Meningioma Associated with Brain Aneurysm: Report of Two Cases.

The occurrence of brain tumors together with aneurysms has been considered as an uncommon phenomenon. However, its incidence may be underestimated. This coexistence is a diagnostic challenge, but also a therapeutic one as no consensus has been reached. We report two cases of a 71 and 67 years old patient with a meningioma and aneurysm: one noticed and treated before with good outcome and the other without treatment before surgery with fatal outcome. The different outcome of these patients shows the importance of vascular study in surgical planning. Treatments options are changing and although some authors think the pathology that causes symptoms should be treated first, endovascular treatment of the aneurysm is a safe option to prevent aneurysm rupture during surgery.

Analysis of endovascular treatment of ruptured microaneurysms compared with ruptured larger aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze the complications and outcome of the endovascular treatment of ruptured microaneurysms compared with the treatment of ruptured larger aneurysms. METHODS: 40 ruptured cerebral microaneurysms treated by endovascular techniques were selected retrospectively and compared with 207 larger ruptured cerebral aneurysms treated by endovascular techniques during the same time period. Medical charts and imaging studies were reviewed to analyze baseline clinical and epidemiologic characteristics, procedural complications, and clinical outcomes RESULTS: Cerebral microaneurysms had a higher incidence of intraoperative technical ruptures (13.5% vs 2.9%, p<0.005). The number of thromboembolic complications was not increased. Patient prognosis was similar for the two groups (mean modified Rankin Scale score 1.81 vs 2.09, p>0.1). CONCLUSIONS: Coiling of cerebral microaneurysms has a reasonable safety profile with good clinical outcomes, similar to coiling of larger aneurysms. In our experience, the systematic use of remodeling balloons, operator experience, and the ability to manage complications are the reasons for the satisfactory results.

Anatomical results, rebleeding and factors that affect the degree of occlusion in ruptured cerebral aneurysms after endovascular therapy.

OBJECT: To present a series of ruptured cerebral aneurysms in consecutive non-selected patients treated with endovascular therapy, analyzing the initial degree of occlusion, its anatomical evolution mid-term and the variables that could statistically affect them. METHODS: 251 aneurysms were first treated with coiling (embolization). 203 patients were followed up with conventional angiography for 6-8 months after the initial treatment and 182 were followed up with three-dimensional time of flight MR angiography at 18-24 months. Postoperative and mid-term anatomical results were evaluated anonymously and independently using the modified Montreal Scale. RESULTS: The initial rate of complete occlusion was 70.9%, with rates of neck remnants and aneurysm remants of 18.3% and 10.7%, respectively. The recurrence rate was 13% after 6 months and 2% between 6 months and 2 years. The rate of retreatment was 11%. Statistically, the variables that were found to be related to the initial degree of occlusion were the use of a remodeling balloon technique (p=0.012), the size of the aneurysm neck (p=0.044) and the size of the aneurysm (p=0.004). The recanalization rate at mid-term depended on the size of the aneurysm. Although aneurysms with partial occlusion initially tended to evolve to a worse degree of closure than those with complete occlusion initially, the relationship was not statistically significant (p=0.110). CONCLUSIONS: Embolized aneurysms can develop a worse degree of closure even when the initial occlusion is complete. The degree of occlusion depends directly on morphological factors and the use of balloon-assisted techniques. The recanalization rate at mid-term depends on the size of the aneurysm and probably on the density of the packing achieved with the initial treatment.

"Posterior fossa lesion 45 years after ocular trauma".

We describe a patient who developed an isolated brain metastasis four years after his right eye was treated for conjunctival melanoma by excision and local chemotherapy. He had a history of ipsilateral ocular trauma by coal stuff while working in a mining industry. Conjunctival melanoma represents only 1.6% of all non-cutaneous melanoma. Metastasis of this kind of neoplasm to brain is a rare event, especially without evidence of prior or concurrent regional lymph node involvement.

Neural surfaces coverage with "collagen films and cigarettes": A revisited and modified method of protection and retraction during microsurgical approaches to craniospinal lesions.

OBJECTIVE: Despite the surgical cotton patties application and meticulous manipulation, mechanical contact between the different microsurgical instruments and neurovascular structures may jeopardize its integrity through laceration or cerebrospinal perfusion. We present a technique based on using collagen films and cigarettes, both to protect and retract such structures, and compared it with the cottonoid technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During the last 3 years, collagen in "film and cigarette format" has been used in several microsurgical procedures for the treatment of craniospinal lesions by the first author. The collagen films were broken into pieces and adapted to the exposed neural surface measurements to protect and/or retract during microsurgical dissection. At the same time, handmade collagen "cigarettes" were used as retractors to keep open the neural lips of the transsulcal and transfissural corridors. To investigate the relevance of this technique for minimizing surgical morbidity, a blind third-party observer quantified the tissue preservation by a postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol, in a short series with randomized cotton patty vs. collagen film protection. RESULTS: Only two of the 20 examined "collagen group" cases exhibited areas of additional abnormal signal, as against 16 cases of the "cotton patty group." Furthermore, a statistically significant difference between both the groups based on the radiological results was also demonstrated. CONCLUSION: The results of the present series support the usefulness of the neurovascular coverage and retraction with collagen films and cigarettes, respectively. It seems to be a good alternative to surgical cotton patties and other materials owing to its hemostatic, protection, retraction, and dissection capacity.

72 year-old man with new seizure while dancing.

Metastasis of an extracranial malignant neoplasm to a meningioma is a rare event.We report a case of a 72-year-old man who presented abruptly with a grand mal seizure. Neuroradiological examination revealed an extraaxial lesion located in the posterior right frontal convexity with poorly defined boundaries. Histological and immunohistochemical examination showed that the lesion was a meningothelial meningioma harboring metastatic renal cell carcinoma.The MRI could be indicative but not specific of this type of lesion.Some cases of intracranial meningiomas containing metastatic carcinomas have been published, but to our knowledge only five cases of renal cell carcinoma metastasizing to a meningioma have been reported. Possible explanations for this type of "tumor in tumor" lesion are reviewed.