[Image guided stereotactic approach of central nervous system lesions: accuracy, morbidity, mortality]. / Abordagem estereotáxica guiada por imagem de lesões do sistema nervoso central. Precisão diagnóstica, morbidade, mortalidade.

We studied seventy-five patients with brain lesions biopsied by stereotaxis from March 1993 to December 1998 at Universidade Federal de São Paulo-Escola Paulista de Medicina. The three most frequent lesions were: metastasis, low grade astrocytomas and glioblastoma multiforme. The morbidity rate was 2.66% due to: one case of scalp infection in a patient with thalamic cyst; and a partial seizure during surgery in a patient with lymphoma. The mortality rate was 1.33% due to increasing of cerebral edema after biopsy and the patient died after one week. The diagnostic accuracy was 89.33%.

[Stereotaxic thalamotomy and pallidotomy with computerized planning in Parkinson's disease: short-term evaluation of motor function in 50 patients]. / Talamotomia e palidotomia estereotáxica com planejamento computadorizado no tratamento da doença de Parkinson. Avaliação do desempenho motor a curto prazo de 50 pacientes.

We evaluated the motor function of 50 patients with Parkinson's disease, who underwent stereotaxic surgery with computerized planning, without ventriculography (ventrolateral thalamotomy- VLT- and/or posteroventral pallidotomy- PVP) before and one month after surgery. 27 unilateral TVL, 10 unilateral PVP, 6 bilateral PVP, and 7 TVL with PVP were performed. The motor evaluation was performed with the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, motor score, during on and off periods. We observed a global motor improvement in all groups. The improvement of dyskinesias was obtained in the contralateral side of the body, in the PVP groups. From the 50 patients, 16 (32%) presented post-operative complications, 9 of these (56.25%) improved completely, 6 (37.25%) improved partially, and 1 (6.25%) did not improve during the first month. These results were considered satisfactory, and a long term analysis will show whether these benefits are long lasting or not.