Gamma Knife radiosurgery: technology, applications, and future directions.

Abstract

This article provides a general overview of Gamma Knife radiosurgery, with a brief history of the design of the unit and a review of radiosurgical procedures. The gamma unit itself is discussed, including its different elements and how they work. The clinical applications are then examined, such as treatment of arteriovenous malformations, acoustic schwannoma, meningiomas, pituitary adenomas, glial tumors, and others. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the future of Gamma Knife radiosurgery.