Interstitial 1.06 Nd:YAG laser thermotherapy for brain tumors under real-time monitoring of MRI:  experimental study and phase I clinical trial.
This paper presents the experimental and clinical results of interstitial 1.06 Nd:YAG laser thermotherapy (ILTT) for brain tumors under real-time monitoring by magnetic resonance imaging. The authors chose a laser heat source for interstitial thermotherapy of brain tumors for several important reasons:  (1) Laser heat delivery is less complicated and more controlled; (2) laser effects on tissue can be tested, monitored, and controlled by MRI. A 1.064 nm Nd:YAG laser and a specially designed laser optic fiber (ILTT) were used in C.W. mode this study.  The laser was used at 4 W at a C.W. mode pulse and total exposure duration was 10 minutes (total energy was 2400 joules).  Temperature distribution was determined with a microprocessor-based thermometer and by the levels of the signal intensity under MRI.  The relationship between the temperature and MRI signal intensity allowed exploration of the possibility of using MRI as a noninvasive temperature monitoring method.  Two patients with glioblastoma and one patient with a brain metastasis were treated with this modality.  The results and indications are presented and discussed.
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Graz, Austria.
M
M
Fan
P W
PW
Ascher
O
O
Schröttner
F
F
Ebner
R H
RH
Germann
R
R
Kleinert
D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging