Implement of multimodal navigation-based virtual reality in the needle biopsy of intracranial eloquent lesions / 中华外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical value of multimodal navigation-based virtual reality (MNVR) in the needle biopsy of intracranial eloquent lesions.@*Methods@#From January 2016 to January 2017, 20 patients with intracranial deep-seated lesions involving eloquent brain areas underwent MNVR-aided needle biopsy at Department of Neurosurgery, People′s Liberation Army General Hospital. Preoperatively, MNVR was used to propose and revise the biopsy planning. Intraoperatively, navigation helped trajectory avoid the eloquent structures. Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) was performed to prove the biopsy accuracy and detect the intraoperative complications. Perioperative neurological status, iMRI findings, intraoprative complications, surgical outcome and pathological diagnosis were recorded. Wilcoxon rank-sum test was conducted to compare the preoperative and postoperative neurological scores.@*Results@#MNVR helped revised 45%(9/20) initial biopsy trajectories, which would probably injury the nearby eloquent structures. Navigation helped biopsy trajectories spare the eloquent structures during the operation. No statistical difference was found between postoperative and preoperative neurological status, despite all the lesions were adjacent to eloquent areas. Additionally, 20 patients totally received 21 iMRI scanning. iMRI helped revise incorrect biopsy site in one case and detected intraoperative hemorrhage in another case, both of cases were treated immediately and effectively. No MNVR related adverse events and complications occurred.@*Conclusions@#MNVR-aided needle biopsy of intracranial eloquent lesions is a safe, novel and efficient biopsy modality. This technique is helpful to reduce the incidence of surgery related neurological deficits.

Analysis of the surgical strategy for the treatment of pineal region tumors / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate and explore the optimal surgical strategy for the normalized treatment of pineal region tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From September 2007 to February 2012, 43 patients were treated in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, including 30 male and 14 female patients, with pineal region tumors and non-communicating hydrocephalus were enrolled, who were 1-52 years old, mean age was (27 ± 4) years. The clinical records, treatment strategy, and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients routinely underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and tumor biopsy as the initial treatment. Twenty-seven cases (62.8%, pure endoscopic group) with histological diagnosis of germinoma (23 cases) or pineoblastoma (4 cases) were treated with chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy after ETV. The rest 16 cases (37.2%, craniotomy group) with histological diagnosis of non-germinoma and non-pineoblastoma (5 astrocytomas, 4 pineocytomas, 4 teratomas, 2 ependymomas, and 1 pineopappiloma) had craniotomy and tumor resection after ETV. All the cases had routine follow-up at 1, 3, and 6 months after the final surgery. The clinical, imaging, and tumor markers analysis were routinely examined at follow-up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the pure endoscopic group, 1 case had intra-ventricular hemorrhage after ETV, followed by external ventricular drainage and recovered after 1 week. Endoscopic procedure related short-term ( < 3 months) complication rate was 2.3% (1/43), while long-term morbidity was 0. All cases in the pure endoscopic group had chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy. Long-term follow-up results showed that all cases were cured or had progression free survival (PFS). In the craniotomy group, 2 cases (2/16) developed intra-cranial hemorrhage after surgery, and had to be operated again for hematoma evacuation. In the craniotomy group, the short-term ( < 3 months) morbidity rate was 6/16. At 3 months follow-up, 1 case still had homonymous hemianopia, which made the long-term morbidity rate was 1/16.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>For pineal region tumors with non-communicating hydrocephalus, simultaneous ETV with tumor biopsy can be the most favorable initial diagnostic and therapeutic treatment. Second-stage treatment (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or craniotomy with tumor resection) can be selected according to the histological diagnosis.</p>

Automated proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging guided frameless stereotactic biopsy of intracranial lesions / 中华外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the feasibility, reliability and accuracy of the automated magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) guided frameless brain biopsy with intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Between July 2011 and July 2013, a consecutive series of 93 patients were prospectively enrolled. All the patients had intracranial lesions which need biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Among them, 48 patients were male, 45 patients were female. Their age range from 7 years to 76 years, the median age was 47 years. All patients underwent MRS examination. With MRS automatic fusion technique, the metabolic images were integrated into a standard navigation system (Vario Guide) to guide frameless biopsy. High-field iMRI (1.5 T) was used for target inspection, brain shift correction, and intra-operative exclusion of intra-cerebral hemorrhage and other complications.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>For all the 93 patients, (1)H-MRS based metabolic images could be automatically integrated into a standard navigation system and average fusion procedure could be taken 5 minutes 6 seconds. For (1)H-MRS guided stereotactic biopsy of intracranial lesions, the diagnosis yield rate was 94.6% (88/93). Four cases did not get a clear pathological diagnosis, while 1 case did not match the pathological diagnosis result which obtained by following craniotomy. Technical related complication rate was 2.2% (2 cases, intra-cerebral hemorrhage), which were intra-operatively depicted with iMRI, and managed properly. Among them, 1 case with small volume (5 ml) intracerebral hematoma fully recovered 10 days after surgery without second surgical intervention. One case with large volume intracerebral hematoma (32 ml) was depicted with iMRI, followed by craniotomy and hematoma evacuation in the same session. This case had no new or worsened neurologic deficit post-operatively.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>(1)H-MRS based metabolic imaging can be automatically integrated into a standard navigation system and used for frameless brain biopsy. The target can be selected according to the metabolic status of the lesion. Hence, the target can be more accurate. And the pathological diagnosis yield rate is higher. With iMRI, the method is safe, and has high clinical efficacy.</p>

Reliability and accuracy of arcuate fasciculus navigation: analysis of 43 cases / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the reliability and accuracy of arcuate fasciculus (AF) navigation for AF localization and reconstruction.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Reconstruction of the AF and assessment of the aphasia quotient (AQ) were performed in 43 cases before and after surgical removal of lesions in the language area of the brain. The minimal distance between the AF and the lesion (D(1)), preoperative AQ (AQ(1)), the minimal distance between the AF and the surgical cavity (D(2)), and the postoperative AQ (AQ(2)) were measured. Linear correlation analysis was conducted between D(1) or D(2) and the corresponding AQ(1) or AQ(2) to assess the relationship between the AF and language function. The language function of each patient was evaluated postoperatively.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The AF was successfully reconstructed in all the cases. The tractography results of the identical AF generated by 3 different users showed good congruency. A positive linear correlation was demonstrated between D(1) and AQ(1) (P<0.001) and between D(2) and AQ(2) (P=0.001). Only two patients (4.7%) showed language deficits at postoperative follow-up.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>AF navigation is a reliable and accurate technique for AF reconstruction and localization and helps to preserve the language function after surgical removal of lesions in the language area of the brain.</p>