gms | German Medical Science

58. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

26. bis 29.04.2007, Leipzig

Intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring and ultra-low-field MRI

Intraoperatives neurophysiologisches Monitoring bei chirurgischen Eingriffen in einem Niederfeld-MRT

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author A. Szelényi - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschland
  • T. Gasser - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschland
  • E. Hermann - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschland
  • V. Seifert - Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Klinikum der Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt/Main, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 58. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC). Leipzig, 26.-29.04.2007. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2007. DocSA.09.08

The electronic version of this article is the complete one and can be found online at: http://www.egms.de/en/meetings/dgnc2007/07dgnc191.shtml

Published: April 11, 2007

© 2007 Szelényi et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.en). You are free: to Share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work, provided the original author and source are credited.


Outline

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Objective: The combined utilization of neurophysiological methods and intraoperative MR-imaging might improve the surgeons’ anatomical and functional orientation. Nevertheless, an MRI environment requires a specific technical approach for intraoperative monitoring. Heating of electrodes resulting in thermal lesions and interference with imaging quality are of concern. This study provides technical details with respect to the employed electrode and the incidence of artefacts.

Methods: A 0.5 T low field open MRI (Polestar, Medtronic, USA) was utilized for the study. MRI was performed before and after the electrodes were positioned with the following axial/coronal sequences: esteady (8mm; 0.45 min), T1 (4mm, 7 min) and Flair (8mm, 3.5 min). The images were analyzed for artefacts. Single use Pt/Ir-electrodes (Viasys Healthcare, USA) have a low magnetic susceptibility and were used for transcranial electric stimulation to elicit motor evoked potentials (MEPs; 6 electrodes) as well as for recording somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs, 6 electrodes). The electrode were positioned according to the international 10-20-EEG-system at C4, C2, C3, C1, Cz and Cz+6cm and C4', C3', Cz', Fz and Fpz (serving as reference electrode). Other parts of the monitoring equipment (ISIS, Inomed, Germany) were positioned at least 1 m away from the magnet or outside the 5-Gauss line, looping of cables was avoided and the cables were disconnected from the headbox while scanning. Position sides were inspected for adverse events and the monitoring quality compared to non-MRI environment.

Results: 22 patients (11f, 11m; 40.2±14.2 years) underwent supratentorial tumor surgery in the vicinity of the central region. At the electrode positions no adverse events such as burns were noticed. In all patients, MEPs and SEPs were obtainable without influencing the monitoring quality. The imaging quality was adequate in all patients, but in 5/22 patients a stripe-like signal void was noticed which did not interfere with image interpretation.

Conclusions: With the utilization of Pt/Ir electrodes and unhooking the electrodes during MRI data acquisition, the combined use of intraoperative monitoring and open MRI is safe. Thus, the combination of neurophysiological methods and intraoperative imaging provides a powerful and safe tool for intraoperative anatomical and functional orientation.