Application of fMRI and ECoG in surgery for the tumor in the eloquent brain areas with associated epilepsy: analysis of 13 cases

Objective To investigate the applied value of function magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI) and electrocorticogram(ECoG) in surgery for the tumor in the eloquent brain areas with associated epilepsy.Methods Clinical data from 13 cases of eloquent tumor was retrospectively analyzed.The morphology and distribution of the eloquent cortex and white matter were evaluated by fMRI before the operation,and the epilepsy focus was localized to guide resections of the tumor and epileptogenic focus by ECoG records during the operation.Results Hand motor cortex was jostled,the eloquent cortex transferred or recombined and the tumor was totally resected in 9 cases.The tumor partially overlapped with the eloquent cortex and the tumor was sub-totally resected in 2,and totally overlapped with partially resected in 2.ECoG showed that the distance between epileptogenic focus and brain tumor was less than 2 cm in 9 patients,3-5 cm in 2,and overlapped in 2.Postoperative transient aphasia occurred in 1 case,and transient hemiplegia in 2.Conclusion fMRI can exactly display the position of the motor cortex,and is very important for making pre-operative plan and reducing damage from the tumor in the eloquent brain area.ECoG shows that most of the epileptogenic foci are less than 2 cm in distance to the tumor.