title: Is the image guidance of ultrasonography beneficial for neurosurgical routine?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Intraoperative US has been widely used in neurosurgical procedures. However, images are often difficult to read. In the present study, we evaluate whether the image guidance of ultrasonography is helpful for the interpretation of US scans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-nine patients with tumor were operated on with the aid of intraoperative US from January to June 2005. Image-guided sonography was used in 13 cases and nonnavigated US technology in the remaining cases. We compared the 2 technologies retrospectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although image quality was good in most cases, orientation remained difficult in 8 of the 16 patients where conventional sonography was used. With the aid of image fusion for navigated sonography, the orientation was judged superior to nonnavigated US.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience, integration of the US into the navigation system facilitates anatomical understanding. Thus, we feel that this technology is beneficial for neurosurgical routine.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Philipps-University Marburg, 35033 Marburg, Germany. millerd@med.uni-marburg.de <millerd@med.uni-marburg.de>
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heinze
authors.forename: Wuttipong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tirakotai
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bozinov
authors.forename: Oguzkan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sürücü
authors.forename: Ludwig
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Benes
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bertalanffy
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sure
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000295:instrumentation*