[Mapping in tumor surgery of the central region]

A prerequisite for successful operations of the central area is the exact pre- and intraoperative localization of the motor strip and the pyramidal tract. The craniocerebral landmarks--the coronal suture and bregma--and the central anatomy in the CT and the MRI favors their localization. According to the anatomical variations and the displacement of the brain by the lesion, these landmarks are not very reliable in identifying the central region in all cases. A safe intraoperative localization of the motor strip is possible with the combination of electrical cortical stimulation and recording of somatosensory evoked potentials. With these methods the results of operations of central lesions are good and the risk of severe postoperative morbidity is low.