Kissing Aneurysms at Fenestrated Proximal Basilar Artery: Double-barrel Stent-assisted Coiling Using Dual Closed-cell Stents

Kissing aneurysms associated with a proximal basilar artery fenestration are an exceedingly rare and unique therapeutic challenge due to anatomical complexity. This report describes double-barrel stent-assisted technique with dual closed-cell stents for the successful endovascular coiling of kissing aneurysms from a proximal basilar artery fenestration.

Neurological Deterioration after Decompressive Suboccipital Craniectomy in a Patient with a Brainstem-compressing Thrombosed Giant Aneurysm of the Vertebral Artery

We experienced a case of neurological deterioration after decompressive suboccipital craniectomy (DSC) in a patient with a brainstem-compressing thrombosed giant aneurysm of the vertebral artery (VA). A 60-year-old male harboring a thrombosed giant aneurysm (about 4 cm) of the right vertebral artery presented with quadriparesis. We treated the aneurysm by endovascular coil trapping of the right VA and expected the aneurysm to shrink slowly. After 7 days, however, he suffered aggravated symptoms as his aneurysm increased in size due to internal thrombosis. The medulla compression was aggravated, and so we performed DSC with C1 laminectomy. After the third post-operative day, unfortunately, his neurologic symptoms were more aggravated than in the pre-DSC state. Despite of conservative treatment, neurological symptoms did not improve, and microsurgical aneurysmectomy was performed for the medulla decompression. Unfortunately, the post-operative recovery was not as good as anticipated. DSC should not be used to release the brainstem when treating a brainstem-compressing thrombosed giant aneurysm of the VA.

Deep Intracerebral Hemorrhage Caused by Rupture of Distal Lenticulostriate Artery Aneurysm : A Report of Two Cases and a Literature Review

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is common among various types of storkes; however, it is rare in young patients and patients who do not have any risk factors. In such cases, ICH is generally caused by vascular malformations, tumors, vasculitis, or drug abuse. Basal ganglia ICH is rarely related with distal lenticulostriate artery (LSA) aneurysm. Since the 1960s, a total of 29 distal LSA aneurysm cases causing ICH have been reported in the English literature. Despite of the small number of cases, various treatment methods have been attempted : surgical clipping, endovascular treatment, conservative treatment, superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis, and gamma-knife radiosurgery. Here, we report two additional cases and review the literature. Thereupon, we discerned that young patients with deep ICH are in need of conventional cerebral angiography. Moreover, initial conservative treatment with follow-up cerebral angiography might be a good treatment option except for cases with a large amount of hematoma that necessitates emergency evacuation. If the LSA aneurysm still persists or enlarges on follow-up angiography, it should be treated surgically or endovascularly.

Clinico-radiological Characteristics of Spontaneous Basal Ganglia Hemorrhage, According to Regional Classification

OBJECTIVE: The clinico-radiologic features of the spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage (BGH) may often differ one from another, according to its regional location. Therefore, we attempted to classify the BGH into regional subgroups, and to extrapolate the distinct characteristics of each group of BGH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 103 BGHs were analyzed by retrospective review of medical records. BGH was classified according to four subgroups; anterior BGH; posterior BGH; lateral BGH; massive BGH. RESULTS: The most common BGH was the posterior BGH (56, 54.4%), followed by the lateral BGH (26, 25.2%), the massive BGH (12, 11.7%), and the anterior BGH (9, 8.7%). The shape of hemorrhage tended to be round in anterior, irregular in posterior, and ovoid in lateral BGH. A layered density of hematoma on initial computed tomography showed correlation with hematoma expansion (p = 0.016), which was observed more often in the postero-lateral group of BGH than in the anterior BGH group. Relatively better recovery from the initial insult was observed in the lateral BGH group than in the other regional BGH groups. The proportion of poor outcome (modified Rankin scale 4, 5, 6) was 100% in the massive, 41.1% in the posterior, 34.6% in the lateral, and 0% in the anterior BGH group. CONCLUSION: We observed that BGH can be grouped according to its regional location and each group may have distinct characteristics. Thus, a more sophisticated clinical strategy tailored to each group of BGHs can be implemented.

Intradural Retroclival Chordoma

A 43-year-old woman presented with dizziness, ataxia and right hearing difficulty. Her magnetic resonance images demonstrated an inhomogeneously contrast-enhanced large tumor growing into right cavernous sinus and Meckel's cave located totally within intradural retroclival region. She underwent retromastoid suboccipital craniotomy to resect the tumor mass and adjuvant gamma knife radiosurgery for remnant tumor at 1 month after operation. Adjuvant radiosurgery after surgical excision seems to be effective for the treatment of intradural extraosseous chordomas.