© 2020

Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in Neurosurgery

Editors: Chiang, Veronica L., Danish, Shabbar F., Gross, Robert E. (Eds.)

• The first text devoted to the use of MR-guided LITT for treatment of intracranial pathologies.

Foreword

Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT), also known as Laser Induced Thermal Therapy, Stereotactic Laser Ablation, or, simply, Laser Ablation, for CNS disorders is not new. Pioneers in Germany and Boston, Massachusetts, set forth to try to treat brain tumors using various versions of laser-generated heat in the 1990s. Although there were some promising early results, it was clear that this was an idea that was ahead of its time due to the limitations of contemporary technologies. A decade later saw a new generation of LITT, with sophisticated, selfcooling laser probes that use near-infrared wavelength energy to heat and coagulate brain tissues, monitored in real time by magnetic resonance thermography. Whether or not used in conjunction with robotic probe-driving control and the choice of side-firing versus the more traditional diffuse radiant pattern, LITT systems today promise a new, minimally invasive approach to neurosurgery. LITT ablation of CNS tissue is currently used for the treatment of a number of brain disorders, including primary and secondary tumors, adverse radiation effects, epilepsy, some movement disorders, and even some spinal tumors. This book describes the pioneering efforts of the authors contained herein and is an excellent resource that provides state-of-the-art information on the latest indications and results for LITT in CNS applications as well as prerequisite historical perspective and technical fundamentals. An added bonus is Steve Tatter’s practical guide to starting up a LITT practice in the current medical socioeconomic environment. The result is a comprehensive guide to “all things LITT” at the end of the second decade of the second millennium. While it is anticipated that the field will continue to advance rapidly, we certainly have come a long way since the pioneering efforts of Schwarzmaier [1] and Jolesz [2] in the 1990s.

Cleveland, OH, USA                                                                       Gene H. Barnett, MD

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References 

1. Kahn T, Bettag M, Ulrich F, Schwarzmaier HJ, Schober R, Fürst G, et al. MRI-guided laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy of cerebral neoplasms. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 1994;18(4):519–32. 

2. Jolesz FA. MR-guided thermal ablation of brain tumors. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1995;16(1):49–52.