Image-guided surgical techniques for infections and trauma of the central nervous system.

The value of image-guided stereotactic systems is directly dependent on the ease and speed of their use. In the past, most stereotactic techniques were complicated and timely to set up; thus, they were used exclusively for either resecting neoplasms or for neurologic function. However, current systems equipped with advanced registration techniques are much simpler and faster to employ, and indications for their use are rapidly increasing. We describe an advanced image-guided navigation system and provide examples of its successful use in neurosurgical treatment of central nervous system infection and trauma.