that sagittal MR imaging can be undertaken to evaluate the adjacent motion segment for degenerative changes following total disc arthroplasty in most patients. This imaging modality will provide an additional measure to assess the long-term efficacy of this intervention compared with other treatment modalities and the natural history of lumbar disc degeneration.


1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 650-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuo Murai ◽  
Yukio Ikeda ◽  
Akira Teramoto ◽  
Yukihide Tsuji

Object. The aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging—documented extravasation as an indicator of continued hemorrhage in patients with acute hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Methods. The authors studied 108 patients with acute hyperintensive ICH. Imaging modalities included noncontrast-enhanced computerized tomography (CT) scanning, gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging, and conventional cerebral angiography obtained within 6 hours after the onset of hemorrhage. A repeated CT scan was obtained within 48 hours to evaluate enlargement of the hematoma. Findings on MR imaging indicating extravasation, including any high-intensity signals on T1-weighted postcontrast images, were observed in 39 patients, and 17 of these also showed evidence of extravasation on cerebral angiography. The presence of extravasation on MR imaging was closely correlated with evidence of hematoma enlargement on follow-up CT scans (p < 0.001). Conclusions. Evidence of extravasation documented on MR imaging indicates persistent hemorrhage and correlates with enlargement of the hematoma.


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