[Easy screening of outpatients for atrial fibrillation by analyzing fingertip pulse wave variation].

AIM: Atrial fibrillation (AF), which can lead to cardioembolic stroke, is often not properly diagnosed in hospital outpatient departments or medical clinics. We therefore used a pulse analysis to screen patients for AF, and examined the benefits of using this method in screening. METHODS: We performed screening of the hospital's first-visit and ambulatory patients during the afternoon in 2014 (total number, 50,875; true number, 16,356), mainly targeting patients older than 65 years of age. Among the true number of outpatients, the device was used on 5,013 patients, 8,656 times. We independently developed a pulse analysis software application which analyzed the pulse interval variation. We assessed the accuracy of this analytical method in the detection of AF. RESULTS: AF was detected in 56 patients, who were considered for or introduced to anticoagulation treatment. In their cases, the method was considered useful for detecting undiagnosed or untreated AF. This figure amounts to 0.34% of all outpatients and 1.1% of the patients who were screened in 2014. The average age was 76.9±7.7 years, 67.9% of the patients had a CHADS2 score of more than 2, half had a history of arrhythmia in the past, and 37.5% were first-visit patients. The sensitivity of the device used was 89.7%. CONCLUSIONS: Using the method described in this study, we detected asymptomatic AF in numerous patients, and demonstrated that this method is potentially useful in screening outpatients for asymptomatic AF.

Endovascular embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations with Eudragit-E.

Eudragit-E was originally developed as a non-adhesive liquid embolic material in the late 1990s and is a copolymer of methyl and butyl methacrylate and dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate that is dissolved in ethanol and iopamidol. This material has been used for endovascular embolization of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) for some time but is currently not widely used. Because safety and feasibility of Eudragit-E has not been well documented, we here report our experience using this material for treating 22 human brain AVMs. From June 1998 to February 2014, 30 endovascular procedures using Eudragit-E were performed to treat 22 patients, including 14 men and 8 women with a mean age of 41.1 years (15-70 years). The mean follow-up period was 56 months (12-129 months), and the Spetzler-Martin grades were I (4 patients), II (9 patients), III (5 patients), and IV (4 patients). Residual AVMs were treated with stereotactic radiosurgery or surgery. The rate of complete obliteration with embolization alone was 27.3%. The overall obliteration rate after endovascular embolization with/without subsequent stereotactic radiosurgery or surgery was 72.7%. Eudragit-E caused two cases of cerebral infarction. One case of intracerebral hemorrhage due to postoperative hemodynamic changes also occurred. The rate of complications directly related to embolization was 10.0%. The safety and effectiveness of Eudragit-E embolization were satisfactory.

Carotid artery stenting without post-stenting balloon dilatation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcome and MRI findings after carotid artery stenting (CAS) without post-dilatation. METHODS: Between May 2005 and April 2012, a total of 169 consecutive patients (61.4% symptomatic) underwent 176 CAS procedures performed with an embolic protection device (GuardWire, n=116; FilterWire EZ, n=60). All stents were deployed without post-dilatation. Periprocedural complications and mid-term outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The stroke rate was 2.3% within 30 days post-CAS (asymptomatic patients 1.5%; symptomatic patients 2.8%). Cerebral infarction occurred in one asymptomatic patient (1.5%) and one symptomatic patient (0.9%). Intracranial hemorrhage occurred in two symptomatic patients (1.9%). Post-CAS diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed a high-intensity area in 26 of 176 procedures (14.8%). Ipsilateral stroke after 31 days occurred in two patients (1.1%) and restenosis occurred in six (3.4%). A post-CAS comparison of the embolic protection devices revealed no difference in stroke incidence within 30 days and in DWI high-intensity area. CONCLUSIONS: Our CAS procedure without post-dilatation is feasible, safe and associated with a low incidence of stroke and restenosis.

Endovascular coiling as the first treatment strategy for ruptured pericallosal artery aneurysms: results, complications, and follow up.

We apply endovascular coiling as the first treatment option for ruptured pericallosal artery aneurysms. We conducted a retrospective analysis of the clinical and radiological outcomes of this treatment strategy and morphological factors associated with the success of endovascular coiling, to assess the safety and feasibility of our management strategy. From January 2003 to January 2012, we attempted endovascular coiling as the first-intention treatment for 30 consecutive patients with ruptured pericallosal artery aneurysms including those with intracerebral hematoma. Twenty-seven cases of ruptured pericallosal artery aneurysms were successfully embolized with coiling whereas three failures required surgery. Four patients experienced periprocedural complications including thromboembolic event in two and hematoma enlargement after coiling in two. A maximum aneurysm diameter of <3 mm was most strongly associated with failure of endovascular coiling. Of the 27 coil-treated aneurysms, immediate angiographic results showed complete aneurysm occlusion in 19 cases, neck remnant in 6, and residual aneurysm in 2. One patient had a major aneurysm recurrence that was uneventfully reembolized. Sixteen of our 30 patients had good outcomes (modified Rankin scale [mRS] 0-2), 7 had moderate disability (mRS 3), and 4 had severe disability (mRS 4-5) at 3 months after treatment. The management strategy for coiling as the first-intention treatment for ruptured pericallosal artery aneurysms has the potential to become an acceptable alternative to surgical clipping for selected cases, although a larger study population and longer follow-up periods are needed before definitive conclusions can be drawn.

[A case of non-traumatic direct carotid-cavernous fistula presenting with cerebral infarction].

A 76-year-old female presented with a rare case of cerebral infarction as a complication of non-traumatic direct carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF). She had left hemiparesis and magnetic resonance imaging revealed cerebral infarction in the right watershed area. Angiography showed a right high-flow direct CCF with total blood steal. Preoperative 123I-IMP SPECT revealed a hypoperfusion area in the region of the right anterior cerebral artery and right middle cerebral artery. In addition, she had double vision caused by abducens nerve palsy. Transarterial embolization of the fistula with endovascular trapping using detachable coils achieved complete obliteration of the right internal carotid artery and adequate flow reduction of the direct CCF. Postoperative angiography showed good filling of the collateral-flow via the posterior communicating artery without retrograde blood steal to the CCF. Her symptoms improved gradually after the procedure. Diffusion-weighted MR imaging obtained 8 days after the procedure revealed a few high signals in the right hemisphere, suggesting cerebral infarctions, but she presented no symptom. Postoperative 123 I-IMP SPECT showed an improvement of cerebral perfusion in the region of the right MCA posterior and left MCA. Cerebral ischemia caused by direct CCF is rare, and there are only a few reports of non-traumatic direct CCF presenting with cerebral infarction. This very rare case suggests that endovascular trapping is safe and useful as a treatment for direct CCF, especially in the case of an elderly patient with total blood steal.

Utility and the limit of motor evoked potential monitoring for preventing complications in surgery for cerebral arteriovenous malformation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of motor evoked potential (MEP) monitoring and mapping in arteriovenous malformation surgery. METHODS: Intraoperative MEP monitoring was performed in 21 patients whose AVMs were located near the motor area or fed by arteries related to the corticospinal tract to detect blood flow insufficiency and/or direct injury to the corticospinal tract and/or to map the motor area. RESULTS: In 4 of 16 patients monitored for blood flow insufficiency, the MEP changed intraoperatively. In 2 patients, the changes were attributable to temporary occlusion of the feeding artery (anterior choroidal or lenticulostriate artery): 1 patient had a venous infarction around the internal capsule caused by thrombosis of the draining vein and the other bled intraoperatively from the nidus. In 17 patients, the MEP was monitored to rule out direct injury. In 1 patient, the MEP changed on coagulation of fragile vessels around the nidus in the precentral gyrus; it recovered after coagulation was discontinued. In 1 of 5 patients with MEP changes, the MEP did not recover; permanent hemiparesis developed in this patient because of venous infarction. In 1 of 11 patients subjected to MEP mapping of the motor area, we found translocation to the postcentral sulcus. CONCLUSION: In arteriovenous malformation surgery, MEP monitoring facilitates the detection of blood flow insufficiency and/or direct injury of the corticospinal tract and mapping of the motor area. It contributes to reducing the incidence of postoperative motor paresis.

Intraoperative monitoring of visual evoked potential: introduction of a clinically useful method.

OBJECT: To obtain a clinically useful method of intraoperative monitoring of visual evoked potentials (VEPs), the authors developed a new light-stimulating device and introduced electroretinography (ERG) to ascertain retinal light stimulation after induction of venous anesthesia. METHODS: The new stimulating device consists of 16 red light-emitting diodes embedded in a soft silicone disc to avoid deviation of the light axis after frontal scalp-flap reflection. After induction of venous anesthesia with propofol, the authors performed ERG and VEP recording in 100 patients (200 eyes) who were at intraoperative risk for visual impairment. RESULTS: Stable ERG and VEP recordings were obtained in 187 eyes. In 12 eyes, stable ERG data were recorded but VEPs could not be obtained, probably because all 12 eyes manifested severe preoperative visual dysfunction. The disappearance of ERG data and VEPs in the 13th eye after frontal scalp-flap reflection suggested technical failure attributable to deviation of the light axis. The criterion for amplitude changes was defined as a 50% increase or decrease in amplitude compared with the control level. In 1 of 187 eyes the authors observed an increase in intraoperative amplitude and postoperative visual function improvement. Of 169 eyes without amplitude changes, 17 manifested improved visual function postoperatively, 150 showed no change, and 2 worsened (1 patient with a temporal tumor developed a slight visual field defect in both eyes). Of 3 eyes with intraoperative VEP deterioration and subsequent recovery upon changing the operative maneuver, 1 improved and 2 exhibited no change. The VEP amplitude decreased without subsequent recovery to 50% of the control level in 14 eyes, and all of these developed various degrees of postoperative deterioration of visual function. CONCLUSIONS: With the strategy introduced here it is possible to record intraoperative VEPs in almost all patients except in those with severe visual dysfunction. In some patients, postoperative visual deterioration can be avoided or minimized by intraoperative VEP recording. All patients without an intraoperative decrease in the VEP amplitude were without severe postoperative deterioration in visual function, suggesting that intraoperative VEP monitoring may contribute to prevent postoperative visual dysfunction.

Separate demonstration of arterial- and venous-phase by 3D-CT angiography for brain tumors using 64-multidetector row CT: 3D-CT arteriography and 3D-CT venography.

We assessed the usefulness of the separate demonstration of the arterial- and venous phase on 3D-CT angiography (3D-CTA) using a 64-multidetector row CT (MDCT) scanner for the surgery of brain tumors. Nineteen patients with meningiomas (n=11), schwannomas, metastatic brain tumors (n=2 each), glioblastoma multiforme, malignant lymphoma, craniopharyngioma, and embryonal carcinoma (n=1 each) underwent scanning on a 64-MDCT scanner. After dynamic CT scanning to determine the scan timing for the arterial- and venous-phase, we individually scanned the arterial- and venous phase for 4 sec after injecting a nonionic contrast medium. Using the CT threshold setting and subtraction and cutting techniques, we produced individual 3D-CT images of the arteries, veins, tumors, and bones. The operators subjectively assessed the usefulness of these images in comparison with 3D-CTA. We separately demonstrated the arterial- and venous phase on 3D-CTA covering the entire head in all 19 cases. The 3D-CT arteriographs, 3D-CT venographs, and the fused 3D-CT images facilitated our understanding of the 3D anatomic relationship among the tumor, arteries, veins, and bony structures. In 14 of 19 cases our method provided the surgically valuable findings; the information on the anatomical relation between tumor and the surrounding arteries and veins (in 13 cases) the identification of anatomical course of the encased vessels (in one), and feeding arteries and draining veins (in one), and discrimination between the venous sinus and tumor (in one). The anatomical information yielded by our technique makes safer surgery possible. If more detailed information which 3D-CTA cannot provide is required, our method should be performed.

Confirmation of blood flow in perforating arteries using fluorescein cerebral angiography during aneurysm surgery.

OBJECT: The authors performed fluorescein cerebral angiography in patients after aneurysm clip placement to confirm the patency of the parent artery, perforating artery, and other arteries around the aneurysm. METHODS: Twenty-three patients who underwent aneurysm surgery were studied. Aneurysms were located in the internal carotid artery in 12 patients, middle cerebral artery in six, anterior cerebral artery in three, basilar artery bifurcation in one, and junction of the vertebral artery (VA) and posterior inferior cerebellar artery in one. After aneurysm clip placement, the target arteries were illuminated using a beam from a blue light-emitting diode atop a 7-mm diameter pencil-type probe. In all patients, after intravenous administration of 5 ml of 10% fluorescein sodium, fluorescence in the vessels was clearly observed through a microscope and recorded on videotape. RESULTS: The excellent image quality and spatial resolution of the fluorescein angiography procedure facilitated intraoperative real-time assessment of the patency of the perforating arteries and branches near the aneurysm, including: 12 posterior communicating arteries; 12 anterior choroidal arteries; four lenticulostriate arteries; three recurrent arteries of Heubner; three hypothalamic arteries; one ophthalmic artery; one perforating artery arising from the VA; and one posterior thalamoperforating artery. All 23 patients experienced an uneventful postoperative course without clinical symptoms of perforating artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: Because the fluorescein angiography procedure described here allows intraoperative confirmation of the patency of perforating arteries located deep inside the surgical field, it can be practically used for preventing unexpected cerebral infarction during aneurysm surgery.

Can 3D-CT angiography (3D-CTA) replace conventional catheter angiography in ruptured aneurysm surgery? Our experience with 162 cases.

In this communication, we studied whether 3D-CT angiography (3D CTA) gives us enough information for a safe operation without those from conventional catheter angiography (CCA) in patients with ruptured aneurysms. Between December 1996 and September 2005, we treated 162 consecutive patients with ruptured aneurysms in the acute stage based on 3D-CTA findings. One hundred sixty-two ruptured aneurysms, including 64 associated unruptured aneurysms, were detected using 3D-CTA. CCA was performed in nine (5.6%) of the 162 patients after 3D-CTA. They were four dissecting vertebral artery aneurysms, two basilar tip aneurysms, one basilar artery-superior cerebellar artery (BA-SCA), one previously clipped BA-SCA and one internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm. All ruptured aneurysms confirmed at surgery were treated successfully. The lack of information on CCA did not lead any neurological deficits or difficulties in the surgical procedure. 3D-CTA was of high diagnostic value compatible with CCA and yielded important information such as the configuration of the aneurysmal sac and neck, calcification in the aneurysmal wall, and the aneurysms' anatomic relation with adjacent vessels and bone structures. We suggest that 3D-CTA can replace CCA in the diagnosis of ruptured aneurysms and that most of ruptured aneurysms can be operated by using only 3D-CTA without CCA.