Laser-Induced Interstitial Thermotherapy of Malignant Gliomas

Interstitial thermotherapy using a low-power Nd: YAG laser is a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of malignant gliomas. The 1.06-μm Nd: YAG laser is an excellent source of local hyperthermia because of its good coagulative properties, its relatively low absorption in brain tissue, and its transmission by an optic fiber. A specially designed laser light guide, the interstitial thermotherapy (ITT) laser fiber, is connected to the Nd: YAG laser and inserted stereotactically in brain tumors. The quartz glass cap at the fiber tip requires no irrigation medium and allows transmission of laser energy up to 10 W, which is sufficient for local hyperthermia.