Neuronavigation-Guided Transcortical-Transventricular Endoport-Assisted Endoscopic Resection for Thalamic Lesions: Preliminary Experience

Surgery for thalamic lesions is generally challenging because they are deep-seated lesions surrounded by vital neurovascular structures. Whether neuronavigation-guided transcortical-transventricular endoport-assisted endoscopic resection for thalamic lesions is feasible remains to be further evaluated. A retrospective review of 8 who patients received neuronavigation-guided transcortical-transventricular endoport-assisted endoscopic resection for thalamic lesions was performed. Preoperative and tumor-related variables and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. All lesions were located in the medial part of the thalamus, and most of them expanded forward, downward, or backward. Median size of lesions was 31 mm (range, 16–52 mm). Final pathology results confirmed that 1 case was a cavernous malformation, 3 were pilocytic astrocytomas, and 4 were glioblastomas. None of the patients had postoperative seizures. Gross total resection and long-term postoperative survival were achieved in all patients with benign lesions, while near-total resection (>90%) was achieved in 3 of 4 patients (75%) with glioblastoma, and subtotal resection (