Cranial and spine lesion maps

What are cranial and spine lesion maps?

Lesion maps are visual tools used in neurosurgery to document the location and extent of injury, infection, or abnormality in the head or spine. The cranial map shows the skull and brain regions; the spine map shows the vertebral column. Medical staff click or mark on these maps to record exactly where the lesion or injury is located.

Why they matter

Precise location documentation is critical in neurosurgery. A lesion affecting the left frontal lobe has different clinical consequences than one affecting the right temporal lobe—and the treatment plan, prognosis, and billing all depend on the exact location. Lesion maps create a permanent, clear visual record that all team members can reference and understand at a glance.

How they work in Usystems

In the neurosurgery case template, Usystems displays two interactive maps:

Cranial map: Shows the outline of the head with labeled brain regions and divisions (frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital lobes; cerebellum; brainstem). You click on the region affected by the lesion to select it. The system records the location, and it becomes part of the case record.

Spine map: Shows the vertebral column divided into cervical (C1–C7), thoracic (T1–T12), lumbar (L1–L5), sacral, and coccygeal segments. You click on the vertebra or region affected to mark the lesion site.

When you save the case, the marked regions are stored. If the case is later invoiced, the lesion location is part of the clinical documentation included in the billing record. Clinicians can open the case later and see at a glance where the lesion was documented.

Where you see them

You see cranial and spine lesion maps when you create or edit a neurosurgery case in the patient's medical record.

Go to Medical Cases → Create New Case and choose Neurosurgery as the specialty. Open in Usystems

The cranial and spine maps are displayed in the case template. Click the affected region to mark the lesion.

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