gms | German Medical Science

63rd Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)
Joint Meeting with the Japanese Neurosurgical Society (JNS)

German Society of Neurosurgery (DGNC)

13 - 16 June 2012, Leipzig

The role of transcranial motor evoked potentials monitoring during surgery for intramedullary ependymoma

Meeting Abstract

  • H. Akutsu - Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
  • K. Nakai - Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
  • K. Uemura - Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
  • S. Takano - Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
  • A. Matsumura - Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Japanische Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 63. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (JNS). Leipzig, 13.-16.06.2012. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2012. DocMI.06.01

doi: 10.3205/12dgnc015, urn:nbn:de:0183-12dgnc0152

Published: June 4, 2012

© 2012 Akutsu et al.
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Outline

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Objective: The feasibility of motor evoked potentials (MEP) during surgery for intramedullary tumors has already been reported. However, it is unclear whether MEP monitoring contributes to extent of tumor removal or to functional outcome. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine the role of MEP monitoring during surgery for intramedullary tumors.

Methods: The extent of tumor removal and functional outcome (McCormick grade: 1–4) were compared between 2 groups of surgically treated each consisting of 17 consecutive patients with intramedullary ependymomas either with (Group A) or without (Group B) intraoperative MEP monitoring.

Results: The extent of resection was improved in Group A (gross-total removal: 67% vs 25% in Group B, subtotal removal: 22% vs 63% in Group B, partial removal: 11% vs 13% in Group B), but the groups showed no difference in terms of 1 year postoperative functional outcome.

Conclusions: For intramedullary ependymoma surgery, the use of intraoperative transcranial MEP monitoring can contribute to improvement of the extent of tumor removal without influencing 1 year postoperative functional outcome.