Surgical treatment of pituitary adenomas using low-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) is a new technique for imaging of the brain and is used with increasing frequency during neurosurgical operations, enabling the surgeon to make decisions based on real-time images.

Objectives: This paper presents the technique for the surgical treatment of pituitary adenomas using low-field iMRI, evaluates the safety of iMRI usage in pituitary surgery and examines the influence of iMRI on the extent of tumor removal.

Material And Methods: From October 2008 to December 2010, 18 patients were treated for pituitary adenomas using the low-field iMRI system Polestar N20.