Neurosurgical Device Implantation for Neurooncologic Patients: What To Avoid?

Abstract

Neurooncologic patients frequently require surgery, and neurosurgical devices are often implanted during neurosurgery. These devices could disturb oncologic follow-up by magnetic resonance imaging. The authors describe the use of neurosurgical devices, such as bone substitutes, ventriculoperitoneal shunts, and titanium skull fixations, in neurooncologic patients. Acrylic cement cranioplasty, valve of ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and titanium skull fixations produced magnetic artifacts disturbing postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. The authors highlight the fact that all these neurosurgical devices implanted during surgery should be carefully evaluated to allow appropriate imaging follow-up for neurooncologic patients, which is a problem that remains underreported in the literature.