Optimizing the onco-functional balance in supratentorial brain tumour surgery: A single institution’s initial experience with intraoperative cortico-subcortical mapping and monitoring in Singapore

Abstract

Intraoperative cortical mapping provides functional information that permits the safe and maximal resection of supratentorial lesions infiltrating the so-called eloquent cortex or subcortical white matter tracts. Primary and secondary brain tumours located in eloquent cortex can render surgical treatment ineffective if it results in new or worsening neurology. A cohort of forty-six consecutive patients with supratentorial tumours of variable pathology involving eloquent cortical regions and aided with intraoperative neurophysiology were included for retrospective analysis at a single-centre tertiary institution. Intraoperative neurophysiological data has been related to immediate post-operative neurologic status as well as 3-month follow-up in patients that underwent awake or asleep surgical resection. Patients that experienced new or worsening neurologic symptoms post-operatively demonstrated a high incidence of recovery at 3-months. Those without new neurologic symptoms post-operatively demonstrated little to no worsening at 3-months. Our study explored the extent to which cortical mapping permitted safe surgical resection whilst preserving neurologic function. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first documented case series in Singapore that has incorporated a systematic and individually tailored multimodal workflow to cortico-subcortical mapping and monitoring for the safe resection of infiltrative lesions of the supratentorial region.