New laser techniques for diagnosis and treatment of deep-seated brain lesions

The five years survival rate of deep-seated malignant brain tumors after surgery/radiotherapy is virtually 100% mortality. Special problems include: (1) lesions often present late; (2) position: lesions overlies vital structures, so complete surgical/radiotherapy lesion destruction can damage vital brain-stem functions; and (3) difficulty in differentiating normal brain from malignant lesions. This study aimed to use the unique properties of the laser: (a) to minimize damage during surgical removal of deep-seated brain lesions by operating via fine optic fibers; and (b) to employ the propensity of certain lasers for absorption of (nontoxic) dyes and absorption and induction of fluorescence in some brain substances, to differentiate borders of malignant and normal brain, for more complete tumor removal. A fine laser endoscopic technique was devised for removal of brain lesions, which minimized thermal damage and shock waves. A compatible endoscopic fluoroscopic laser technique was developed to differentiate brain tumor from normal brain.