gms | German Medical Science

70. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC)
Joint Meeting mit der Skandinavischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

12.05. - 15.05.2019, Würzburg

First in vivo visualisation of intracranial vascular microstructures with LZ optical coherence tomography

Darstellung intrakranieller vaskulärerer Mikrostrukturen mittels der optischen Kohärenz-Tomografie

Meeting Abstract

  • presenting/speaker Klaus-Peter Stein - Universitätsklinikum Madgeburg, Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Magdeburg, Deutschland
  • Karl Hartmann - KRH Klinikum Nordstadt, Neurochirurgie, Hannover, Deutschland
  • Belal Neyazi - Universitätsklinikum Madgeburg, Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Madgeburg, Deutschland
  • I. Erol Sandalcioglu - Universitätsklinikum Madgeburg, Klinik für Neurochirurgie, Madgeburg, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 70. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), Joint Meeting mit der Skandinavischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Würzburg, 12.-15.05.2019. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2019. DocP020

doi: 10.3205/19dgnc358, urn:nbn:de:0183-19dgnc3587

Published: May 8, 2019

© 2019 Stein et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Objective: To assess the feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in intracranial vessel wall imaging.

Methods: The OCT-camera was connected to the port of a surgical microscope, optimized for light transmission in the near-infrared spectral range. The region of interest as defined by the neurosurgeon and three-dimensional OCT volume scans as well as corresponding light microscopic pictures were recorded. We imaged vascular structures during standard pterional craniotomy approaches and microsurgical dissection. Post-processing of the OCT scans with ImageJ2 and Fiji was performed using a standardized protocol. The study was approved by the local ethics committee and all participants gave written informed consent.

Results: We performed OCT-scans of Sylvian veins and the internal carotid arteries in five patients each. We depicted the typical structure of arteries in all cases and the three vessel wall layers (tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica adventitia) could be clearly distinguished and measured. In contrast, we could not further differentiate the structure of the thin venous walls. Although the optical window depth was limited for physical reasons, the OCT scans also allowed an evaluation of the vessel lumen. In contrast to the lumen of arteries, the lumen of veins showed a “scattering of light” as a potential result of different flow patterns. All scans could be performed quickly and safely without compromising the surgical workflow.

Conclusion: Our data represent the first in vivo visualization of intracranial vascular microstructures with OCT. This method allows an evaluation of vessel wall anatomy and potentially flow peculiarities. Therefore, OCT might be of help in the understanding of neurovascular pathologies. It can be applied quickly and safely during micro-neurosurgical procedures.