Endodermal Cyst with a Non-enhancing Nodule in the Quadrigeminal Cistern Developed in an Octogenarian.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial endodermal cysts are congenital lesions that generally develop in the cerebellopontine angle and ventral brainstem of the posterior fossa, whereas endodermal cysts in the quadrigeminal cistern are very rare. We report a rare case of an endodermal cyst in the quadrigeminal cistern with a non-enhancing nodule that developed in patient over 80 years of age. CASE DESCRIPTION: An 85-year-old man presented to our hospital with progressing gait disturbance and urinary incontinence. Preoperative images showed a cystic mass lesion with a nodule in the quadrigeminal cistern and hydrocephalus. There was no enhanced portion in the lesion, and the intensity of the cyst on magnetic resonance imaging revealed a high protein concentration. Subtotal resection was performed due to the adhesion of the cyst to the brainstem. It was diagnosed as an endodermal cyst. The postoperative course was uneventful, and hydrocephalus improved. CONCLUSIONS: This is a rare case of an intracranial endodermal cyst in terms of location and age of onset compared with previous reports. This case demonstrates that endodermal cysts should be considered as a differential diagnosis for lesions in the quadrigeminal cistern with high protein concentration in the cyst and nodule representing chronic inflammation, regardless of enhancing effects.

Soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products as a biomarker of symptomatic vasospasm in subarachnoid hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a membrane protein associated with the induction of oxidative stress and inflammation in several pathological conditions. Previous studies have demonstrated that soluble RAGE (sRAGE) acts as a decoy for RAGE and protects cells against RAGE-mediated injury. The authors and other groups have reported that the expression of RAGE increases after brain ischemia and subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and deletion of RAGE or overexpression of sRAGE improves neuronal survival. It has also been demonstrated that the plasma sRAGE level could be a predictor of the outcome after ischemic stroke. This study aimed to evaluate plasma sRAGE as a biomarker for symptomatic vasospasm (SVS) in SAH patients, as well as a rat model. METHODS: The authors measured and compared plasma sRAGE levels in 27 SAH patients (7 with SVS and 20 without SVS) from day 5 to day 14 post-SAH. They also examined plasma sRAGE levels and expression of RAGE and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a rat SAH model. RESULTS: The relative plasma sRAGE levels were significantly lower in the SVS group than in the non-SVS group of patients. A cut-off value of 0.84 for predicting SVS was considered to be appropriate for the relative plasma sRAGE levels on day 7 versus day 5. In the rat SAH model, plasma sRAGE levels were significantly lower than those in sham-treated rats, and the expressions of RAGE and HO-1 were enhanced in the SAH group compared with the non-SAH group. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma sRAGE levels can be used as a potential biomarker for predicting SVS after SAH.

N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 protects blood-brain barrier integrity following cerebral ischemia.

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) following cerebral ischemia is closely related to the infiltration of peripheral cells into the brain, progression of lesion formation, and clinical exacerbation. However, the mechanism that regulates BBB integrity, especially after permanent ischemia, remains unclear. Here, we present evidence that astrocytic N-myc downstream-regulated gene 2 (NDRG2), a differentiation- and stress-associated molecule, may function as a modulator of BBB permeability following ischemic stroke, using a mouse model of permanent cerebral ischemia. Immunohistological analysis showed that the expression of NDRG2 increases dominantly in astrocytes following permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Genetic deletion of Ndrg2 exhibited enhanced levels of infarct volume and accumulation of immune cells into the ipsilateral brain hemisphere following ischemia. Extravasation of serum proteins including fibrinogen and immunoglobulin, after MCAO, was enhanced at the ischemic core and perivascular region of the peri-infarct area in the ipsilateral cortex of Ndrg2-deficient mice. Furthermore, the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) after MCAO markedly increased in Ndrg2-/- mice. In culture, expression and secretion of MMP-3 was increased in Ndrg2-/- astrocytes, and this increase was reversed by adenovirus-mediated re-expression of NDRG2. These findings suggest that NDRG2, expressed in astrocytes, may play a critical role in the regulation of BBB permeability and immune cell infiltration through the modulation of MMP expression following cerebral ischemia.

Physical Risk Factors of Hemorrhagic Complications Associated with Angio-Seal Closure Device Use in Neurointerventional Procedures.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have demonstrated detailed physical risk factors of hemorrhagic complications (HCs) associated with the Angio-Seal closure device. This retrospective study aimed to identify the risk factors of HC due to Angio-Seal use. METHODS: Data from 143 cases that underwent neurointerventional procedures that involved puncturing the femoral artery and that used an Angio-Seal to close the puncture site were reviewed. We divided these cases into HC and no HC groups and retrospectively compared age, sex, past medical and preference history, body mass index (BMI), femoral artery depth, dual antiplatelet therapy use, activated clotting time, general anesthesia use, sheath size, right femoral artery puncture, and treatment time. RESULTS: HC occurred in 7 cases, 2 of which were excluded because of technical failure. Accordingly, we examined physical risk factors in 5 cases (3.5%) in the HC group and in 136 cases (96.5%) in the no HC group. A low BMI and shallow femoral artery depth were significantly associated with HC, whereas the other factors were not. A receiver operating characteristic curve indicated that a BMI cut-off value of 20.98 and a femoral artery depth of 11.1 mm could achieve optimal diagnostic efficiency for predicting HC. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with a BMI <21 may require careful hemostasis monitoring, and it is better not to undergo arterial puncture site closure using Angio-Seal for those with a femoral artery depth <11.1 mm.

Delayed Occurrence of Diabetes Insipidus After Transsphenoidal Surgery with Radiologic Evaluation of the Pituitary Stalk on Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes insipidus (DI) is a major complication of transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). DI usually occurs within a couple of days after TSS. Delayed occurrence of postoperative DI is rarely observed and its developing mechanisms remain unknown. METHODS: Six patients were identified as having postoperative delayed DI, which was defined as DI that first occurred 2 or more weeks after TSS. They consisted of 1 male and 5 females, and their mean age was 38.3 years (range, 10-76 years). Five patients were histologically diagnosed with Rathke cleft cyst (RCC), and one had RCC coexisting with prolactin-secreting adenoma. Sequential T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was evaluated for hyperintensity (HI) in the pituitary stalk and the posterior lobe, indicating the location of antidiuretic hormone. RESULTS: No patients had any DI before TSS. Delayed DI occurred 2 weeks to 3 months after TSS and persisted for 2 weeks to 5 months. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed that the HI in the posterior lobe became faint but did not disappear after DI occurrence, and their intensities increased with recovery from DI. In contrast, the HI in the pituitary stalk was found faintly preoperatively and turned clear postoperatively and decreased with recovery from DI. The morphologic patterns were dependent on DI duration. CONCLUSIONS: In the delayed occurrence of DI, it was suggested that preoperative antidiuretic hormone transport was mildly congested yet not completely blocked when DI manifested postoperatively. Gradual spreading of inflammation to the infundibulum after RCC removal was considered as 1 possible mechanism of this delayed DI development.

Unique Venous Drainage of a Sphenoid Wing Dural Arteriovenous Fistula with Ocular Symptoms.

BACKGROUND: Dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) presenting with ocular symptoms, such as exophthalmos and chemosis, are commonly situated in the cavernous sinus (CS). DAVFs at the sphenoid wing with a drainage route into the superior orbital vein (SOV) should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses of ocular symptoms. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 41-year-old woman presented with progressive left-sided chemosis and proptosis after left pulsating tinnitus that disappeared spontaneously. Cerebral angiography showed that the fistula was situated along the inferior edge of the superior orbital fissure on the greater sphenoid wing and drained solely into the SOV without flowing into the CS that caused ocular symptoms. Transvenous selective catheterization was performed via the facial vein and SOV. The fistula was then embolized using detachable coils. CONCLUSIONS: After embolization, the ocular symptoms resolved, and the patient was discharged without neurologic deficit. Herein, we discuss the developmental mechanism of the unique drainage pattern, including the clinical symptoms and anatomic features of greater sphenoid wing DAVFs.

Optimizing the Volume of the Initial Framing Coil to Facilitate Tight Packing of Intracranial Aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: During endovascular treatment of an aneurysm, the importance of the initial coil volume for facilitating tight packing is unclear. We retrospectively studied the relationships between initial packing density (PD; initial coil volume divided by aneurysm volume), final PD (volume of all coils divided by aneurysm volume). METHODS: We reviewed 105 aneurysms in 98 patients who underwent endovascular coiling between April 2011 and March 2014. The initial coil was defined as the first coil in the single-catheter method and the first 2 coils in the double-catheter method. The patient data were divided into groups with or without a final PD ≥20%, and the significant predictors of a final PD ≥20% were determined using multivariable logistic regression. The optimal cutoff value for the initial PD was determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS: Of 105 aneurysms, 56 and 49 were treated with single- and double-catheter methods, respectively. Statistically significant differences in rupture status, neck size, dome/neck ratio, and initial PD were observed between aneurysms with and without a final PD ≥20% (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that initial PD (P = 0.025; odds ratio, 1.22) and rupture status (P = 0.002; odds ratio, 0.19) were significantly associated with a final PD ≥20%. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cutoff points of initial PD to achieve a final PD ≥20% were 8.0% and 10.0% in single- and double-catheter groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Initial PD appears to be a critical factor for achieving tight packing.