The Effect of Monopolar and Bipolar Electrocoagulation in Brain

Kim, Sang Yong; Lee, Young Woo

Abstract

The monopolar and bipolar coagulation lesions were generated in the cerebral cortex of rabbits. Microscopic study, and the distance from cortical lesion center to its margin, the lesion depth, the extent of lesion in coronal section, and the area of coronal section at electrocoagulation in generation of brain lesion were studied by Evans blue and hematoxylin-eosin stain. The results were as follows : 1) Microscopically, the lesions were characterized by ground substance depigmentation, vacuolization and neuronal damage with pyknotic nuclei and loss of detail. In section stained with Evans blue, the lesion was demarcated with blue-green discoloration of the parenchyma and superfical cortical necrosis was coagulation sites. 2) The distance from cortical lesion center to its margin was proportionally increased as the increase of magnitude of electric current for monopolar and bipolar coagulation, while the distance was independent of the mode coagulation and stain. 3) The depth of lesion was proportionally increased as the increase of magnitude of electric current for monopolar and bipolar coagulation, while the distance was independent of the mode coagulation and stain. 4) The extent of lesion in coronal section was increased the increase of magnitude of electric current for both coagulation modes, while the extent was independent of the mode of coagulation and stain, too. 5) The area of coronal section at cortical lesion center was gradually increased as the increase of magnitude of electric current for both coagulation modes, while the area of Evans blue stain was 2 times as H-E stain in monopolar mode and the area of Evans blue stain was 1.3 times as H-E stain in bipolar mode.