title: Preoperative Volumetric Assessment Matched with High-Field Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided Stereotactic Evacuation of Brain Abscesses.
abstract: Stereotactic evacuation is currently accepted as a minimally invasive surgical procedure for the management of brain abscesses. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (Io-MRI) is well established in neuro-oncology but its role has not been completely outlined for brain abscess surgery. The objective of this work is to analyze radiologic, clinical, and laboratory results in a cohort of patients with brain abscesses treated with an original protocol in which the minimally invasiveness of a stereotactic technique is matched with preoperative volumetric evaluation and Io-MRI.
  
  
  
  For each of the 12 patients included in this cohort, the following data were recorded: age, sex, location, presentation, grade of evacuation, duration of follow-up, mean preoperative and postoperative Glasgow Outcome Scale score, functional outcome, number of abscess loculations, number of Io-MRI, duration of antibiotic therapy, preoperative and postoperative laboratory findings, pathogen strains and possible recurrences.
  
  
  
  The operative time was in 10/12 patients under 90 minutes. A total of 8/12 patients needed no more than 30 days of antibiotics; 9/12 patients had minor or no sequelae and returned to normal activities; only 1 recurrence of brain abscess was recorded in the sample. Only 1 death was recorded in the sample.
  
  
  
  Although this work is intended to present preliminary results of an original protocol for the management of brain abscess, the role of a precise preoperative volumetric evaluation matched with Io-MRI in the treatment of this disease seems of great benefit, as in surgical neuro-oncology.
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy. Electronic address: ale_pesce83@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.affiliation: IRCCS “Neuromed” Neurosurgery, Pozzilli (IS), Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frati
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Venceslao
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Wierzbicki
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: NESMOS Department, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques
keywords: Brain abscess; Cerebral infections; Intraoperative MRI; Short antibiotic therapy; Stereotactic evacuation