Journal of cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery最新文献

Since the first description of the possible utilization of the internal maxillary artery for bypass surgery, there are some reports of its use in aneurysm cases; however, there is no information about the possible advantages of this type of bypass for cerebral ischemic disease. We present a 77-year-old man with a history of diabetes, hypertension, systemic atherosclerosis, and two acute myocardial infarctions with left hemiparesis. Imaging studies reported total occlusion of the right internal carotid artery and 75% occlusion on the left side, with an old opercular infarction and repeated transient ischemic attacks in the right middle cerebral artery territory despite medical treatment. After a consensus, we decided to perform a bypass from the internal maxillary artery to the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery using a radial artery graft. After performing the proximal anastomosis, the calculated graft's free flow was 216 ml/min. Subsequently, after completing the bypass, the patency was confirmed with fluorescein videoangiography and intraoperative Doppler. Postoperatively, imaging studies showed improvement in the perfusion values and the hemiparesis from 3/5 to 4+/5. The patient was discharged one week after the operation, with a modified Rankin scale of 1, without added deficits. The use of revascularization techniques in steno-occlusive disease indicates a select group of patients that may benefit from this procedure. In addition, internal maxillary artery bypass has provided a safe option for large areas of ischemia that cannot be supplied with a superficial temporal artery - middle cerebral artery bypass.

Objective: Endovascular coil embolization is the primary treatment modality for intracranial aneurysms. However, its long-term durability remains of concern, with a considerable proportion of cases requiring aneurysm reopening and retreatment. Therefore, establishing optimal follow-up imaging protocols is necessary to ensure a durable occlusion. This study aimed to develop guidelines for follow-up imaging strategies after endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Methods: A committee comprising members of the Korean Neuroendovascular Society and other relevant societies was formed. A literature review and analyses of the major published guidelines were conducted to gather evidence. A panel of 40 experts convened to achieve a consensus on the recommendations using the modified Delphi method.

Results: The panel members reached the following consensus: 1. Schedule the initial follow-up imaging within 3-6 months of treatment. 2. Noninvasive imaging modalities, such as three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or contrast-enhanced MRA, are alternatives to digital subtraction angiography (DSA) during the first follow-up. 3. Schedule mid-term follow-up imaging at 1, 2, 4, and 6 years after the initial treatment. 4. If noninvasive imaging reveals unstable changes in the treated aneurysms, DSA should be considered. 5. Consider late-term follow-up imaging every 3-5 years for lifelong monitoring of patients with unstable changes or at high risk of recurrence.

Conclusions: The guidelines aim to provide physicians with the information to make informed decisions and provide patients with high-quality care. However, owing to a lack of specific recommendations and scientific data, these guidelines are based on expert consensus and should be considered in conjunction with individual patient characteristics and circumstances.

Objective: Diagnostic cerebral angiograms (DCAs) are widely used in neurosurgery due to their high sensitivity and specificity to diagnose and characterize pathology using ionizing radiation. Eliminating unnecessary radiation is critical to reduce risk to patients, providers, and health care staff. We investigated if reducing pulse and frame rates during routine DCAs would decrease radiation burden without compromising image quality.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of prospectively acquired data after implementing a quality improvement protocol in which pulse rate and frame rate were reduced from 15 p/s to 7.5 p/s and 7.5 f/s to 4.0 f/s respectively. Radiation doses and exposures were calculated. Two endovascular neurosurgeons reviewed randomly selected angiograms of both doses and blindly assessed their quality.

Results: A total of 40 consecutive angiograms were retrospectively analyzed, 20 prior to the protocol change and 20 after. After the intervention, radiation dose, radiation per run, total exposure, and exposure per run were all significantly decreased even after adjustment for BMI (all p<0.05). On multivariable analysis, we identified a 46% decrease in total radiation dose and 39% decrease in exposure without compromising image quality or procedure time.

Conclusions: We demonstrated that for routine DCAs, pulse rate of 7.5 with a frame rate of 4.0 is sufficient to obtain diagnostic information without compromising image quality or elongating procedure time. In the interest of patient, provider, and health care staff safety, we strongly encourage all interventionalists to be cognizant of radiation usage to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure and consequential health risks.

Objective: Flow diverting stents (FDS) are increasingly used for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. While FDS can provide flow diversion of parent vessels, their high metal surface coverage can cause thromboembolism. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) emboli monitoring can be used to identify subclinical embolic phenomena after neurovascular procedures. Limited data exists regarding the use of TCDs for emboli monitoring in the periprocedural period after FDS placement. We evaluated the rate of positive TCDs microembolic signals and stroke after FDS deployment at our institution.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 105 patients who underwent FDS treatment between 2012 and 2016 using the Pipeline stent (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). Patients were pretreated with aspirin and clopidogrel. All patients were therapeutic on clopidogrel pre-operatively. TCD emboli monitoring was performed immediately after the procedure. Microembolic signals (mES) were classified as "positive" (<15 mES/hour) and "strongly positive" (>15 mES/hour). Clinical stroke rates were determined at 2-week and 6-month post-operatively.

Results: A total of 132 intracranial aneurysms were treated in 105 patients. TCD emboli monitoring was "positive" in 11.4% (n=12) post-operatively and "strongly positive" in 4.8% (n=5). These positive cases were treated with heparin drips or modification of the antiplatelet regimen, and TCDs were repeated. Following medical management modifications, normalization of mES was achieved in 92% of cases. The overall stroke rates at 2-week and 6-months were 3.8% and 4.8%, respectively.

Conclusions: TCD emboli monitoring may help early in the identification of thromboembolic events after flow diversion stenting. This allows for modification of medical therapy and, potentially, preventionf of escalation into post-operative strokes.

Intracranial non-galenic pial arteriovenous fistula (PAVF) is an extremely rare vascular malformation, where one or more pial arteries feeds directly into a cortical vein without any intervening nidus. Though occasionally they can be asymptomatic, neurological symptoms such as headache, seizure, or focal neurological deficit are more common presenting features. Life threatening or fatal hemorrhage is not uncommon, hence needed to be treated more often than not. Spontaneous occlusion of PAVF is reported only four times before. We report a 49-year-old gentleman, who was diagnosed to have a PAVF, possibly secondary to trauma. He presented 5 months and 22 days from initial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for treatment, and follow-up angiogram showed complete obliteration. He denied any significant event, medication or alternate treatment during this period. His clinical symptoms were stable as well. We postulate iodinated contrast medium induced vasculopathy as a possible cause, which has been described for other vascular pathologies, but never for PAVF.

Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the efficacy of middle meningeal artery embolization in terms of both clinical and radiographic outcomes, when performed with different embolic agents.

Methods: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the impact of embolic agents on outcomes for middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization. The use of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) with or without (±) coils, N-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) ± coils, and Onyx alone were separately evaluated. Primary outcome measures were recurrence, the need for surgical rescue and in-hospital periprocedural complications.

Results: Thirty-one studies were identified with a total of 1,134 patients, with 786 receiving PVA, 167 receiving n-BCA, and 181 patients receiving Onyx. There was no difference in the recurrence rate (5.5% for PVA, 4.5% for n-BCA, and 6.5% for Onyx, with P=0.71) or need for surgical rescue (5.0% for PVA, 4.0% for n-BCA, and 6.9% for Onyx, with P=0.89) based on the embolic agent. Procedural complications also did not differ between embolic agents (1.8% for PVA, 3.6% for n-BCA, and 1.6% for Onyx, with P=0.48).

Conclusions: Rates of recurrence, need for surgical rescue, and periprocedural complication following MMA embolization are not impacted by the type of embolic agent utilized. Ongoing clinical trials may be used to further investigate these findings.

Objective: To review the characteristics of distal middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm treated by microsurgery, the detailed surgical options, and the clinical result.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed cerebral aneurysm in the M2 and M3 segments of the MCA surgically treated between January 2015 and December 2022. The demographic data, aneurysm-related findings, type of surgical approach, surgical technique, and clinical outcomes of the enrolled patients were analyzed.

Results: Sixteen distal MCA aneurysms were treated with microneurosurgery (incidence, 1.0%; female, 12; mean age, 58.1 years; ruptured, three). Twelve aneurysms were in the M2 segment (insular segment), two aneurysms at the M2-M3 junction, and two aneurysms in the M3 segment (opercular segment). Twelve aneurysms were saccular (average size, 4.9 mm; multiplicity, 50%; average aneurysms, 3.0; partially thrombosed, 1; sidewall aneurysm, 2). Three aneurysms were fusiform, of which two were ruptured. Of the ruptured aneurysms, one was a ruptured dissecting aneurysm. The trans-sylvian and trans-sulcal approaches were used in fourteen and two patients, respectively. Neck clipping, wrap clipping, and surgical trapping were performed in twelve, one, and one patient, respectively. Proximal occlusion was performed in one patient. Bypass technique was required in two patients (neck clipping and proximal occlusion). The modified Rankin Score was 6 in the two patients with ruptured aneurysms. The remaining patients did not show further neurological deterioration after microneurosurgery.

Conclusions: Distal MCA aneurysms had a high incidence of being diagnosed with multiple other aneurysms and were relatively non-saccular.

Objective: Intraprocedural rupture (IPR) is a fatal complication of endovascular coiling for cerebral aneurysms. We hypothesized that contrast leakage period may be related to poor clinical outcomes. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the relationship between clinical outcomes and contrast leakage period.

Methods: Data from patients with cerebral aneurysms treated via endovascular coiling between January 2010 and October 2018 were retrospectively assessed. The enrolled patient's demographic data, the aneurysm related findings, endovascular treatment and IPR related findings, rescue treatment, and clinical outcome were analyzed.

Results: In total, 2,859 cerebral aneurysms were treated using endovascular coiling during the study period, with IPR occurring in 18 (0.63 %). IPR occurred during initial frame coiling (n=4), coil packing (n=5), stent deployment (n=7), ballooning (n=1), and microcatheter removal after coiling (n=1). Tear sites included the dome (n=14) and neck (n=4). All IPRs were controlled and treated with coil packing, with or without stenting. Flow arrest of the proximal balloon was not observed. Temporary focal neurological deficits developed in two patients (11.1%). At clinical follow-up, 14 patients were classified as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0, three as mRS 2, and one as mRS 4. The mean contrast leakage period of IPR was 11.2 min (range: 1-31 min). Cerebral aneurysms with IPR were divided into late (n=9, mean time: 17.11 min) and early (n=9, mean time: 5.22 min) control groups based on the criteria of 10 min of contrast leakage period. No significant between-group differences regarding clinical outcomes were observed after IPR (p=1).

Conclusions: In our series, all patients with IPR were controlled with further coil packing or stenting without proximal balloon occlusion within 31 min of contrast leakage. There was no difference in clinical outcomes when the long contrast leakage period group and short contrast leakage period group were compared.

Objective: While patients with medically intractable acute cerebellar infarction typically undergo suboccipital craniectomy and removal of the infarcted tissue, this procedure is associated with long operating times and postoperative complications. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of minimally invasive navigationguided burr hole aspiration surgery for the treatment of acute cerebellar infarction.

Methods: Between January 2015 and December 2021, 14 patients with acute cerebellar infarction, who underwent navigation-guided burr hole aspiration surgery, were enrolled in this study.

Results: The preoperative mean Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score was 12.7, and the postoperative mean GCS score was 14.3. The mean infarction volume was 34.3 cc at admission and 23.5 cc immediately following surgery. Seven days after surgery, the mean infarction volume was 15.6 cc. There were no surgery-related complications during the 6-month follow-up period and no evidence of clinical deterioration. The mean operation time from skin incision to catheter insertion was 28 min, with approximately an additional 13 min for extra-ventricular drainage. The mean Glasgow Outcome Scale score after 6 months was 4.8.

Conclusions: Navigation-guided burr hole aspiration surgery is less time-consuming and invasive than conventional craniectomy, and is a safe and effective treatment option for acute cerebellar infarction in selected cases, with no surgery-related complication.