Minimally invasive stereotactically-guided extirpation of brain stern cavernoma with the aid of electrophysiological methods

The surgical extirpation of brain stem cavernomas always includes a risk of neurological deficits. To minimize the risk of deficits and control the mo tor and sensory function intraoperative monitoring of SEP and MEP seems to be helpful. The high density of motor and sensory fibers within the brain s tem makes bilateral intraoperative monitoring necessary. The following case demonstrates a stereotactically-guided supratentorial, transventricular ap proach for extirpation of a brain stem cavernoma. Sensory and motoric funct ions were observed by transcranial recording of SEP's and by transcranial s timulation of motor cortex.