Object: The morbidity associated with resection of tumors in the cingulate gyrus (CG) is not well established. The goal of the present study is to define the short- and long-term morbidity profile associated with resection of gliomas within this region.
Methods: Ninety consecutive patients with gliomas involving the CG were analyzed. Resections were classified by zones corresponding to functionally defined regions of the CG as follows: Zone I (perigenual, anterior), Zone II (midcingulate), Zone III (posterior), and Zone IV (retrosplenial). Basic demographic, imaging, operative details, and pre- and postoperative neurological examinations were recorded for each patient. Patients in whom neurological morbidity was documented during their initial postoperative examination who did not completely improve by the 6-month follow-up examination were considered to have a permanent deficit. For each patient with surgery-related morbidity, postoperative MR imaging and operative notes were reviewed, and the cortical regions incorporated in the surgical trajectory were recorded. The analysis was carried out for tumors confined to the CG (> 90% of tumor contained within the CG) as well as those involving the CG but extending into adjacent cortical structures.
Results: Analysis of the entire patient cohort demonstrated that 29% of patients experienced a new or worsened neurological deficit immediately after surgery. The most common deficits were supplementary motor area (SMA) syndrome (20%), weakness (6%), and sensory changes (2%). All patients with an SMA syndrome in our series had intentional resection of SMA as part of the surgical approach. Patients with resections including Zone II or III had a higher rate of total morbidity and SMA syndrome than patients with Zone I resections (p < 0.05). Only 4% of patients had a persistent neurological deficit at 6 months postoperatively. A similar morbidity profile was observed in the subset analysis of patients with tumors confined to the CG, with no additional morbidity related to known cingulate-specific functions.
Conclusions: Resection of gliomas involving the CG can be performed with minimal, predictable long-term morbidity (< 5%). Surgical morbidity is primarily a function of surgical trajectory rather than the particular cingulate region resected.