Complementarity of x-ray computed tomography of staged stereotaxic biopsies and of stereo-electroencephalography in the spatial definition of intracranial lesions

• Published in: Revue d'électroencéphalographie et de neurophysiologie clinique Vol. 17; no. 1; p. 3
• Main Authors: Munari, C, Musolino, A, Demierre, B, Betti, O, Franzini, A, Rosler, J R, Broglin, D, Daumas-Duport, C, Missir, O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: France 01-03-1987
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biopsy - methods; Brain Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Brain Diseases - pathology; Brain Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Brain Neoplasms - pathology; Cerebral Angiography; Cerebral Ventriculography; Child; Child, Preschool; Electroencephalography - methods; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Stereotaxic Techniques; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0370-4475

This study concerns 180 patients (132 M; 48 F) (age: 2 to 69 years; m: 33 years) who underwent stereotactic procedures according to the methodology of Talairach and Szikla. Such procedures (stereotactic and stereoscopic angiography in all cases, and ventriculography in 81%) should permit a correct spatial definition of intracranial lesions. The informations provided by the angiography (normal in 7%) and by the ventriculography (normal in 11%) are complementary to those yielded by the TDM and permit an easier and safe stereotactic approach to the lesions. In 43% of patients the lesions were deep-seated (basal ganglia: 24; sellar region: 19; thalamo-peduncular: 13; brain stem: 6, etc.). The histological examination showed: low-grade gliomas in 43%; glioblastomas in 21%; non tumoral lesions in 17%. A precise diagnosis couldn't be obtained in 3.8%. The data provided by the stereo-EEG (in 11 patients suffering also of severe drug-resistant partial epilepsy) did not permit, alone, an histological diagnosis, excepted when electrodes explored a solid tumor. Two patients had a neurological impairment, and two died (one for extracerebral reasons). The authors consider that the TDM data and the informations given by the stereotactic procedures are complementary for obtaining valuable informations on the spatial organization of intracranial lesions and choosing the best treatment.