Lemierre Syndrome.

Teaching Point: Lemierre syndrome is a rare complication of bacterial pharyngitis with cervical thrombophlebitis leading to pulmonary abcesses; the radiologist may have a key role.

Endovascular Treatment of Intracranial Aneurysms: Initial Experience in a Low-Volume Center.

OBJECTIVE: Endovascular treatment (EVT) is the first-line treatment for ruptured and unruptured intracranial aneurysms (IA). EVT may be performed by interventional neuroradiologist (INR) with different levels of experience. This study aimed at evaluating clinical and anatomic results of IA embolisations performed by a INR with a short experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Within a 26-month period, 35 IA embolisations were managed by a young INR, 26 of these IA being ruptured. Different EVT techniques were used: coiling alone, stent-assisted coiling and remodeling techniques. Initial angiographic results, clinical outcomes and mid-term anatomic results were evaluated. RESULTS: Out of 35 procedures, there were seven per-procedural complications leading to one ischemic stroke and one death. Immediate post-procedural complete occlusion was obtained in 91% of procedures (32/35). Good clinical results (modified Rankin Scale Score of 0 or 1) were obtained in 79% of patients (26/33). In a mean follow-up time of 9.5 months, stable occlusion was shown in 88% of IA (21/24). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that IA embolisation may be performed by a recently trained INR with good clinical and anatomical outcomes.

The pCONus device for the endovascular treatment of wide neck bifurcation aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The pCONus is a new stent featuring a distal end that opens like a blossoming flower with four petals. The device is implanted in the aneurysm sac at the level of the neck. We report our initial experience in a series of patients treated with this device. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the authors' ethics committees. 18 patients with 19 unruptured wide neck bifurcation intracranial aneurysms (IA) were treated by pCONus placement and coiling. Technical issues, immediate post treatment angiographic findings, and clinical and imaging follow-up were assessed. RESULTS: Embolization was successful in all patients. There were 11 women and 7 men with a mean age of 60 years. Median aneurysm size was 9 mm (range 5.5-25 mm). The device was precisely placed and detached in all cases, allowing for subsequent coiling. Two patients experienced a symptomatic complication, one of which, a thromboembolism, was related to the use of the pCONus. This patient had a slight hand paresis. 16 patients had a normal neurological examination at discharge. Immediate anatomical results were 13 complete occlusions, 2 neck remnants, and 4 incomplete occlusions. Imaging follow-up was obtained in 12 patients (mean 9.5 months, range 2-24 months) and showed 9 stable occlusions and 3 recanalizations, of which 2 were retreated. CONCLUSIONS: In this initial series of patients, endovascular treatment of wide neck bifurcation IAs with the pCONus was feasible, with acceptable clinical and anatomical outcomes. Further studies are needed to evaluate the indications, safety, and efficacy of this new device.

Stent-assisted coiling of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: long-term follow-up in 164 patients with 183 aneurysms.

PURPOSE: Stent-assisted coiling (SAC) is increasingly used to treat complex unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) including wide-necked and fusiform IA. However, few data are available over the long-term results of this technique. We report our 9-year-experience of SAC of UIA. METHODS: A retrospective review of our prospectively maintained database identified all patients treated by SAC for an UIA in 2 institutions. The clinical charts, procedural data and angiographic results were reviewed. RESULTS: Between 2004 and 2012, we identified 164 patients with 183 UIA. There were 115 women and 49 men with a mean age of 46 years. Embolization was successful in all patients. Procedural morbidity and mortality rates were 2.2% and 0% respectively. Immediate anatomical outcome included 54 complete occlusion (29.5%), 43 neck remnants (23.5%) and 86 incomplete occlusions (47%). Imaging follow-up was available in 137 patients (mean=26 months, range 3 to 99 months) and it showed 104 complete occlusions (75.9%), 23 neck remnants (16.8%) and 10 incomplete occlusions (7.3%). At follow-up, only 3 patients developed a significant intrastent stenosis, one of which was induced by radiosurgery. One of these patients had a symptomatic thrombo-embolic complication 3 years after stent placement. CONCLUSION: SAC of complex UIA is effective and associated with low complication rates. Even if immediate anatomical results are relatively unsatisfying, mid- and long-term follow-up show a major improvement with a high rate of adequate occlusion that is stable over time. Moreover, the long-term clinical and angiographic tolerance of intracranial stents is excellent.

Sternal cleft: prenatal multimodality imaging.

Sternal clefts have been reported sporadically, but there are no reports describing complete investigations of the malformation. We describe a child with isolated inferior sternal cleft diagnosed at 33 weeks of gestation and thoroughly investigated by prenatal US, MRI and CT and preoperative US. Our report highlights the importance of accurate and in-depth investigation by multimodality imaging that allows detection of accompanying serious anomalies and, hence, forms the basis for informed parental counselling and for postnatal interdisciplinary care.

Pipeline flow-diverter stent for endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms: preliminary experience in 20 patients with 27 aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To report our preliminary experience with the Pipeline flow-diverter stent for the endovascular treatment (EVT) of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: Between September 2009 and October 2010, 20 patients with 27 fusiform or wide-necked unruptured aneurysms were included and treated by Pipeline stent placement alone. Technical issues, immediate findings, delayed complications, and clinical and imaging follow-up at three and six months were assessed. RESULTS: EVT was successfully performed in all patients. Clinical outcome was excellent in all but one patient who died. This latter patient developed a massive infarct due to a delayed stent thrombosis. Other complications without permanent deficit included one perimesencephalic subarachnoid hemorrhage and one retroperitoneal hematoma. Minor technical issues without clinical consequence were encountered in nine patients and included stent migration, stent misplacement, unanticipated stent shortening, and the impossibility to recapture the distal coil tip of the supporting device. Angiographic follow-up in 19 patients with 25 aneurysms showed 21 complete occlusions, one neck remnant, and three incomplete occlusions. No significant parent artery stenosis was seen. CONCLUSION: This study shows that the Pipeline stent is useful for EVT of fusiform and wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. Moreover, the stent is well tolerated with a low rate of intra-stent stenosis at short-term follow-up. However, technical improvements are needed to ensure safe and precise use of the device.

Endovascular treatment of posterior circulation fusiform aneurysms: single-center experience in 31 patients.

BACKGROUND: Posterior circulation fusiform aneurysms are rare but difficult to treat. OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with endovascular treatment of posterior circulation fusiform aneurysms. METHODS: A retrospective review of our prospectively maintained database identified all posterior circulation fusiform aneurysms treated by endovascular approach over a 6-year period. Clinical charts, procedural data, and angiographic results were reviewed. RESULTS: From March 2004 to March 2010, 31 patients were identified: 11 asymptomatic patients, 9 who presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage, 6 with a stroke, and 5 with a mass effect. All but 1 patient (97%), who died before being treated, were successfully treated by parent artery occlusion (n = 10), stenting plus coiling (n = 10), or stenting alone with conventional or flow-diverting stents (n = 10). Twenty-two patients showed a good or an excellent outcome (73%); 3 had a fair or a poor outcome (10%); and 5 patients died (17%). These 8 patients initially presented with severe subarachnoid hemorrhage or mass effect. Procedure-related morbidity includes only one patient who kept a worsening of cranial nerve palsies. There was no definitive procedure-related morbidity or mortality. Immediate aneurysm occlusion was incomplete in 20 cases (67%) and complete in 10 cases (33%). Mean follow-up of 20 months in 23 patients showed 12 further thromboses, 9 stable results, and 2 flow reductions. Final results included 19 complete occlusions (83%) and 4 incomplete occlusions (17%). CONCLUSION: Posterior circulation fusiform aneurysms may be treated by different endovascular approaches with satisfying clinical and anatomical results in most cases. However, patients who present with severe subarachnoid hemorrhage or mass effect still have a poor prognosis.

Flow-diverter stent for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms: a prospective study in 29 patients with 34 aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to report our preliminary experience with the flow-diverter Silk stent for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: This prospective study was approved by the authors' ethical committees. Twenty-nine patients with 34 fusiform or wide-necked unruptured aneurysms were included and treated by Silk stent placement alone by 2 physicians in 3 different centers. Technical issues, immediate findings, delayed complications, clinical follow-up, and imaging follow-up at 3 and 6 months were assessed. RESULTS: Endovascular treatment was successfully performed in 26 patients (90%). In 3 patients, the stent could not be delivered. Mortality and morbidity rates were of 4% (1 of 26) and 15% (4 of 26), respectively; 1 patient died from a delayed aneurysm rupture related to stent migration, 3 experienced a thromboembolic event, and 1 patient developed progressive visual disturbances related to an increased mass effect. Clinical outcome in 25 patients was unchanged (n=19), improved (n=2), or worsened (=4). Angiographic follow-up in 24 patients (29 aneurysms) showed 20 complete occlusions (69%), 1 neck remnant (3.5%), and 8 incomplete occlusions (27.5%). Significant parent artery stenosis at 6 months occurred in 8 cases (33%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the potential interest of the Silk flow-diverter stent to treat complex intracranial aneurysms without coils, the delayed complication rate is quite high and leads to use this technique only in selective cases.

Is digital substraction angiography still needed for the follow-up of intracranial aneurysms treated by embolisation with detachable coils?

INTRODUCTION: Follow-up of intracranial aneurysms treated by embolisation with detachable coils is mandatory to detect a possible recanalisation. The aim of this study was to compare contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CE-MRA) with digital substraction angiography (DSA) used to detect aneurysm recanalisation to determine if DSA is still needed during follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From May 2006 to May 2007, 55 patients with 67 aneurysms were treated by endosaccular coiling with (n = 9) or without (n = 58) an adjunctive stent. Follow-up imaging protocol included MRA at 6 and 12 months and a DSA at 12 months or earlier if a major recanalisation was identified on the 6-month MRA. Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed MRA images (readers 1 and 2) and two other reviewed DSA images. RESULTS: Follow-up DSA showed stability of the aneurysm occlusion in 52 cases, recanalisation in 14 cases, and further thrombosis in one. On CE-MRA, both readers identified all recanalisations but one (sensitivity of 93%) as they missed a major recanalisation in a 2-mm ruptured aneurysm. There were two false-positive evaluations by reader 1 and three for reader 2. Mean specificity of CE-MRA to detect aneurysm recanalisation was 95.5%. CONCLUSION: CE-MRA is accurate to detect aneurysm recanalisation after embolisation with detachable coils. CE-MRA may be proposed as first-intention imaging technique for their follow-up. However, its sensitivity and specificity remain inferior to that of DSA and major recurrences may be missed in very small aneurysms. Therefore, a single DSA remains mandatory during the imaging follow-up.

Circumferential and fusiform intracranial aneurysms: reconstructive endovascular treatment with self-expandable stents.

INTRODUCTION: We report our experience with endovascular treatment (EVT) of circumferential and fusiform intracranial aneurysms by a reconstructive approach with self-expandable stents. METHODS: A retrospective review of our prospectively maintained database identified all circumferential and fusiform aneurysms treated by a reconstructive endovascular approach over a 3-year period. Clinical charts, procedural data, and angiographic results were reviewed. RESULTS: From April 2004 to May 2007, 13 patients were identified, of whom 12 were asymptomatic and 1 presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage. Two patients with an aneurysm

Shunting the intervillous space: new concepts in human uteroplacental vascularization.

OBJECTIVE: It is supposed that the intervillous space is not perfused by maternal blood during the first trimester, suggesting vascular shunts in the myometrium. We therefore attempted to provide arguments for a functional vascular anastomotic network located in the placental bed during human pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: Three-dimensional (3D) sonography, laboratory analyses, and anatomic studies (hysterectomy specimens, uteroplacental vascular cast) were performed. RESULTS: Color Doppler showed a vascular network with anastomotic aspect located in the placental bed. A vascular cast of a uterus, obtained after postpartum hemorrhage, demonstrated a vascular anastomotic network in the myometrium. Higher PO2 levels in the uterine vein compared with the intervillous space confirmed the functional nature of this shunt. Low resistances in the uterine arteries during the first week after delivery suggested that this vascular network remains functional after placental expulsion. CONCLUSION: Our studies have yielded functional and anatomic evidence of an arteriovenous shunt located in the subplacental myometrium.