ULTRASOUND-GUIDED NEUROSURGERY - A FEASIBILITY STUDY IN THE 3-30 MHZ FREQUENCY-RANGE

This study, which includes seven patients, illustrates some potential values of the interactive use of ultrasound technology prior to, durin g and after brain tumour resection. Ultrasound B-scan and colour flow imaging were applied during open surgery using a cardiac scanner in th e 3.25-7.5 MHz frequency range and an intravascular scanner with cathe ters at 10, 20 and 30 MHz. The tumour and vital blood vessels were loc alized prior to resection using low frequency imaging from the brain s urface. High frequency, high resolution close-up imaging was applied d uring and after resection in order to identify remaining tumour tissue , as well as to detect blood vessels in the vicinity of the resection wall. The study also demonstrates that the tumour and surgical tools s uch as, for example, bipolar diathermy, acoustic aspirator or biopsy f orceps, can be visualized simultaneously. This simplifies the localiza tion of remaining tumour tissue.