EARLY AND LATE COMPLICATIONS FOLLOWING DYNAMIC STEREOTAXIC RADIOSURGERY AND FRACTIONATED STEREOTAXIC RADIOTHERAPY

Between December 1986 and June 1990, 112 patients (116 lesions), under went treatment with dynamic stereotactic radiosurgery at.McGill Univer sity. Of the treated lesions, 59 were arteriovenous malformations and 53 were a variety of other neoplastic or non-neoplastic conditions. In 86 lesions, the treatment was delivered in a single fraction and the treatment of the remaining 30 lesions was fractionated. Complications attributed to treatment developed in seven of the 112 patients (6.3%). No relationship was found between complications and prescribed dose, fractionation, collimator diameter, type and anatomical region of the lesion that was treated, or previous irradiation. Although extensive c linical experience will be necessary to determine optimal total doses, the potential role of fractionated treatment, and the tolerance of cr itical structures to radiosurgery, the relatively low incidence of com plications in our series allows us to conclude that radiosurgery is we ll tolerated by the vast majority of patients.