[Two Cases of Difficult-to-Treat Acute Epidural Hematoma and a Review of Decompressive Craniectomy with Hematoma Evacuation].

INTRODUCTION: Decompressive craniectomy(DC)with craniotomy for acute epidural hematoma(AEDH)removal is controversial. Here, we summarized two difficult AEDH cases where DC was performed. CASE 1:A 26-year-old man sustained a head injury in a bicycle accident, with a Japan Coma Scale(JCS)score of 200, right pupil mydriasis, and a left decerebrate posture on admission. Computed tomography(CT)revealed right AEDH with a midline shift. Craniotomy was performed without DC. Postoperatively, his consciousness level and anisocoria improved(JCS score, 30). Furthermore, no cerebral infarction was observed on CT at 9 h after surgery;however, at 48 h after surgery, a cerebral infarction with a mild midline shift was evident in the right hemisphere. His consciousness level deteriorated(JCS score, 100), and we initiated glyceol infusion. Worsening of the midline shift was apparent on CT 100 h after surgery;thus, DC was immediately performed. CASE 2:A 15-year-old boy was injured in a fall. On admission, his JCS score was 10. Immediately afterward, he showed neurological deterioration(JCS score, 200), right pupil mydriasis, and a left decorticate posture. CT revealed right AEDH with a midline shift;thus, craniotomy was performed with DC. On hospitalization day 10, he had orthostatic headache and a JCS score of 1. CT revealed paradoxical midline shift to the opposite side of craniotomy, and syndrome of the trephined was considered. He was placed in the Trendelenburg position until cranioplasty was performed on hospitalization day 18. CONCLUSION: Patients with AEDH presenting severe consciousness issues should undergo hematoma removal. Although DC is controversial, surgeons should administer intensive and prompt treatment according to the circumstance and should consider DC for appropriate AEDH cases.

[An operated case of a giant fusiform aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery with alternating radiological findings within a short period].

We report an operated case of a giant fusiform aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery (MCA). An 18-year-old man presenting with a 6-month history of severe left temporal headache was admitted to our department. On admission, MRI revealed a mass lesion measuring 45 mm in diameter in the left frontal lobe. A left carotid angiogram revealed aneurysmal dilatation and stenosis in the M2 portion of the left MCA, which was diagnosed as a giant fusiform dissecting aneurysm. An intracarotid amobarbital test (Wada test)demonstrated ischemic tolerance to occlusion of the parent artery. Spontaneous occlusion of the parent artery and obliteration of the aneurysmal lesion incidentally occurred 15 days after admission. Follow-up 3D-CT angiography revealed recurrence of the aneurysmal dilatation in the same segment of the artery 6 days after the spontaneous obliteration. The lesion was then successfully resected without revascularization. Histopathological examination revealed a pseudolumen and loss of the three-layer structure of the aneurysmal wall. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged without neurological deficits. We present the case report and a review of the literature.

[Neurologist and emergency neuroendovascular revascularization -training programs for endovascular procedures-].

Emergency neuroendovascular revascularization is a reperfusion therapy for acute stroke. The operator for this therapy has to obtain a license as a specialist in endovascular procedures. For neurologists wishing to acquire this license, there are two kinds of training programs: full-time training and concurrent training. Full-time training was chosen by the first author of this review, while concurrent training will be performed by staff in the author's department. The advantage of full-time training is the acquisition of a lot of experience of various diseases that are treated with endovascular procedures and managed in the periprocedural period. However, full-time training has the disadvantages of a requirement to discontinue medical care of neurological diseases except for stroke and employment at a remote institution. The advantages and disadvantages of concurrent training are the reverse of those of full-time training. Neither training system can succeed without cooperation from Departments of Neurology in neighboring universities and the institutional Department of Neurosurgery. It is particularly important for each neurologist to establish a goal of becoming an operator for recanalization therapy alone or for all fields of endovascular procedures because training will differ for attainment of each operator's goal.

[Endovascular trapping using a tandem balloon technique for a spontaneous vertebrovertebral fistula associated with neurofibromatosis type 1].

We report a rare case of a young man who had spontaneous left vertebrovertebral fistula associated with neurofibromatosis Type 1. His complaints were severe pain in the left neck and numbness in the left upper extremity. Cervical MR images showed a large abnormal flow void to the left of the spinal canal. An angiogram demonstrated a fusiform aneurysm and a high flow arteriovenous fistula in the left vertebral artery that drained into the internal vertebral plexus and formed a large venous varix. The occipital artery, the thyrocervical artery and the contralateral vertebral artery were associated with the fistula. The arteriovenous fistula was treated by endovascular coil embolization, using a tandem balloon technique. For this fistula, exhibiting the combination of high flow and multiple associated arteries, the flow control technique during the coil embolization, using tandem balloons in both the subclavian artery and the distal portion of the fistula of the vertebral artery, was safe and feasible for preventing coil migration.

[Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema induced by non-ionic radiographic contrast media during the coil embolization for a ruptured cerebral aneurysm].

We describe a 48(correction of 44) year-old woman, who presents a non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema caused by non-ionic radiographic contrast medium. She suffered from subarachnoid hemorrhage due to dissecting aneurysm of right vertebral artery. Cerebral angiography followed by coil embolization for the aneurysm was performed. During the interventional procedure, saturation of blood oxygen suddenly declined and chest X-ray photography obviously revealed pulmonary edema. At first we dealt with it as neurogenic phenomenon but subsequently interpreted it to non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema induced by radiographic contrast medium, since intra-arterial injection of contrast medium at follow-up angiography led the symptoms into more fulminant status. Intensive care including endotracheal intubation and continuous positive airway pressure ventilation consequently achieved complete remission and the patient discharged without any sequelae. Although low osmolar, non-ionic contrast medium has been regarded as relatively safe, severe reaction such as dyspnea, hypotension and cardiac arrest could emerge at certain intervals. We must perceive the adverse effects of it because the usage of contrast medium will dramatically increase with development of diagnostic radiographical methodology and interventional neurosurgery.

Cavernous angioma presenting as epilepsy 13 years after initial diagnosis.

A 22-year-old man presented with tonic-clonic seizure and was admitted to our hospital. He had suffered from frequent headaches, and had been diagnosed with a brain tumour on MRI 13 years ago. However, neither further examination nor follow-up neuroimaging study have been performed. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an intraaxial tumor with granular calcification in the right frontal lobe, attached to the adjacent dura mater, which was enlarged compared with the lesion on CT 13 years before. The lesion was surgically excised through right frontal craniotomy. Histopathological analysis indicated cavernous angioma. In cavernous angioma in younger children, more aggressive surgical indications than in adults may be favorable both to prevent haemorrhagic complications and to confirm pathologic diagnosis.

Fatal rupture following intra-aneurysmal embolization for the distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm with parent artery preservation.

This 70-year-old female was admitted to our hospital 1 day after a sudden consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography (CT) showed subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and angiogram revealed an irregular-shaped aneurysm at the lateral medullary segment of the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). The patient was treated by intra-aneurysmal embolization with Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) with parent artery preservation. Post-operative angiogram showed obliteration of the aneurysm except for the neck remnant, but she presented with rerupture 19 days after the onset and died 3 days later. Postmortem examination revealed massive hematoma around the aneurysm, which compressed medulla oblongata from behind. Histological assessment showed the 'entry' where the aneurysmal wall lacked internal elastic lamina, providing evidence of dissecting aneurysm. The present case suggests that embolization of distal PICA aneurysm with parent artery preservation should be avoided because radiological evaluation may fail to rule out the possibility of dissection, where the aneurysmal wall is affected not only at the 'entry' but also in the adjacent region.

Optochiasmal arachnoiditis following cotton wrapping of anterior communicating artery aneurysm treated by surgical removal of granuloma.

We report the case of a 50 year old female who presented with visual disturbance due to optochiasmal arachnoiditis and foreign body granuloma 9 months after cotton wrapping for ruptured anterior communicating artery (AcomA) aneurysm. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed enhanced mass lesion around AcomA complex and hyperintense signal on optic chiasm and right optic tract by fluid-attenuated inversion recovery image. Despite the repeated steroid pulse therapy, she deteriorated and MRI showed expansion of the granulomatous lesion over 5 months. Surgical removal of foreign body granuloma resulted in marked improvement of visual disturbance as well as of the MRI findings. We conclude that the use of cotton sheet close to the optic nerve should be avoided, and that surgical removal of the granuloma would be the optimal choice especially for the patient in whom steroid therapy fails to improve clinical symptoms.

Vertebrobasilar artery dissection presenting with simultaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage and brain stem infarction: case report.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial dissecting aneurysms have been associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) or cerebral ischemia. We encountered a patient presenting with simultaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage and brainstem infarction caused by a dissecting aneurysm of the vertebrobasilar artery, which was diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) but did not show abnormal findings on cerebral angiography. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 55-year-old man had sudden onset of headache and left abducens palsy. Computed tomography revealed a subarachnoid hemorrhage localized in the left prepontine cistern and the left cerebellomedullary fissure. Cerebral angiography showed neither a saccular aneurysm nor fusiform dilatation causing the subarachnoid hemorrhage. MRI demonstrated a small infarction in the left dorsal pons, and an intramural hematoma of the left vertebral artery and lower basilar artery. CONCLUSION: This is a rare case of a vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysm that simultaneously caused both SAH and brain stem infarction. MRI should be performed in the acute phase of SAH of unknown origin to determine the possible coexistence of a dissecting aneurysm, as occurred in this case.

[A case presenting brain abscess with multiple infectious aneurysms].

We report a case presenting a brain abscess with multiple infectious aneurysms. A 59-year-old man was transferred to our hospital suffering from left hemiparesis. MRI demonstrated a huge mass in the right frontal lobe with marked brain edema in the surrounding area. Diffusion-weighted image revealed heterogenous intensity, which is not typical in cases of brain abscess. Surgical removal was planned, and preoperative angiography was performed. Angiography demonstrated aneurysms at the distal branch of both the right middle cerebral artery and the anterior cerebral artery. These aneurysms were surgically resected, and the abscess was totally removed. Postoperative course was uneventful. Left hemiparasis was resolved, and there was no ischemic lesion seen on postoperative MRI. In the treatment of brain abscess, stereotactic aspiration has recently been preferred to removal by craniotomy. We conclude that cerebral angiography might be necessary to evaluate cerebrovascular complications including infectious aneurysms, in cases presenting atypical findings in neuroimaging study.

A case of calvarial eosinophilic granuloma with rapid expansion and wide skull invasion: immunohistochemical analysis of Ki-67.

A 15-year-old male visited our neurological service with progressive occipitalgia. Computed tomography showed an osteolytic lesion at the occipital cranium, which grew rapidly during a month. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the lesion as low intensity on T1- and high intensity on T2-weighted images. The mass was soft and successfully removed with surrounding cranium. Histological examination revealed an eosinophilic granuloma with wide skull invasion. Immunohistochemical analysis on the specimen disclosed Ki-67 expression with labeling index of 6.2%. Relatively high proliferative activity in the present case indicates that the local replication of Langerhans' cells as well as inflammatory response contributes to the expansion of calvarial eosinophilic granuloma. This is the first report demonstrating the result of Ki-67 expression on calvarial eosinophilic granuloma.