A prospective study of the safety and efficacy of frameless, pinless electromagnetic image-guided biopsy of cerebral lesions.

Background: In recent years, frameless navigation techniques have been reported to be safe and effective for biopsy of cerebral lesions.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a technique of frameless, pinless electromagnetic-guided biopsy for brain lesions with the Medtronic Stealth AxiEM.

Methods: Prospective data were collected on consecutive brain biopsies performed by a single surgeon (P.

Image-guided frameless stereotactic biopsy without intraoperative neuropathological examination.

Object: Stereotactic biopsy is a safe and effective technique for the diagnosis of brain tumors. The use of intraoperative neuropathological examination has been routinely advocated to increase diagnostic yield, but the procedure lengthens surgical time, may produce false-negative and -positive results, and current biopsy techniques have a very low nondiagnostic rate. Therefore, the authors questioned the need for intraoperative histological evaluation.

Use of intrathecal urokinase in repeated shunt and external ventricular drain blockage from high CSF protein due to an optic pathway glioma.

Introduction: High cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein is a recognised association of optic pathway gliomas. This can occlude ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt catheters or external ventricular drains (EVD).

Case Report: We describe an 8-year-old boy with an optic pathway glioma, who had frequent episodes of a blocked VP shunt and EVD due to high CSF protein level.

A review of the current treatment methods for posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus of infants.

Posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) is a major problem for premature infants, generally requiring lifelong care. It results from small blood clots inducing scarring within CSF channels impeding CSF circulation. Transforming growth factor - beta is released into CSF and cytokines stimulate deposition of extracellular matrix proteins which potentially obstruct CSF pathways.