The effects of new technologies on the surgical management of brainstem tumors.
Nuclear magnetic resonance, real-time and A-scan ultrasonography, and computerized CO2 lasers were recently introduced for diagnosis and surgical treatment of brainstem tumors. These new technologies offer many advantages: safe but aggressive surgery on the brainstem, the possibility of performing a correct histologic diagnosis, and an exact indication for radiotherapy. Eleven tumors were operated on in our series: seven were intrinsic and four protruded out from the axis. Patients with high-grade malignant tumors died from 5 to 12 months after treatment, whereas those with pilocytic astrocytoma are still alive and leading useful lives.
D000328:Adult; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D001933:Brain Stem; D002648:Child; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053685:Laser Therapy; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013396:Suction / Q000295:instrumentation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014465:Ultrasonics / Q000295:instrumentation; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods