Traumatic Cerebrovascular Injuries Associated with Gunshot Wounds to the Head: A Single-Institution Ten-Year Experience.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular injury (CVI) is a potentially devastating complication of gunshot wounds to the head (GSWH), with yet unclear incidence and prognostic implications. Few studies have also attempted to define CVI risk factors and their role in patient outcomes. We aimed to describe 10 years of CVI from GSWH and characterize these injury patterns. METHODS: Single-institution data from 2009 to 2019 were queried to identify patients presenting with dural-penetrating GSWH. Patient records were reviewed for GSWH characteristics, CVI patterns, management, and follow-up. RESULTS: Overall, 63 of 297 patients with GSWH underwent computed tomography angiography (CTA) with 44.4% showing CVI. The middle cerebral artery (22.2%), dural venous sinuses (15.9%), and internal carotid artery (14.3%) were most frequently injured. Arterial occlusion was the most prominent injury type (22.2%) followed by sinus thrombosis (15.9%). One fifth of patients underwent delayed repeat CTA, with 20.1% showing new/previously unrecognized CVI. Bihemispheric bullet tracts were associated with CVI occurrence (P = 0.001) and mortality (P = 0.034). Dissection injuries (P = 0.013), injuries to the vertebrobasilar system (P = 0.036), or the presence of ≥2 concurrent CVIs (P = 0.024) were associated with increased risk of mortality. Of patients with CVI on initial CTA, 30% died within the first 24 hours. CONCLUSIONS: CVI was found in 44.4% of patients who underwent CTA. Dissection and vertebrobasilar injuries are associated with the highest mortality. CTA should be considered in any potentially survivable GSWH. Longitudinal study with consistent CTA use is necessary to determine the true prevalence of CVI and optimize the use of imaging modalities.

Intracranial Hypertension Following Gunshot Wound to the Torcula: Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Elevation of bone for the treatment of depressed skull fractures overlying venous sinuses is rarely required or performed. The neurosurgical literature only describes a handful of cases of surgical intervention in which the posterior two-thirds of the superior sagittal sinus was involved. Clinical course is variable, signs and symptoms suggest increased intracranial pressure, and all conservative measures should be exhausted before proceeding with the surgical route. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 27-year-old man presented with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to posterior head. On presentation, there were no neurologic complaints. On imaging, the bullet fragment was associated with a comminuted anteriorly displaced fracture over the torcula. Vessel imaging showed tapering of the superior sagittal sinus and transverse sinuses near the torcula, suggesting narrowing due to mass effect. The patient did not respond to initial conservative management and developed worsening diplopia and papilledema concerning for increased intracranial pressure. Occipital/suboccipital craniectomy was performed with elevation of depressed skull fracture, decompression of dural venous sinus, removal of bullet, and mesh cranioplasty. Repeat ophthalmology examination postoperatively showed improvement in optic disc edema and diplopia. CONSLUSIONS: This case confirms that the approach of surgical management of superior sagittal venous sinus injuries associated with skull fractures described in the literature also can be used successfully for injuries over the torcula if conservative management does not help alleviate the symptoms and results in good outcome. It was felt that delayed surgery also plays an important role, as it gives time for scar tissue to form, which may help to protect the sinus from injury during surgery.

Depressed Skull Fractures Overlying Dural Venous Sinuses: Management Modalities and Review of Literature.

AIM: To characterize the sociodemographic, clinical and radiological findings of patients with depressed skull fractures overlying cranial dural sinuses that we have faced in our institute. In addition, to explore the indications and choices for the surgical and nonsurgical management of such cases, and assess outcomes in these two treatment groups. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We prospectively followed up a cohort of 34 patients with fractures over dural venous sinuses from January 2013 to December 2017. Twelve (35.1%) were simple depressed fractures (SDFs) and 22 (64.7%) were compound depressed fractures (CDFs). Eighteen patients (52.9%) were treated surgically, and 16 (47.1%) were treated conservatively. RESULTS: The mean age was 20.8 years. Thirty-two of the patients were males (94.12%). The mean time from trauma until hospital arrival was 3.8 hours, and the mean admission Glasgow Coma Score (GCS) was 13.7. Direct trauma was the most common mode of injury. Funduscopy was performed in 16 patients (47.1%), and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) in four patients (11.8%). Twenty-four patients (70.59%) had the fracture overlying the superior sagittal sinus (SSS). The mean length of hospital stay was five days, and the mean follow-up duration was 6.8 months. Twenty-eight patients (82.35%) had a good recovery. CONCLUSION: The majority of SDFs and some CDFs overlying dural sinuses can be managed safely without major surgical intervention. Conservation should be favored when the sinus is patent, dura intact, and bone displacement is insignificant in neurologically intact patients with an apparently clean wound. Otherwise, surgery should be considered. We also propose including a funduscopic examination and venogram as parts of the initial trauma work-up for these patients.

Intracranial hypertension caused by superior sagittal sinus stenosis secondary to a depressed skull fracture: Case report and review of the literature.

Depressed fractures that occur on the superior sagittal sinus (SSS) cause stenosis or thrombosis of the sinus in 11.5% of cases. Despite this, the appearance of signs and symptoms derived from high intracranial pressure is an infrequent event. So far, only 17 cases of venous sinus injury causing intracranial hypertension have been documented. It is necessary to establish treatment immediately before clinical suspicion. Surgical treatment by craniectomy is a fast, effective and safe alternative according to the series. However, it is necessary to anticipate the possibility of haemorrhage in the operating room. The case of a 7-year-old girl admitted for traumatic brain injury (TBI) with the diagnosis of a left parasagittal occipital sinus fracture that stenosed the posterior third of the superior sagittal sinus is presented. Upon arrival, she was asymptomatic, and conservative management was selected. Subsequently, the patient began to present with headache, nausea, vomiting and diplopia associated with bradycardia and apnoea pauses of central origin. She underwent surgery with a craniectomy with satisfactory clinical and radiological evolution and normalization of the intracranial pressure (ICP) registry.

[A case of the fracture of the temporal bone pyramid resulting in the fatal outcome]. / Nabliudenie pereloma piramidki visochnoi kosti, privedshego k letal'nomu iskhodu.

The authors report a clinical case of the fracture of the base of the skull with the concomitant damage to the sigmoid sinus, jugular vein, and internal carotid artery in the temporal bone pyramid. The injury was associated with massive bleeding from the external acoustic canal that resulted in the death of the patient.

Iatrogenic Sigmoid Sinus Occlusion Rescued by Graft Repair and Endovascular Thrombolysis.

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic cerebral venous sinus injury and occlusion may occur during resection of parasagittal meningioma and lateral skull base surgery. The former involves the superior sagittal sinus, and direct surgical repair is associated with good results. Outcome of direct repair of transverse-sigmoid sinus injury is less clear. We present a patient with iatrogenic sigmoid sinus injury in whom direct repair was complicated by subsequent thrombosis that was successfully salvaged by combined endovascular mechanical and chemical thrombolysis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 60-year-old man with left tentorial atypical meningioma had disease recurrence after 3 excisions. Angiography revealed that the straight sinus and torcular and bilateral transverse sinuses were occluded. He underwent a fourth craniotomy with inadvertent occlusion of the transverse-sigmoid sinus junction. Direct surgical repair was done but was complicated by thrombosis. Mechanical endovenous thrombectomy was done followed by continuous urokinase infusion for 1 week. Digital subtraction angiography performed 7 days after endovascular treatment showed improved venous drainage through the left transverse-sigmoid sinus junction. The patient was ambulatory and fully independent, with no new neurologic deficit. CONCLUSIONS: This case emphasizes the need to preserve every vein, especially when major venous sinuses have been obliterated. Detailed study of high-quality preoperative digital subtraction angiography is extremely important. Venous injury should be repaired immediately whenever possible. Postrepair venous sinus thrombosis may be effectively salvaged by endovascular thrombectomy for rapid recannulation, with or without combined use of continuous in situ thrombolytic therapy.

Venous sinus compromise after pre-sigmoid, transpetrosal approach for skull base tumors: A study on the asymptomatic incidence and report of a rare dural arteriovenous fistula as symptomatic manifestation.

The sigmoid sinus is routinely exposed and manipulated during pre-sigmoid, transpetrosal approaches to the skull base, but there is scant data available on the incidence of venous sinus compromise after surgery. We encountered a dural arteriovenous fistula as a result of sigmoid sinus occlusion and examined the incidence of venous sinus thrombosis or narrowing after transpetrosal surgeries. We performed a retrospective analysis of a series of patients treated by the senior surgeons (WCJ, MH, HJK), who underwent either a posterior petrosectomy or translabyrinthine approach for various skull base tumors. All available clinical and radiographic data were thoroughly examined in each patient to determine the post-operative fate of the venous sinuses. Of the 52 available patients, five patients were discovered post-operatively to have a narrowed or constricted sigmoid sinus ipsilateral to the surgery, whereas another five patients were diagnosed with asymptomatic sinus thrombosis either in the transverse or sigmoid or both. None of these patients experienced symptoms, nor were there any instance of ischemic or hemorrhagic complications. However, there was one additional patient who presented with pulsatile tinnitus 2years after surgery. His angiogram showed an occlusion of the ipsilateral sigmoid sinus and a posterior fossa dural arteriovenous fistula. A two-stage transvenous and transarterial embolization was successful in eliminating the fistula. Technical considerations to avoid sinus injuries during pre-sigmoid, transpetrosal surgery are discussed.

Morphologic Analysis of Occipital Sinuses for Occipital Screw Fixation Using Digital Subtraction Angiography.

BACKGROUND: Numerous methods to achieve occipitocervical stabilization have been described, including the use of occipital plate/screw constructs. Bicortical screws may increase the pullout strength, but intracranial injuries to venous sinuses have been reported. This study was performed to analyze the variations in occipital sinuses to prevent sinus injury caused by the bicortical screw. METHODS: Occipital sinuses of 1720 patients were examined using digital subtraction angiography. The data collected included patient age and sex, occipital sinus type, distance between occipital sinus and midline, depth from inion to occipital sinus, and distance between occipital sinus and midline occiput at different levels. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 57 years ± 13. There were 807 (46.9%) men and 913 (53.1%) women. The most common occipital sinus type was single occipital sinus off-midline (type B2). The least common occipital sinus type was absent occipital sinuses (type A; 8.7% of patients). There was no significant difference between age and occipital sinus type (P = 0.310). Also, the difference between sexes was not significant in regard to occipital sinus type in general. However, in subgroup analysis of type B1 and B2, there was a significant difference between sexes (P < 0.01). The mean depth from bone to occipital sinus was 19.913 mm ± 7.437. CONCLUSIONS: The occipital sinus shows several variations, and many morphologic differences can be seen. Preoperative detailed examination by magnetic resonance venography or vertebral angiography may be required for cases in which bicortical occipital screw fixation is necessary to avoid occipital sinus-related complications.

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of strontium-containing nanostructured carbonated hydroxyapatite/sodium alginate for sinus lift in rabbits.

Various synthetic bone substitutes have been developed to reconstruct bone defects. One of the most prevalent ceramics in bone treatment is hydroxyapatite (HA) that is a useful material as bone substitute, however, with a low rate of biodegradation. Its structure allows isomorphic cationic and anionic substitutions to be easily introduced, which can alter the crystallinity, morphology, biocompatibility, and osteoconductivity. The objective of this study was to investigate the in vitro and in vivo biological responses to strontium-containing nanostructured carbonated HA/sodium alginate (SrCHA) spheres (425<ϕ <600 µm) that were used for sinus lifts in rabbits using nanostructured carbonated HA/sodium alginate (CHA) as a reference. Cytocompatibility was determined using a multiparametric assay after exposing murine preosteoblasts to the extracts of these materials. Twelve male and female rabbits underwent bilateral sinus lift procedures and were divided into two groups (CHA or SrCHA) and in two experimental periods (4 and 12 weeks), for microscopic and histomorphometric analyses. The in vitro test revealed the overall viability of the cells exposed to the CHA and SrCHA extracts; thus, these extracts were considered cytocompatible, which was confirmed by three different parameters in the in vitro tests. The histological analysis showed chronic inflammation with a prevalence of macrophages around the CHA spheres after 4 weeks, and this inflammation decreased after 12 weeks. Bone formation was observed in both groups, and smaller quantities of SrCHA spheres were observed after 12 weeks, indicating greater bioresorption of SrCHA than CHA. SrCHA spheres are biocompatible and osteoconductive and undergo bioresorption earlier than CHA spheres.

Improvement in venous outflow following superior sagittal sinus decompression after a gunshot wound to the head: case report.

The most commonly described indications for surgical management of closed depressed skull fractures are hematoma evacuation and repair of extensive cosmetic deformity. Venous sinus injury, which occurs in a subset of depressed skull fractures, is not typically listed as an indication for surgical treatment due to the potential for major venous hemorrhage associated with surgery near these structures. However, if patients exhibit signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension and radiographic findings demonstrate sinus compromise, surgical elevation of the depressed skull fragments is indicated. The authors present the case of a 25-year-old woman with a depressed skull fracture secondary to a gunshot wound with symptomatic compromise in venous outflow of the posterior one-third of the superior sagittal sinus. The patient was treated with surgical decompression via bilateral craniectomy along with intracranial pressure-lowering medical therapy and had almost full resolution of her presenting symptoms with documented improvement in flow through the superior sagittal sinus. While the use of surgical treatment for these types of injuries is highly debated, the authors demonstrate here that safe, effective surgical management of these patients is possible and that surgical decompression should always be considered in the case of symptomatic venous sinus flow obstruction.

Use of tissue-glue-coated collagen sponge (TachoSil) to repair minor cerebral dural venous sinus lacerations: technical note.

BACKGROUND: Significant hemorrhage may occur from the cerebral venous sinuses during the dural separation from the bone flap, particularly in elderly patients. It is important to achieve an urgent hemostatic control. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a new fixed combination tissue sealant (TachoSil) in patients with bleeding from lacerations of cerebral venous sinuses. METHODS: Between September 2012 and June 2014, 57 patients (39 female, 18 male) presenting with iatrogenic tears of the superior sagittal or transverse/sigmoid sinuses were treated with a topical fibrin sealant patch. Intraoperative source of bleeding, time to bleeding control, quantity of sealant sponge used, and postoperative complications were evaluated. Time to hemostasis was used as the primary end point. RESULTS: Effective hemostasis, defined as cessation of bleeding after application of topical hemostatic agent, was achieved no later than 4 minutes in all except 5 patients with persistent bleeding from the sinus. In these 5 cases, bleeding was finally stopped after application of a new larger layer of TachoSil Sponge (2 cases) or gelatin hemostatic matrix (2 cases) or fibrin glue (1 case) over the layer of TachoSil. CONCLUSION: We report our experience with a new hemostasis technique to manage bleeding from iatrogenic lacerations of cerebral venous sinuses.

CT characteristics of dehiscent sigmoid plates presenting as pulsatile tinnitus: a study of 23 patients.

BACKGROUND: Although some features of dehiscent sigmoid plates as a cause of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) have been reported, detailed imaging findings have not been evaluated. PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the computed tomography (CT) features of dehiscent sigmoid plates associated with PT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The CT images of 23 PT patients were assessed to evaluate the features of the dehiscent sigmoid plates, lateral sinuses, and temporal bone pneumatization. RESULTS: A total of 31 defects were found on the PT side. Twenty-five defects involved the superior curve or the descending segment, four involved above both sites, and only two involved the inferior curve. Twenty-six defects involved the anterior border or the anterolateral border, and only five involved the lateral border of the sigmoid sinus. The dehiscent sigmoid plate was on the dominant side in all 18 patients with a unilateral dominant lateral sinus, and on the right side in two patients and on the left side in three patients with co-dominant lateral sinuses. Fourteen patients had hyperpneumatization and nine had good pneumatization of temporal bone. Fifteen of the 17 patients with resolution of PT after surgery had a single defect. Four of the six patients with persistence of PT after surgery had more than one defect. CONCLUSION: Sigmoid plate dehiscence often involves the anterior or anterolateral border of the superior curve or the descending segment of the sigmoid sinus on the side of the dominant lateral sinus, which often coexists with extensive pneumatization of the temporal bone.

[CT analysis of dehiscent sigmoid plate presenting as pulsatile tinnitus].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the CT the characteristics of dehiscent sigmoid plate accompanied with pulsatile tinnitus (PT). METHODS: Dual phase contrast enhancement CT data of 15 PT patients were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Dehiscent sigmoid plate was located on the same side of PT in all patients. Thirteen defects had been showed in both CT images and surgery. Among of them, eight defects located on the descending segment, 3 on the superior curve, and the other 2 defects involved the superior curve and descending segment of sigmoid sinus simultaneously. The maximum anteroposterior and vertical diameters of defect measured in CT images were significant larger than that measured during surgery. There were still 5 defects showed in CT images, which did not been found during surgery. Among 9 patients with unilateral dominant brain venous systems, all the dehiscent sigmoid plates were seen on the dominant side. The other 2 patients showed co-dominant brain venous systems, whose the dehiscent sigmoid plates were on the left side. In addition, extensive pneumatized temporal bone filled with air was found in all patients. CONCLUSION: Dehiscent sigmoid plate commonly located on the anterior, lateral, or anterolateral wall of the superior curve or descending segment of the sigmoid plate, which usually coexist with the strong unilateral dominant brain venous system and extensive temporal bone pneumatization.

Cerebral tissue pulmonary embolism after severe head trauma in an infant.

Cerebral tissue pulmonary embolism (CTPE) is a very rare complication of severe head trauma. Nearly 20 cases of CTPE have been reported in neonates after birth trauma and even fewer cases in children and adults. We report a 4-month-old infant boy who sustained severe head trauma when he was accidentally dropped by his stepfather. Autopsy revealed multiple skull fractures, dural venous sinus laceration, subdural and subarachnoid hemorrhages, and brain maceration and extrusion. Microscopically, there was widespread embolism of brain tissue in medium- to small-sized pulmonary arteries.