Ultrasound in follow-up of the postoperative brain. Preliminary report on six cases.
The authors report on their early results in the ultrasound (US) follow-up of postoperative brain pathology, both supra- and infratentorial. The use of US is dependent on the presence of an acoustic window in the skull after craniotomy. Five patients were investigated via a suboccipital craniotomy and one patient via a temporal skull defect. In the patients with a suboccipital craniotomy the greatest part of the posterior fossa, the 3rd and lateral ventricle could be made visible. In a patient with a temporal craniotomy the involved parts of the brain were demonstrated satisfactorily. If a skull defect persists after surgery US may be of value in the follow-up of postoperative conditions, such as the assessment of tumour residue or recurrence, hydrocephalus, postoperative complications and response to radio- or chemotherapy.
D000293:Adolescent; D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000601:surgery; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000601:surgery; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002551:Cerebral Ventricle Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003399:Craniotomy / Q000379:methods*; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000601:surgery; D004453:Echoencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000601:surgery; D009837:Oligodendroglioma / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis*