Intraoperative high field magnetic resonance imaging combined with pyramidal tract navigation for resection of thalamic gliomas

Objective To explore the clinical value of high field iMRI combined with pyramidal tract navigation on the resection of thalamic gliomas. Methods Clinical data about 28 patients with thalamic gliomas admitted to our hospital from March 2009 to April 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent microsurgery aided by iMRI combined pyramidal tract navigation. The extent of resection （EOR） of tumors， pre- and post-operative Karnofsky performance scale （KPS） and myodynamia were evaluated. Results iMRI scanning revealed residual tumors in 22 of 28 patients， and 15 patients received further resection which increased EOR. Three weeks after surgery， neurological functions improved or kept no change in 22 cases， and 6 cases experienced neurological function decline， however， the KPS score of these 6 patients were higher than 60， which suggested that the patients could take care of themselves. Conclusion iMRI combined with pyramidal tract navigation is helpful to maximize the resection of thalamic gliomas and decrease incidence of the neurologic deficits.