Is the image guidance of ultrasonography beneficial for neurosurgical routine?
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.
Miller
Dorothea
D
Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Philipps-University Marburg, 35033 Marburg, Germany. millerd@med.uni-marburg.de <millerd@med.uni-marburg.de>
Heinze
Stefan
S
Tirakotai
Wuttipong
W
Bozinov
Oliver
O
Sürücü
Oguzkan
O
Benes
Ludwig
L
Bertalanffy
Helmut
H
Sure
Ulrich
U
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*