Turkish Neurosurgery 1994 , Vol 4 , Num 3
STEREOTAXIS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF MASS LESIONS OF THE THIRD VENTRICULAR REGION
Orhan BARLAS, S. Meltem CAN, Çiçek BAYINDIR, Sait MİYANDOABCI
Department of Neurosurgery İstanbul Faculty of Medicine Çapa İstanbul, Turkey The impact of stereotactic techniques on the management of mass lesions of the third ventricular region is reviewed in a consecutive series of 82 patients treated over three years using primarily stereotactic techniques. The lesions were in the ventricular cavity in 8 cases, thalamic in 26 cases, sellar or suprasellar in 3l cases, pineal in 12 cases and mesencephalic in 5 cases. A CT compatible Leksell stereotactic system was used. The patients underwent a total of 144 procedures. Objectives were biopsy alone in 47 procedures, biopsy and cyst aspiration in 33 procedures. catheterization in 5 procedures, aspiration alone in 28 procedures, interstitial radiosurgery in 27 procedures, third ventriculostomy in 1 procedure, and microstereotactic resection in 3 procedures. These objectives were realized in all cases. There were no permanent complications and no morbidity. A positive pathological diagnosis could be made in all patients. On the basis of the information obtained at biopsy, only 15 patients (18%) had to under go conventional craniotomy and resection, while 29 patients received external radiotherapy only, 19 patients had interstitital radiosurgery, 3 patients underwent microstereotactic removal of their tumors, and 8 patients received non-surgical therapy. This experience shows that the use of diagnostic and therapeutic stereotactic techniques has had a drastic effect on management of third ventricular mass lesions. obviating major intracranial operations in many patients. Keywords : Brachytherapy, brain tumor, radiosurgery, stereotaxy, third ventricle tumor
Corresponding author : Orhan Barlas