Interventional magnetic resonance imaging guided aspiration and biopsy of a cystic midbrain tumor

Interventional magnetic resonance imaging defines the intraoperative applic ation of magnetic resonance imaging technology, permitting the surgeon to w ork in an open magnetic field. The application of this technology to pediat ric neurosurgery allows precise intraoperative localization of pathology, r eal-time assessment of the anatomical consequences of surgical and anesthet ic interventions, accountability of brain shifts, confirmation of the exact site of biopsy or completeness of lesion removal, and immediate identifica tion of some intraoperative and early postoperative complications. We prese nt the case of a young boy with a cystic left midbrain tumor who underwent interventional magnetic resonance imaging guided aspiration and biopsy to i llustrate the surgical advantages of th is technology.