Resection of Midfacial Tumors Assisted by Virtual Planning Based on CT/MRI Multimodal Image Fusion: A Cohort Study.

This cohort study aimed to preliminarily explore the effect of midfacial tumor resection procedure with assistance of virtual planning based on CT/MRI multimodal image fusion. For the experimental cohort, patients with midfacial tumors receiving treatment from February 2019 to March 2021 were enrolled. Virtual planning was completed preoperatively based on CT/MRI multimodal image fusion. Tumor resection was performed under virtual planning-based surgical navigation, and intraoperative frozen sections were taken to determine resection margin status. For the control cohort, patients with midfacial tumors treated by the same surgical team were enrolled according to the same criteria. Patients underwent surgery assisted by virtual planning based on single-modality CT images. Resection margin and survival status were compared between groups during follow-up. Altogether twenty-nine patients were enrolled. The resection margin status was significantly different between groups at the per-margin level (experimental group: 100% [66/66] negative; control group: 90.9% negative [70/77]; P = 0.014). During follow-up period, two patients in experimental cohort and seven patients in control cohort confirmed local recurrence. Patients with midfacial tumor who underwent virtual planning based on CT/MRI multimodal image fusion were more likely to have tumor-free resection margins. The use of the image fusion procedure may improve treatment outcomes in such patients.