Background: Awake craniotomy is currently the gold standard for aggressive tumor resections in eloquent cortex. However, a significant subset of patients is unable to tolerate this procedure, particularly the very young or old or those with psychiatric comorbidities, cardiopulmonary comorbidities, or obesity, among other conditions. In these cases, typical alternative procedures include biopsy alone or subtotal resection, both of which are associated with diminished surgical outcomes.
Case description: Here, we report the successful use of a preoperatively obtained resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) integrated with intraoperative neuronavigation software in order to perform functional cortical mapping in the setting of an aborted awake craniotomy due to loss of airway.
Conclusion: Resting state functional connectivity MRI integrated with intraoperative neuronavigation software can provide an alternative option for functional cortical mapping in the setting of an aborted awake craniotomy.
Keywords: Awake craniotomy; functional mapping; intraoperative neuronavigation; resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging.