scholarly journals Intraoperative infrared imaging of brain tumors

2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 960-969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander M. Gorbach ◽  
John D. Heiss ◽  
Leonid Kopylev ◽  
Edward H. Oldfield

Object. Although clinical imaging defines the anatomical relationship between a brain tumor and the surrounding brain and neurological deficits indicate the neurophysiological consequences of the tumor, the effect of a brain tumor on vascular physiology is less clear. Methods. An infrared camera was used to measure the temperature of the cortical surface before, during, and after removal of a mass in 34 patients (primary brain tumor in 21 patients, brain metastases in 10 and falx meningioma, cavernous angioma, and radiation necrosis—astrocytosis in one patient each). To establish the magnitude of the effect on blood flow induced by the tumor, the images were compared with those from a group of six patients who underwent temporal lobectomy for epilepsy. In four cases a cerebral artery was temporarily occluded during the course of the surgery and infrared emissions from the cortex before and after occlusion were compared to establish the relationship of local temperature to regional blood flow. Discrete temperature gradients were associated with surgically verified lesions in all cases. Depending on the type of tumor, the cortex overlying the tumor was either colder or warmer than the surrounding cortex. Spatial reorganization of thermal gradients was observed after tumor resection. Temperature gradients of the cortex in patients with tumors exceeded those measured in the cortex of patients who underwent epilepsy surgery. Conclusions. Brain tumors induce changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the cortex, which can be made visible by performing infrared imaging during cranial surgery. A reduction in CBF beyond the tumor margin improves after removal of the lesion.

1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 1025-1028 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Kuba ◽  
Takanori Inamura ◽  
Kiyonobu Ikezaki ◽  
Masatou Kawashima ◽  
Masashi Fukui

✓ Lactic acidosis due to thiamine deficiency is known to complicate chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment of malignant extracranial tumors, but to the authors' knowledge, this complication has not been reported in patients treated for malignant brain tumors. They report three such cases, demonstrating that this complication can occur during treatment of brain tumors. In all patients, consciousness levels deteriorated within 1 to 2 days. Serum lactic acid levels increased to concentrations between 62 and 96.7 mg/dl, resulting in severe metabolic acidosis. A low blood thiamine level (9 ng/ml) was demonstrated at the onset in one case, and high-dose thiamine infusions dramatically improved lactic acidemia as well as impairment of consciousness in two cases. In the other case, hydrocephalus was suspected initially, resulting in a delay in thiamine supplementation. Clinical differentiation of this form of lactic acidosis from hydrocephalus or tumor progression can be very difficult in a patient undergoing treatment for a malignant brain tumor. Demand for thiamine is thought to be increased in patients with malignant brain tumors, and supplemental thiamine during treatment is necessary to prevent lactic acidosis. When this complication occurs, immediate treatment with sufficient thiamine is essential, together with normalization of pH by using sodium bicarbonate. With timely intervention, the level of consciousness can recover to the preacidotic state with no new neurological deficits.


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.


2000 ◽  
Vol 92 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madjid Samii ◽  
Marcos Tatagiba ◽  
Gustavo A. Carvalho

Object. The goal of this study was to determine whether some petroclival tumors can be safely and efficiently treated using a modified retrosigmoid petrosal approach that is called the retrosigmoid intradural suprameatal approach (RISA).Methods. The RISA was introduced in 1983, and since that time 12 patients harboring petroclival meningiomas have been treated using this technique. The RISA includes a retrosigmoid craniotomy and drilling of the suprameatus petrous bone, which is located above and anterior to the internal auditory meatus, thus providing access to Meckel's cave and the middle fossa.Radical tumor resection (Simpson Grade I or II) was achieved in nine (75%) of the 12 patients. Two patients underwent subtotal resection (Simpson Grade III), and one patient underwent complete resection of tumor at the posterior fossa with subtotal resection at the middle fossa. There were no deaths or severe complications in this series; all patients did well postoperatively, being independent at the time of their last follow-up examinations (mean 5.6 years). Neurological deficits included facial paresis in one patient and worsening of hearing in two patients.Conclusions. Theapproach described here is a useful modification of the retrosigmoid approach, which allows resection of large petroclival tumors without the need for supratentorial craniotomies. Although technically meticulous, this approach is not time-consuming; it is safe and can produce good results. This is the first report on the use of this approach for petroclival meningiomas.


1991 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
pp. 694-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan E. Hodes ◽  
Armand Aymard ◽  
Y. Pierre Gobin ◽  
Daniel Rüfenacht ◽  
Siegfried Bien ◽  
...  

✓ Among 121 intracerebral aneurysms presenting at one institution between 1984 and 1989, 16 were treated by endovascular means. All 16 lesions were intradural and intracranial, and had failed either surgical or endovascular attempts at selective exclusion with parent vessel preservation. The lesions included four giant middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms, one giant anterior communicating artery aneurysm, six giant posterior cerebral artery aneurysms, one posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm, one giant mid-basilar artery aneurysm, two giant fusiform basilar artery aneurysms, and one dissecting vertebral artery aneurysm. One of the 16 patients failed an MCA test occlusion and was approached surgically after attempted endovascular selective occlusion. Treatment involved pretreatment evaluation of cerebral blood flow followed by a preliminary parent vessel test occlusion under neuroleptic analgesia with vigilant neurological monitoring. If the test occlusion was tolerated, it was immediately followed by permanent occlusion of the parent vessel with either detachable or nondetachable balloon or coils. The follow-up period ranged from 1 to 8 years. Excellent outcomes were obtained in 12 cases with complete angiographic obliteration of the aneurysm and no new neurological deficits and/or improvement of the pre-embolization symptoms. Four patients died: two related to the procedure, one secondary to rupture of another untreated aneurysm, and the fourth from a postoperative MCA thrombosis after having failed endovascular test occlusion. The angiographic, clinical, and cerebral blood flow criteria for occlusion tolerance are discussed.


1992 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Duc H. Duong ◽  
Robert C. Rostomily ◽  
David R. Haynor ◽  
G. Evren Keles ◽  
Mitchel S. Berger

✓ The authors describe a method for quantitation of the area and volume of the resection cavity in patients who have undergone surgery for brain tumors. Using a slide scanner and Image 1.27, a public domain program for the Apple Macintosh II computer, computerized tomography scans and magnetic resonance images can be digitized and analyzed for a particular region of interest, such as the area and volume of tumor on preoperative and postresection scans. Phantom scans were used to analyze the accuracy of the program and the program users. User error was estimated at 2%, program error was 4.5%. This methodology is proposed as a means of retrospectively calculating the extent of tumor resection.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (3) ◽  
pp. 709-713 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald A. Grant ◽  
Donald Farrell ◽  
Daniel L. Silbergeld

✓ The neurosurgical management of intrinsic brain tumors and brain metastases mandates maximum resection with preservation of functional cortex. There have been previous reports on the use of cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) for localization of functional cortex prior to resection. The identification of rolandic cortex with the use of intraoperative SSEP monitoring enables the neurosurgeon to tailor the surgery to achieve a greater extent of resection while minimizing the risk of morbidity. The use of continuous SSEP monitoring during resection to provide an ongoing functional assessment of somatosensory cortex has not been reported. This powerful technique is illustrated using four case examples.


2002 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 918-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph C. Watson ◽  
Alexander M. Gorbach ◽  
Ryszard M. Pluta ◽  
Ramin Rak ◽  
John D. Heiss ◽  
...  

Object. Application of sensitive infrared imaging is ideally suited to observe blood vessels and blood flow in exposed organs, including the brain. Temporary vascular occlusion is an important part of neurosurgery, but the capacity to monitor the effects of these occlusions in real time is limited. In surgical procedures that require vascular manipulation, such as those involving aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), or tumors, the ability to visualize blood flow in vessels and their distribution beds would be beneficial. The authors recount their experience in the use of a sensitive (0.02°C), high-resolution (up to 50 µm/pixel) infrared camera with a rapid shutter speed (up to 2 msec/frame) for localizing cortical function intraoperatively. They observed high-resolution images of cerebral arteries and veins. The authors hypothesized that infrared imaging of cerebral arteries, performed using a sensitive, high-resolution camera during surgery, would permit changes in arterial flow to be be seen immediately, thus providing real-time assessment of brain perfusion in the involved vascular territory. Methods. Cynomolgus monkeys underwent extensive craniectomies, exposing the frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes. Temporary occlusions of the internal carotid artery and middle cerebral artery branches (30 events) were performed serially and were visualized with the aid of an infrared camera. Arteries and veins of the monkey brain were clearly visualized due to cooling of the exposed brain, which contrasted with blood within the vessels that remained at core temperature. Blood flow changes in vessels were seen immediately (< 1 second) in real time during occlusion and reopening of the vessels, regardless of the duration of the occlusion. Areas of decreased cortical blood flow rapidly cooled (−0.3 to 1.3°C) and reheated in response to reperfusion. Rewarming occurred faster in arteries than in the cortex (for a 20-minute occlusion, the change in temperature per second was 2 × 10−2°C in the artery and 7 × 10−3°C in the brain). Collateral flow could be evaluated by intraoperative observations and data processing. Conclusions. Use of high-resolution, digital infrared imaging permits real-time visualization of arterial flow. It has the potential to provide the surgeon with a means to assess collateral flow during temporary vessel occlusion and to visualize directly the flow in parent arteries or persistent filling of an aneurysm after clipping. During surgery for AVMs, the technique may provide a new way to assess arterial inflow, venous outflow, results of embolization, collateral flow, steal, and normal perfusion pressure breakthrough.


1993 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ossama Al-Mefty ◽  
H. Louis Harkey ◽  
Isam Marawi ◽  
Duane E. Haines ◽  
Dudley F. Peeler ◽  
...  

✓ A canine model simulating both cervical spondylosis and its results in delayed progressive myelopathy is presented. This model allowed control of compression, an ongoing assessment of neurological deficits, and evaluation using diagnostic images, frequent electrophysiological tests, local blood flow measurements, and postmortem histological examinations. Subclinical cervical cord compression was achieved in 14 dogs by placing a Teflon washer posteriorly and a Teflon screw anteriorly, producing an average of 29% stenosis of the spinal canal. Four dogs undergoing sham operations were designated as controls. Twelve of the animals undergoing compression developed delayed and progressive clinical signs of myelopathy, with a mean latent period to onset of myelopathy of 7 months. Spinal cord blood flow studies using the hydrogen clearance method showed a significant transient increase in blood flow immediately after compression and a decrease before sacrifice. Somatosensory evoked potential studies indicated progressive deterioration during the period of compression. Magnetic resonance images revealed intramedullary changes. Histological studies showed abnormalities overwhelmingly within the gray matter, including changes in vascular morphology, loss of large motor neurons, necrosis, and cavitation. Axonal degeneration and obvious demyelination were rarely seen. The most profound morphological changes occurred at the site of greatest compression. It is proposed that a momentary arrest of microcirculation occurs during extension of the neck because of loss of the reserve space in the compromised spinal canal. This microcirculatory disturbance is predominant in the watershed area of the cord and mainly affects the highly vulnerable anterior horn cells, leading to neuronal death, necrosis, and eventual cavitation at the junction of the dorsal and anterior horns. Additional supportive evidence of this hypothesis was derived from the literature.


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 852-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Kondziolka ◽  
Mark Bernstein ◽  
Lothar Resch ◽  
Charles H. Tator ◽  
J. F. Ross Fleming ◽  
...  

✓ A retrospective clinical and pathological review of 905 consecutive brain tumor cases (excluding pituitary adenoma and recurrent tumor) was conducted to identify cases in which intratumoral hemorrhage was confirmed grossly and/or pathologically. There were 132 cases so identified, for an overall tumor hemorrhage rate of 14.6%; of these, 5.4% were classified as macroscopic and 9.2% as microscopic. The presence of hemorrhage was correlated with the neurological presentation. The highest hemorrhage rate (70.0%) was found in patients with prior neurological history who experienced apoplectic deterioration (acute-on-chronic presentation). Only 57.1% of patients with acute deterioration in the absence of prior neurological symptoms had hemorrhages. The highest hemorrhage rate for primary brain tumors was 29.2% for mixed oligodendroglioma/astrocytoma, while the highest hemorrhage rate for any tumor type was 50% for metastatic melanoma. The clinical relevance of tumor hemorrhage is discussed.


1998 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raul A. Rodas ◽  
Robert A. Fenstermaker ◽  
Paul E. McKeever ◽  
Mila Blaivas ◽  
Lawrence D. Dickinson ◽  
...  

Object. Thrombotic complications (deep vein thrombosis and/or pulmonary embolization [DVT/PE]) occur in 18 to 50% of patients harboring brain tumors who undergo neurosurgical procedures. Such patients are at risk for DVT/PE because of immobility, paresis, hypovolemia, and lengthy surgery. The present study was undertaken to see whether tumor patients at highest risk for DVT/PE could be identified so that augmentation of prophylactic measures might be used to reduce the incidence of thrombotic complications. Methods. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 488 patients enrolled in their brain tumor registries between 1988 and 1995, identifying 57 patients (12%) with recorded symptomatic DVT, PE, or both postoperatively. In 24 of these 57 cases histological specimens were retrievable for review, allowing an in-depth analysis. Forty-five patients were lost to follow-up review, and the remaining 386 patients had no record of systemic thrombosis. Slides of pathological specimens were retrievable in 50 cases in which there was no DVT/PE. From these 50 cases, 25 were selected at random to represent the control group by a blinded observer. Seventeen (71%) of the 24 brain tumor specimens obtained in patients with DVT/PE stained positively for intraluminal thrombosis (ILT) after hematoxylin and eosin had been applied. The odds ratio associated with the presence of ILT was 17.8, with a confidence interval ranging from 4 to 79.3. No evidence of ILT was found in 22 patients (88%) within the control group (p < 0.0001, Fisher's exact test). Other factors that may predispose patients with brain tumors to DVT/PE—limb paresis, extent of tumor removal, and duration of the surgery—were also analyzed and found not to be statistically significant. Therefore, these factors were not the basis for differences seen between the study and control groups. Conclusions. These preliminary observations suggest that the presence of ILT within malignant glioma or glioblastoma tumor vessels may represent a marker of tumor-induced hypercoagulability.


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