ABSTRACT
The indications for stereotactic neurosurgical methods have, at one point or another, encompassed all major categories of differential diagnoses. Stereotactic techniques, introduced in the early 20th century, applied instrumentation in a minimally invasive, precise, and reproducible manner for research purposes. The first report of a stereotactic device in the English language literature is the report of Horsely and Clarke, which described a device for accessing the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum in monkeys [1]. Despite this early start, stereotactic methods were not attempted in humans until nearly 40 years later when Spiegel and Wycis inaugurated the era of human stereotaxis for ablative neurosurgical procedures [2]. They developed the paradigm of contemporary stereotactic technique, combining the use of a stereotactic device, radiographic imaging, and a quantitative anatomic atlas.
Since then, stereotactic methods have been progressively refined and are now applied for a wide range of indications to accomplish both diagnostic and therapeutic goals. This chapter provides a brief outline of the wide indications for stereotaxis in both historical and contemporary neurosurgical practice.
