Indocyanine green fluorescence visualizes landmark arteries for endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery

Go Inokuchi; Mihoko Mine; Kotaro Tamagawa; Shun Tatehara; Mitsuko Yui; Youichi Uozumi; Yuichi Fujita; Tomoaki Nakai; Ken-Ichi Nibu

doi:10.1016/j.amjoto.2024.104343

Indocyanine green fluorescence visualizes landmark arteries for endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery

Am J Otolaryngol. 2024 May 6;45(4):104343. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2024.104343. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Go Inokuchi¹, Mihoko Mine², Kotaro Tamagawa², Shun Tatehara², Mitsuko Yui², Youichi Uozumi³, Yuichi Fujita³, Tomoaki Nakai⁴, Ken-Ichi Nibu²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan; Department of Otolaryngology, Kakogawa Central City Hospital, Kakogawa, Japan. Electronic address: inokuchi@med.kobe-u.ac.jp.
² Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
⁴ Department of Neurosurgery, Toyooka Hospital, Toyooka, Japan.

PMID: 38729013
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2024.104343

Abstract

Objective: Landmark arteries during endoscopic sinus surgery are currently identified on the basis of anatomy, CT imaging and navigation, and Doppler flowmetry. However, the advantage of intraoperative fluorescence imaging during endoscopic sinus surgery has not been demonstrated. This study aimed to investigate whether Indocyanine Green (ICG) is useful for visualizing landmark arteries during endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery.

Methods: Eight patients who underwent endoscopic sinus and pituitary surgeries and consented to study participation were included. After planned procedures were performed as usual, landmark arteries were examined by ICG endoscope. Recorded video and preoperative CT images were analyzed for identification of five landmark arteries: anterior ethmoidal artery (AEA), posterior ethmoidal artery (PEA), internal carotid artery (ICA), sphenopalatine artery (SPA), and postnasal artery (PNA). Identification of arteries was evaluated three grades: identifiable, locatable, unrecognizable.

Results: Eight patients and eleven sides were evaluated. The ICG dose was 2.5 mg/body and a single shot was sufficient for evaluation. 100 % of AEA was identified (9/9 sides), 86 % of PNA (6/7 sides), 56 % of ICA (5/9 sides), and 25 % of PEA and SPA (2/8 sides).

Conclusion: ICG could visualize landmark arteries, even thin arteries like AEA, during endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeries. Visualization was affected by thickness of bone or soft tissue above arteries, blood clots, sensitivity setting, and angle and distance of near-infrared light irradiation. ICG visualization of landmark arteries may help avoid vascular injuries during endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeries, particularly of AEA, PNA and ICA.

Keywords: Endoscopic sinus surgery; Fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS); Indocyanine green fluorescence (ICG); Vascular injury.