How I do it: MRI-guided stereotactic navigation for Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy.

Background: MR-guided stereotaxy has emerged as a viable alternative to CT-guided frame-based or frameless approaches. By offering direct MR-guided navigation, this technique addresses most limitations inherent to CT navigation, enabling submillimeter precision.

Method: We detail the workflow of using the ClearPoint® MR navigation system for laser catheter placement in the treatment of a hypothalamic hamartoma.

Conclusion: MR-guided navigation is a precise and effective stereotactic method for laser ablation of targets with high demands for accuracy. However, compared to standard stereotactic techniques, MR-guided navigation is more time-consuming and costly.