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Abstract

Neuroscience

Role of Diffusion MRI Tractography in Endoscopic Endonasal Skull Base Surgery

Published: July 5th, 2021

DOI:

10.3791/61724

1IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Center for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Hypothalamic-Pituitary Diseases - Pituitary Unit, 2Department of Biomedical and NeuroMotor Sciences, University of Bologna, 3IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, 4IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna

* These authors contributed equally

Abstract

Endoscopic endonasal surgery has gained a prominent role in the management of complex skull base tumors. It allows the resection of a large group of benign and malignant lesions through a natural anatomical extra-cranial pathway, represented by the nasal cavities, avoiding brain retraction and neurovascular manipulation. This is reflected by the patients' prompt clinical recovery and the low risk of permanent neurological sequelae, representing the main caveat of conventional skull base surgery. This surgery must be tailored to each specific case, considering its features and relationship with surrounding neural structures, mostly based on preoperative neuroimaging. Advanced MRI techniques, such as tractography, have been rarely adopted in skull base surgery due to technical issues: lengthy and complicated processes to generate reliable reconstructions for inclusion in the neuronavigation system.

This paper aims to present the protocol implemented in the institution and highlights the synergistic collaboration and teamwork between neurosurgeons and the neuroimaging team (neurologists, neuroradiologists, neuropsychologists, physicists, and bioengineers) with the final goal of selecting the optimal treatment for each patient, improving the surgical results and pursuing the advancement of personalized medicine in this field.

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Keywords Diffusion MRI

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