Endovascular Treatment of Giant Serpentine Aneurysm of the Middle Cerebral Artery

Giant serpentine aneurysms are uncommon types of aneurysmal disease and have angiographically authentic features. We report a case of a 44-year-old male with headache and seizure. He presented a giant serpentine aneurysm arising from the middle cerebral artery (MCA). It was a large intracranial aneurysm thrombosed as a mass-like lesion while it maintained its outflow drainage into the distal MCA branches. The balloon occlusion test (BOT) was performed to test the tolerance of temporary collateral circulation. Following routine cerebral angiography, we performed an endovascular embolization on the proximal artery of MCA. He was discharged from the hospital with alert mental status and mild Gerstmann syndrome. The short-term follow-up imaging studies showed the decreased mass effect, and the patient presented an improved Gerstmann syndrome. After a careful evaluation of BOT, an endovascular embolization can be one of the powerful therapeutic instruments for giant serpentine aneurysm.

Endovascular Treatment of Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas: Single Center Experience

OBJECTIVE: Treatment of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) remains a challenge. However, after introduction of Onyx, transarterial approach is the preferred treatment option in many centers. We report our experience of dAVFs embolization with special emphasis on transarterial approach. METHODS: Seventeen embolization procedures were performed in 13 patients with dAVFs between Jan 2009 and Oct 2014. Clinical symptoms, location and type of fistulas, embolization methods, complications, radiological and clinical outcomes were evaluated using charts and PACS images. RESULTS: All 13 patients had symptomatic lesions. The locations of fistulas were transverse-sigmoid sinus in 6, middle fossa dura in 4, cavernous sinus in 2, and superior sagittal sinus in 1 patient. Cognard types were as follows : I in 4, IIa in 2, IIa+IIb in 5, and IV in 2. Embolization procedures were performed > or =2 times in 3 patients. Nine patients were treated with transarterial Onyx embolization alone. One of these required direct surgical puncture of middle meningeal artery. Complete obliteration of fistulas was achieved in 11/13 (85%) patients. There were no complications except for 1 case of Onyx migration in cavernous dAVF. Modified Rankin scale score at post-operative 3 months were 0 in 11, and 3 in 2 patients. CONCLUSION: Transarterial Onyx embolization can be a first line therapeutic option in patients with dAVFs. However, transvenous approach should be tried first in cavernous sinus dAVF because of the risk of intracranial migration of liquid embolic materials. Furthermore, combined surgical endovascular approach can be considered as a useful option in inaccessible route.