Microsurgery assisted by intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging and neuronavigation for small lesions in deep brain

Objective To explore the practicability of resecting small lesions in deep brain by intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) and neuronavigator-assisted microsurgery and its clinical efficacies.Methods A total of 42 cases with small lesions in deep brain underwent intraoperative MRI and neuronavigator-assisted microsurgery.The drifting of neuronavigation was corrected by images acquired from intraoperative MR rescanning.Results All lesions were successfully identified and 40 cases totally removed without mortality.Only 3 cases developed new neurological deficits post-operatively while 2 of them returned to normal neurological functions after a follow-up duration of 3 months to 2 years.Conclusion The application of intraoperative MRI can effectively correct the drifting of neuronavigation and enhance the accuracy of microsurgical neuronavigation for small lesions in deep brain. Key words: Magnetic Resonance Imaging;  Neuronavigation ;  Neurosurgery;  Brain