INTRAOPERATIVE REAL-TIME ULTRASONOGRAPHY IN THE MICROSURGICAL REMOVALOF SUBCORTICAL OR DEEP-SEATED BRAIN-TUMORS

Seventy-three patients with subcortical or deep-seated brain tumours h ave been operated on with the aid of intraoperative ultrasonography. F orty-one had metastases and thirty-two primitive neuroepithelial neopl asms. In all cases ultrasonography allowed an easy and precise localiz ation of the tumours. The removal was gross total in 45 cases (61.6 pe r cent), subtotal in 17 (23.3 per cent) and partial in 11 (15-1 per ce nt). Preservation or improvement of the Karnofsky Performance Status w as obtained in 63 patients (86.3 per cent), with a morbidity and morta lity rate of 11 and 2.7 per cent respectively. Our results indicate th at ultrasound guided microsurgery represents a handy, reliable and rel atively low risk procedure for the treatment of intraaxial brain tumou rs.