Ultrasound in follow-up of the postoperative brain. Preliminary report on six cases

The authors report on their early results in the ultrasound (US) follow-up of postoperative brain pathology, both supra- and infratentorial. The use of US is dependent on the presence of an acoustic window in the skull after craniotomy. Five patients were investigated via a suboccipital craniotomy and one patient via a temporal skull defect. In the patients with a suboccipital craniotomy the greatest part of the posterior fossa, the 3rd and lateral ventricle could be made visible. In a patient with a temporal craniotomy the involved parts of the brain were demonstrated satisfactorily. If a skull defect persists after surgery US may be of value in the follow-up of postoperative conditions, such as the assessment of tumour residue or recurrence, hydrocephalus, postoperative complications and response to radio- or chemotherapy.