The impact of collateral status on cerebral vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia in subarachnoid hemorrhage

Objective@#Cerebral collateral circulation may affect subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) induced cerebral vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia. In this study our aim was to investigate the relationship between collateral status, vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) in both aneurysmal and nonaneurysmal SAH. @*Methods@#Patients diagnosed as SAH with and without aneurysm were included and their data investigated retrospectively. After the patients diagnosed as SAH according to cerebral computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), they underwent cerebral angiography to check for cerebral aneurysm. The diagnosis of DCI was made according to the neurological examination and control CT/MRI. All the patients had their control cerebral angiography on days 7 to 10 in order to assess vasospasm and also collateral circulation. The American Society of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology/Society of Interventional Radiology (ASITN/SIR) Collateral Flow Grading System was modified to measure collateral circulation. @*Results@#A total of 59 patients data were analyzed. Patients with aneurysmal SAH had higher Fisher scores and DCI was more common. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the patients with and without DCI in terms of demographics and mortality, patients with DCI had worse collateral circulation and more severe vasospasm. These patients had higher Fisher scores and more cerebral aneurysm overall. @*Conclusions@#According to our data, patients with higher Fisher scores, more severe vasospasm, and poor cerebral collateral circulation may experience DCI more frequently. Additionally aneurysmal SAH had higher Fisher scores and DCI was seen more common. To improve the clinical results for SAH patients, we believe that physicians should be aware of the DCI risk factors.

Effectiveness of Anchoring with Balloon Guide Catheter and Stent Retriever in Difficult Mechanical Thrombectomy for Large Vessel Occlusion

Objective@#: A distal navigation of a large bore aspiration catheter during mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is important. However, delivering a large bore aspiration catheter is difficult to a tortuous or atherosclerotic artery. We report the experience of anchoring with balloon guide catheter (BGC) and stent retriever to facilitate the passage of an aspiration catheter in MT. @*Methods@#: When navigating an aspiration catheter failed with a conventional co-axial microcatheter delivery, an anchoring technique was used. Two types of anchoring technique were applied to facilitate distal navigation of a large bore aspiration catheter during MT. First, a passage of aspiration catheter was attempted with a proximal BGC anchoring technique. If this technique also failed, another anchoring technique with distal stent retriever was tried. Consecutive patients who underwent MT with an anchoring technique were identified. Details of procedure, radiologic outcomes, and safety variables were evaluated. @*Results@#: A total of 67 patients underwent MT with an anchoring technique. Initial trial of aspiration catheter passage with proximal BGC anchoring technique was successful for 35 patients (52.2%) and the second trial with distal stent retriever anchoring was successful for 32 patients (47.8%). Overall, navigation of a large bore aspiration catheter was successful for all patients (100%) without any procedure related complications. @*Conclusion@#: Our study showed the usefulness of anchoring technique with proximal BGC and distal stent retriever during MT, especially in those with an unfavorable anatomical structure. This technique could be an alternative option for delivering an of aspiration catheter to a distal location

Epidemiology and Management of Iatrogenic Vertebral Artery Injury Associated With Cervical Spine Surgery / 대한신경손상학회지

Iatrogenic vertebral artery injury (VAI) caused by surgical interventions involving the cervical spine is an uncommon but catastrophic complication associated with high morbidity or mortality due to ischemic stroke, intra- or extra-dural hemorrhage, and the formation of pseudoaneurysm or arteriovenous fistulae. In cervical spine surgeries, VAI may occur during the peri- or postoperative period. This may be induced by an anterior or posterior surgical approach. Despite advanced imaging techniques and increased anatomical knowledge, VAI during cervical spinal surgery remains a challenge. Techniques for managing VAI include hemostatic tamponade, ligation, microvascular repair or anastomosis, and endovascular management. We need to consider the risk of iatrogenic VAI as a complication in patients undergoing cervical spine surgeries and a better understanding of its mechanism and proper management.

Preliminary Experience of Neuroform Atlas Stenting as a Rescue Treatment after Failure of Mechanical Thrombectomy Caused by Residual Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis

Objective@#: The low-profile Neuroform Atlas stent can be deployed directly without an exchange maneuver by navigating into the Gateway balloon. This retrospective study assessed the safety and efficacy of Neuroform Atlas stenting as a rescue treatment after failure of mechanical thrombetomy (MT) for large artery occlusion. @*Methods@#: Between June 2018 and December 2019, a total of 31 patients underwent Neuroform Atlas stenting with prior Gateway balloon angioplasty after failure of conventional MT caused by residual intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Primary outcomes were successful recanalization and patency of the vessel 24 hours after intervention. Secondary outcomes were vessel patency after 14 days and 3-month modified Rankin Scale. Peri-procedural complications, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and 3-month mortality were reviewed. @*Results@#: With a 100% of successful recanalization, median value of stenosis was reduced from 79.0% to 23.5%. Twenty-eight patients (90.3%) showed tolerable vessel patency after 14 days. New infarctions occurred in three patients (9.7%) over a period of 14 days; two patient (6.5%) underwent stent occlusion at 24 hours, and the other patient (3.2%) with delayed stent occlusion had a non-symptomatic dot infarct. There were no peri-procedural complications. Two patients (6.5%) developed an ICH immediately after the procedure with one of them is symptomatic. @*Conclusion@#: Neuroform Atlas stenting seems to be an effective and safe rescue treatment modality for failed MT with residual ICAS, by its high successful recanalization rate with tolerable patency, and low peri-procedural complication rate. Further multicenter and randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm our findings.

Effectiveness and Technical Considerations of Solitaire Platinum 4×40 mm Stent Retriever in Mechanical Thrombectomy with Solumbra Technique

Objective@#: The Solitaire Platinum 4×40 mm stent retriever contains radiopaque markers with a long length. We evaluated the effect of Solitaire Platinum 4×40 mm stent retriever in Solumbra technique thrombectomy, and compared it with shorter Solitaire stent retrievers. @*Methods@#: A total of 70 patients who underwent Solumbra technique thrombectomy with equal diameter (4 mm) and different length (40 vs. 20 mm) Solitaire stent retrievers were divided into two groups : the Solitaire Platinum 4×40 mm stent (4×40) group and the Solitaire FR 4×20 mm stent or Solitaire Platinum 4×20 mm stent (4×20) group. The clinical outcomes, Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score, the first pass reperfusion status, and complications were evaluated and compared between the two groups. Multivariate analysis was performed to evaluate the predictive factors for reperfusion and complete reperfusion from the first pass. @*Results@#: Higher first-pass reperfusion and complete reperfusion were achieved in the 4×40 group (68.0% and 48.0%) than in the 4×20 group (46.7% and 33.3%; p=0.004 and 0.007, respectively). In multivariate analysis, radiopaque device and longer stent retriever were correlated with first-pass reperfusion (p=0.014 and 0.008, respectively) and first-pass complete reperfusion (p=0.022 and 0.012, respectively). @*Conclusion@#: Our study demonstrated the usefulness of the Solitaire Platinum 4×40 mm stent retriever, which led to higher firstpass reperfusion and complete reperfusion rates than the Solitaire FR 4×20 mm stent or the Solitaire Platinum 4×20 mm stent, especially in Solumbra technique thrombectomy.

Variability of Platelet Reactivity on Antiplatelet Therapy in Neurointervention Procedure

As more intracranial aneurysms and other cerebrovascular pathologies are treated with neurointervention procedure, thromboembolic events that frequently lead to serious neurological deficit or fatal outcomes are increasing. In order to prevent the thromboembolic events, antiplatelet therapy is used in most procedures including coil embolization, stenting, and flow diversion. However, because of variable individual pharmacodynamics responses to antiplatelet drugs, especially clopidogrel, it is difficult for clinicians to select the adequate antiplatelet regimen and its optimal dose. This article reviews the neurointervention literature related to antiplatelet therapy and suggests a strategy for tailoring antiplatelet therapy in individual patients undergoing neurointervention based on the results of platelet function testing.

Variability of Platelet Reactivity on Antiplatelet Therapy in Neurointervention Procedure

As more intracranial aneurysms and other cerebrovascular pathologies are treated with neurointervention procedure, thromboembolic events that frequently lead to serious neurological deficit or fatal outcomes are increasing. In order to prevent the thromboembolic events, antiplatelet therapy is used in most procedures including coil embolization, stenting, and flow diversion. However, because of variable individual pharmacodynamics responses to antiplatelet drugs, especially clopidogrel, it is difficult for clinicians to select the adequate antiplatelet regimen and its optimal dose. This article reviews the neurointervention literature related to antiplatelet therapy and suggests a strategy for tailoring antiplatelet therapy in individual patients undergoing neurointervention based on the results of platelet function testing.

Coil Embolization of Ruptured Proximal Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Aneurysm with Contralateral Retrograde Approach for LVIS Jr. Intraluminal Support Deployment

The safety and feasibility of simple coil embolization and stent deployment for the treatment of posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysms, as well as their radiologic and clinical results, have not been adequately understood. Especially, if dissecting aneurysm of proximal PICA is associated with small caliber PICA and stenosis of ipsilateral vertebral artery orifice (VAO), endovascular coiling with saving of PICA is not always easy. This 64-year-old man presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to a ruptured dissecting aneurysm of left proximal PICA. The aneurysm was irregularly fusiform in nature with a shallow PICA orifice (1.4 mm) and narrow caliber (0.9–1.5 mm). Moreover, the ipsilateral VAO showed severe stenosis (1.8 mm). We performed bifemoral puncture and chose additional route from right vertebral artery to left vertebrobasilar junction for retrograde approach and deployment of LVIS Jr. intraluminal support at proximal PICA. And then, the antegrade approach and coiling of aneurysm was done. Despite of transient thrombus of PICA, the aneurysm was successfully secured with preservation of whole PICA course. For preservation of narrow PICA with ipsilateral VAO stenosis, the contralateral approach and deployment of LVIS Jr. intraluminal support may be considered.

Risk factors of bilateral chronic subdural hematoma compared to unilateral chronic subdural hematoma

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a common and relatively benign disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between unilateral and bilateral chronic subdural hematoma in terms of predisposing factors. A retrospective analysis was made of all patients who underwent operation for CSDH at our institution between January 2010 and December 2015. Patients were divided into two groups (unilateral versus bilateral CSDH) and univariate and multivariate analysis was performed to assess demographic data, symptoms, cause of SDH, medical history, laboratory data, and initial radiologic findings. A total of 246 patients were enrolled. There were 63 (25.6%) patients with bilateral CSDH. There were no significant differences concerning sex and initial symptoms between the two groups. Only malignancy history was a significant risk factor for bilateral CSDH in both univariate and multivariate analysis (p = 0.002 and 0.001, respectively). In multivariate analysis, diabetes mellitus (OR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.05 - 3.92, p = 0.0350), malignancy (OR 5.09, 95% CI: 1.93 - 13.40, p= 0.0010), membrane septation (OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.25 - 0.96, p = 0.0392), and brain atrophy (mild: OR 2.34, 95% CI: 1.16 - 4.71, p = 0.0164, moderate: OR 3.85, 95% CI: 1.32-11.18, p = 0.0131) were significantly associated with bilateral CSDH. The present study suggests that diabetes mellitus, malignancy, membrane septation and mild to moderate brain atrophy is independent predisposing factors of bilateral CSDH.

Effectiveness and Safety of Mechanical Thrombectomy with Stent Retrievers in Basilar Artery Occlusion: Comparison with Anterior Circulation Occlusions

OBJECTIVE: Acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) is associated with severe neurological dysfunction and high mortality rates. The benefits of mechanical thrombectomy in BAO have not been explored in recent clinical trials. Therefore, we analyzed outcomes of stent retriever mechanical thrombectomy for BAO, and compared with anterior circulation occlusions (ACO). METHODS: In total, 161 consecutive patients (24 BAO, 137 ACO) who underwent mechanical thrombectomy with the stent retriever between January 2013 and August 2016 enrolled in our study. All patients underwent clinical assessment with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin scale (mRS). Radiological results were used to evaluate thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) scores and successful recanalization was defined by TICI 2b or 3. RESULTS: Mean NIHSS scores at 24 hours and 30 days were significantly higher in the BAO group than the ACO group (p=0.021, p=0.001). mRS at 90 days was significantly higher in the BAO group (4.2) compared with the ACO group (3.0) (p=0.003). The BAO group (2.0) performed fewer stent retriever passages than the ACO group (2.7) (p=0.049). There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of complications, but the BAO patients experienced a higher mortality (16.6%) rate than ACO patients (5.8%) (p=0.001). In subgroup analysis of BAO, patients with short procedure times achieved successful recanalization (p=0.001) and successfully recanalized patients exhibited more favorable mRS at 90 days (p=0.027). CONCLUSION: In our study, mechanical thrombectomy of BAO patients showed worse clinical outcome and higher mortality rate than ACO patients. However, mechanical thrombectomy with a stent retriever in BAO is an effective treatment, because successfully recanalized patients showed good clinical outcome in BAO patients.

Significances and Outcomes of Mechanical Thrombectomy for Acute Infarction in Very Elderly Patients: A Single Center Experience

OBJECTIVE: Mechanical thrombectomy is increasingly being used for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. The population over 80 years of age is growing, and many of these patients have acute infarction; however, these patients are often excluded from clinical trials, so the aim of this study was to compare the functional outcomes and complication rates in very elderly patients (age ≥80 years) and aged patients (60–79 years) treated with mechanical thrombectomy. METHODS: Between January 2010 and June 2015, we retrospectively reviewed 113 senior patients (over 60 years old) treated at our institution for acute ischemic stroke with mechanical thrombectomy. They were divided into a very elderly (≥80 years) and aged (60–79 years) group, with comparisons in recanalization rates, complications, death and disability on discharge be reported. RESULTS: The mean age was 70.3 years in the aged group and 83.4 years in the very elderly group. Elderly patients had higher rates of mechanical thrombectomy failure than the younger group (40% vs. 14%; odds ratio [OR] 4.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.4–11.9; p=0.012). Results from thrombolysis in cerebral ischemia and modified Rankin scale at discharge were worse in the older group (p=0.005 and 0.023 respectively). There were no differences in mortality rate or other complications, but infarction progression rates were significantly higher in the very elderly group. (15% vs. 2.2%; OR 8.0; 95% CI 1.2–51.7; p=0.038). The majority (92.3%) of the patients who failed in aged group were not successful after several trials. However, in half (4 of 8) of the very elderly group, the occlusion site could not be accessed. CONCLUSION: Patients older than 80 years of age undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for acute infarction were more difficult to recanalize due to inaccessible occlusion sites and had a higher rate of infarction progression, However, mortality and other complications were similar to those in younger patients.

A Case of Multiple Myeloma with Brain Parenchyme Involvement

Multiple myelomas (MM) are characterized by monoclonal proliferation of immunoglobulin (Ig)-secreting plasma cells. Central nervous system involvement is a rare complication of MM, and it can present as either an intraparenchymal or a leptomeningeal lesion. A 77-year-old woman was transferred from the dementia clinic in July 2012. She had a large heterogeneous signal mass with central necrosis and with pial involvement in the left frontal lobe with destruction of the frontal bone that was observed on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple punched out radiolucent lesions were also noted on the skull X-ray. Serum protein electrophoresis revealed an IgA-kappa monoclonal gammopathy. External lumbar drainage was helpful for treating the fluid collection underneath the scalp after an orbitozygomatic craniotomy with duroplasty.

Simultaneous Multiple Basal Ganglia and Cerebellar Hemorrhage: Case Report

A 35-year-old man presented with simultaneous multiple intracranial hematomas in the right cerebellar dentate nucleus and left basal ganglia. The hematomas were visible by computed tomography performed within two hours of the patient's arrival. The initial computed tomography showed acute hemorrhage in the left basal ganglia and dentate nucleus in cerebellum. The patient then experienced a change of consciousness due to newly developed hydrocephalus, and emergent extra-ventricular drainage was performed. By discharge, fortunately, the patient was fully recovered.