Intra-Operative Supplementary Motor Area Aphosia During Awake Craniotomy a Case Report

Abstract

Introduction: Language function is complex, involving association between Broca’s motor speech area, Wernicke’s sensory speech area and various interconnected cortical and sub-cortical regions. For lesions in eloquent areas, awake craniotomy with intra-operative neurological monitoring of motor and language function, aids in maximal safe resection of lesion with minimal neurological deficit. Case presentation: We present a case of 40-year-old patient with left frontal lobe lesion involving motor and speech area who underwent awake craniotomy under scalp block and titrated sedation. Though resection was in safe zone as marked both by neuro-navigation and direct electrical stimulation, patient developed aphasia intra-operatively. The aphasia resolved post-operatively with speech therapy over two weeks. Resection in Supplementary motor area (SMA) in the dominant hemisphere may be the likely cause of aphasia in this patient, resulting in reversible SMA syndrome. Conclusion: SMA syndrome must be considered as differential diagnosis of deficit during awake craniotomy when resection is in SMA. Keywords: Aphasia, Supplementary motor area, Awake craniotomy, Eloquent areas