Intraoperative exploration of central lymphatic system using carbon nanoparticles suspension: A clinical study

Abstract

Objective To study the feasibility of using carbon nanoparticles to intraoperatively explore the central lymphatic system. Methods Between December 2016 and July 2017, a series of 7 patients with meningiomas were admitted to Neurosurgery Department at Binzhou Medical University Hospital and enrolled into this retrospective study. Subdural injection of carbon nanoparticles suspension (CNPS) was performed over the tumor area during operation. We observed the epidural dyeing and diffusion of CNPS, collected the images and conducted meningeal pathology examination. Results Among 7 cases, 5 cases demonstrated varying extent of CNPS drainage including 3 with drainage into the sagittal sinus, 1 with drainage to cranial base and 1 with drainage into the sagittal sinus and venous dyeing below the tumor entity. HE staining indicated that there was an obvious potential lacuna beside the dyed channel which had little nucleated cells and lacked endothelial cells. There were abundant mast cell-like nucleated cells around the area with dense dyeing of CNPS. Conclusion It appears to be feasible to use CNPS to explore the central lymphatic system, which is closely related to various pathophysiological mechanisms and worth further investigating. Key words: Central nervous system; Lymphatic system; Carbon nanoparticles