Retreatment of cerebral aneurysms after guglielmi detachable coil embolization.

SUMMARY: Of 175 patients with 181 aneurysms initially treated with Guglielmi Detachable Coils (GDC), 25 were retreated. All retreatments except one were performed on previously ruptured aneurysms. Thirteen aneurysms were retreated because of recurrence, and 12 aneurysms were retreated to complete initial insufficient embolization. Sixteen patients underwent re-embolization and 9 patients were operated upon surgically. No complications related to the retreatment were experienced. We consider that repeat embolization should be attempted before considering surgical treatment in case that additional therapy is required. However, it is difficult to retreat aneurysms having wide necks. In regard to surgical clipping, aneurysms without a coil in the neck are easier to treat with primary clipping, whereas aneurysms with a coil mass in the neck are difficult to surgical clip. We have never used temporary clipping and coil extraction if the distance between the coil and the parent artery was wider than 2 mm. Emerging new embolic agents or devices and technical improvement might decrease the need for retreatment and increase long-term efficacy after endovascular treatment.

[Congestive heart failure caused by the thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) secreting pituitary adenoma: report of two cases].

A 42-year-old man and a 31-year-old man with congestive heart failure caused by the thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) secreting pituitary adenoma were reported. Heart failure was improved after transsphenoidal resection of the pituitary adenoma in each patient. The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of TSH causes hyperthyroidism. Thyroid hormone acts directly on cardiac muscle to increase the stroke volume. Hyperthyroidism itself reduces the peripheral vascular resistance and an elevated basal metabolism which is the basic physiologic change in hyperthyroidism dilates small vessels and reduces vascular resistance. The reduced vascular resistance contributes to increase stroke volume. Thyroid hormone also acts directly on the cardiac pacemakers to be apt to cause tachycardiac atrial fibrillation. These mechanical changes in hyperthyroidism increase not only the cardiac output but also the venous return. The increased blood volume and the shortened ventricular filling time due to tachycardia result in congestive heart failure. TSH secreting pituitary adenoma is a rare tumor, however heart failure is common disease. TSH secreting pituitary adenoma should be taken into consideration in patients with heart failure. The presented cases were very enlightening to understand the relation between brain tumor and heart disease.

Complications associated with intraarterial administration of papaverine for vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage--two case reports.

Complications associated with intraarterial papaverine infusion occurred in two patients treated for vasospasm due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). A 42-year-old male with an anterior communicating artery aneurysm underwent craniotomy and aneurysm clipping. Five days after the SAH occurred, angiography demonstrated moderate vasospasm in spite of hypervolemic-hypertensive therapy. During papaverine infusion into the carotid artery, he suffered loss of consciousness due to a seizure for a few minutes. A 61-year-old female with a right internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm underwent clipping. Six days after the SAH occurred, angiography demonstrated severe vasospasm in spite of hypervolemic-hypertensive therapy. Angiography performed immediately after papaverine infusion into the carotid artery revealed exacerbation of the vasospasm. Finally she suffered cerebral infarction and died. Complications of intraarterial papaverine infusion are potentially dangerous. We recommend trial administration of papaverine with angiography and neurological examination before full dose infusion to avoid complications.

Intracranial hemorrhage in an infant owing to vitamin K deficiency despite prophylaxis.

A 3-month-old male infant with intracranial hemorrhage attributable to a vitamin K deficiency is reported. Vitamin K2 was administered orally at birth and then at 5 days and I month of age. Oral antibiotics were also given 2 days before the onset of bleeding. Although the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage resulting from vitamin K deficiency has decreased since the introduction of vitamin K2 prophylaxis, spontaneous intracranial hemorrhages are still being reported in infants. We suggest that vitamin K prophylaxis is needed especially for breast-fed infants and for those undergoing antibiotic therapy.

[Management of putaminal hemorrhage in patients with chronic renal failure].

The treatments of putaminal hemorrhages (PH) were evaluated in 14 patients (15 hematomas) with chronic renal failure (CRF). We compared the data of our series with the data of co-operative study (1990) on PH. With regard to consciousness level (Neurological Grading, NG) and hematoma volume, significantly more serious cases were observed in PH with CRF than in PH of the co-operative study. In PH with CRF, mortality (40%) was significantly higher than that in PH of the co-operative study. However, the mortality rate was 0%, 0%, 20%, and 100% in NG1, 2, 3, and over 4b. The mortality rate was 0% in non-surgically treated cases with 0 to 30 ml of hematoma volume, and 0% in surgically treated cases with 10 to 50 ml of hematoma volume. These mortality rates were equal to those of the co-operative study with the same NG, and equal to those of the co-operative study with the same hematoma volume. With respect to functional prognosis, "good" (ADL1 and 2) resulted in 67% of non-surgically treated cases with NG1 to 2, and in 33% of surgically treated cases with NG3 to 4a. "Good" resulted in 33% of non-surgically treated cases with 0 to 30 ml of hematoma volume, and in 40% of surgically treated cases with 10 to 50 ml of hematoma volume. These morbidity rates were equal to those of the co-operative study with the same NG, and equal to those of the co-operative study with the same hematoma volume. Therefore, the high mortality in PH with CRF was suspected to be due to the fact that, in our study, there was a higher distribution of serious cases. These findings indicate that protection against enlargement of hematomas in the acute phase may bring about improvement of prognosis in PH with CRF.

Intra-aneurysmal Embolization for the Treatment of Cerebral Aneurysms Using Detachable Coils.

SUMMARY: From October 1993 to February 1998, intraaneurysmal embolization by endovascular treatment with detachable coils was performed for 41 cases of cerebral aneurysm. As a detachable coil, interlocking detachable coils (IDC) were used in the initial 15 cases and Guglielmi detachable coils (GDC) were used in the subsequent 26 cases. As for 15 cases treated with IDC, complete occlusion was performed in 9 cases, subtotal occlusion in 4 cases and partial occlusion in 2 cases. In one of the partial occluded cases, a coil compaction occurred 6 months after embolization. Distal emboli were recognized on CT after embolization in 3 cases, however, only one case was symptomatic. Intra-operative bleeding occurred in one case, but no obvious hemorrhage after coil embolization in any case. As for 26 cases treated with GDC, complete occlusion was performed in 18 cases, subtotal occlusion in 8 cases. In one case of basilar-tip aneurysm, a mild coil compaction occurred 6 months after embolization. Distal emboli were recognized on CT after embolization in 3 cases, however, only one case was symptomatic (minor stroke). No intra-operative bleeding and no obvious hemorrhage after coil embolization occurred in any case. From our experiences, treatment for poor-grade ruptured aneurysm is still difficult, but intraaneurysmal embolization for cerebral aneurysms using detachable coils is possible and a useful alternative, especially for surgically difficult aneurysms. The results of treatment of aneurysm with GDC are much better than those with IDC, so the indications for intra-aneurysmal embolization with GDC might increase in the future.

[Subependymal tumor with metaplastic bone formation: a case report].

A 26-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of headache. CT scan and MRI showed a right subependymal nodule and a left ventricular tumor, neither of which had any enhancement nor were they stained in angiography. Although no skin abnormality was detected, the patient was suspected of tuberous sclerosis. The diagnosis was made because of the subependymal nodule on CT scan and MRI. On June 29, 1995, total removal of a left ventricular tumor was performed by a transcortical approach. Histological sections of this tumor consisted of astrocytic and meningothelial components, containing metaplastic bone formation. Histological diagnosis was dysplastic subependymal tumor. Postoperative course was uneventful. Regrowth of the tumor has not been observed as of now. This case was suspected to involve factors of tuberous sclerosis from a subependymal nodule. However, the ventricular tumor was not diagnosed as a subependymal giant cell astrocytoma.

Favorable effect of hemodialysis on decreased serum antioxidant activity in hemodialysis patients demonstrated by electron spin resonance.

There is considerable evidence that uremic patients are in a highly peroxidative state. The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum antioxidant activity that may regulate, or represent, the redox state in vivo. Serum from pre- and posthemodialysis patients and from healthy control subjects was added to a system generating the hydroxyl radical, and then the signal intensities of reactive oxygen species were measured by electron spin resonance and spin-trapping technique. The electron spin resonance signals of the reaction mixture containing prehemodialysis sera were significantly stronger than those of the reaction mixture containing healthy sera (P < 0.001, n = 19), and there was no significant difference in the signals between the reaction mixture containing posthemodialysis and healthy sera. These findings demonstrated that serum antioxidant activity in hemodialysis patients is significantly decreased, and this pathological condition is improved by hemodialysis treatment.

The evaluation of preoperative embolization of meningioma.

SUMMARY: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative embolization of meningioma, we examined the correlation between the angiographic disappearance of the tumor blush after the embolization and the volume of blood loss and transfusion intraoperatively. Preoperative embolization of meningioma with intravascular neurosurgery was attempted for 42 trials, 41 cases from July 1989 to December 1995. There were no major complications attributed to the embolization procedure. As a subjective assessment in 23 cases the information from the surgeon following the operation was obtained. The angiographic disappearance of the tumor blush and reducing of the bleeding from tumor could be considered to be statiscally significant (p < 0.05). As an objective assessment in 37 cases following operation, the volume of both intraoperative blood loss and blood transfusion was examined. The angiographic disappearance of the tumor blush and reduced intraoperative blood transfusion could be also considered to be statiscally significant (p < 0.05), otherwise reduced intraoperative blood loss failed to reach the significance level. 1n this study the efficacy of preoperative embolization of meningioma has been especially shown to reduce intraoperative blood transfusion significantly, therefore it is very useful to increase the chance of complete tumor removal with more safely and less invasively.

Intravascular neurosurgery for cerebral aneurysm using interlocking detachable coils.

SUMMARY: Instead of the Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC; Target Therapeutics, Fremont, California), the interlocking detachable coil (IDC; Target Therapeutics, Fremont, California) was the only available detachable and retractable coil in Japan until February 1997. From October 1993 to February 1997, endovascular treatment with IDCs were attempted for 25 cases of cerebral aneurysm. Within 25 trials, 15 cases were treated by intraaneurysmal coil embolization, 9 cases by parent artery or proximal occlusion using IDCs and one case could not be treated due to anatomical problems of the aneurysm. As for 15 cases of intraaneurysmal coil packing, complete occlusion was performed in 9 cases, subtotal occlusion in 4 cases and partial occlusion in 2 cases. In one of the partial occluded cases, a coil compaction occurred 6 months after embolization. Distal emboli were recognized on CT after embolization in 3 cases, however, only one case was symptomatic. Intraoperative bleeding occurred in one case, but no obvious hemorrhage after coil embolization in any case. From our experiences, treatment for poor-grade ruptured aneurysm is still difficult, but intravascular surgery for cerebral aneurysms using IDC is possible and a useful alternative, especially for surgically difficult aneurysm.

Intracranial epidermoid cyst including elements of old hematoma.

A 70-year-old female presented with symptoms of right-sided trigeminal neuralgia. Computed tomography showed a high-density mass in the prepontine cistern without enhancement. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed the mass as heterogeneous with variable but largely high-signal intensity on T1-weighted images and low-signal intensity on T2-weighted images. At surgery, the lesion was found to be an epidermoid cyst filled with old blood and lipid debris. The high-signal intensity on the T1-weighted images may reflect lipid or methemoglobin with the low intensity on T2-weighted images representing hemosiderin. Most intracranial epidermoid cysts appear as low-intensity lesions on T1-weighted images and high-signal intensity on T2-weighted images. Typical MR imaging findings are neither specific for nor constant with epidermoid cysts, requiring critical differential diagnosis.

Dural cavernous angioma causing acute subdural hemorrhage--case report.

A 78-year-old female presented with a nontraumatic acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) caused by hemorrhage from a cavernous angioma located on the convexity dura mater. The hematoma and angioma were removed successfully. Neuroimaging performed 2 years previously had not revealed cavernous angioma. The angioma most likely grew rapidly over the 2 year period, during which she had received oral antiplatelet medication. Nontraumatic ASDH may originate from a cavernous angioma which grows rapidly.

Recovery from primary deep cerebral venous sinus thrombosis with recanalisation.

A 50-year-old woman with idiopathic deep cerebral sinus and vein thrombosis (DCVT) had cerebellar disturbance prior to impaired consciousness. CT and MRI revealed haemorrhagic infarction in the cerebellum and signal changes suggesting infarction in the thalamus and basal ganglia bilaterally. The straight sinus and internal cerebral vein (ICV) were dense on CT. On angiography, the vein of Galen (VG) and straight sinus were not seen. Following clinical recovery, CT and MRI became normal, and angiography showed recanalization of the VG and ICV. The relationship between cerebellar infarction and DCVT, and signal changes on CT and MRI are discussed.

Clinical application of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to intracranial disorders.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed to determine the changes in water diffusion and to investigate the detectability of diffusion anisotropy in patients with intracranial disorders. Diffusion maps of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were created of 19 patients with cerebral infarction, five with intracerebral hematoma, four with glioma, four with meningioma, four with hydrocephalus, and five with subdural hematoma. ADC was increased in chronic cerebral infarction and glioma, and decreased in acute cerebral infarction, meningioma, and the marginal area of glioma compared with the ADC of the normal gray matter. There was a significant difference in ADC between the marginal and internal areas of glioma. Increased ADC may be due to increased vasogenic edema in infarction and a lack of significant restriction of diffusion within glioma. Decreased ADC can be attributed to restricted diffusion caused by cytotoxic edema in infarction and the underlying histological pattern of densely packed tumor cells in glioma. Diffusion anisotropy of the internal capsule was less detectable in pathological than normal hemispheres. Diffusion anisotropy was less detectable in patients with hydrocephalus and subdural hematoma. Intracranial lesions were thought to have influenced the compression of the brain structures and cells, resulting in decreased diffusion. The measurement of ADC by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging has the potential for greater understanding of the biophysical changes in various intracranial disorders, including correct diagnosis of cerebral infraction, and histological diagnosis of brain tumor.

Effect of lymphokine-activated killer cells with or without radiation therapy against malignant brain tumors.

The use of autologous lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells to treat malignant brain tumors was evaluated in 10 patients, one with metastatic malignant melanoma and nine with malignant glioma. LAK cells were obtained by culturing autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes with human recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) for 7-28 days. All patients underwent surgery to remove as much tumor as possible and an Ommaya reservoir was implaced in the tumor cavity. Two of the 10 patients had received radiotherapy elsewhere, so were treated with LAK cells alone. Eight patients were treated with a combination of LAK cells and radiotherapy, using 1.8-2.0 Gy fractions given five times a week with a total dosage between 54 and 65 Gy. LAK cells and rIL-2 were injected to the tumor cavity via the Ommaya reservoir once a week for inpatients and once a month for outpatients. The duration of the LAK therapy ranged from 3 to 23 months (mean 13.7 mos). Neuroimaging evaluation revealed two complete responses, three partial responses, four no changes, and one progressive disease. In one patient with pontine glioma, the Karnofsky performance score was raised from 20 to 60. There were no side effects after the injection of LAK cells and rIL-2. The results suggest low-dose LAK therapy is a useful and safe treatment modality for malignant brain tumors.

Acute subdural hematoma--prediction of outcome with a linear discriminant function.

We devised a linear discriminant function to predict the outcome for patients with acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) based on a consecutive series of 170 ASDH cases with mild to severe head injury [Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 3-15]. Functional recovery was achieved in 50.0% of patients and the mortality was 36.5%. The relationship between initial clinical and radiological signs and the outcome 3 months after admission was studied retrospectively by Mann-Whitney's U-test and Pearson's chi-squared test. Fourteen factors (GCS, pupillary response, motor paresis, age, hematoma volume and thickness, midline shift, association with cerebral contusion and subarachnoid hemorrhage, obliteration of the basal, ambient, or quadrigeminal cistern on computed tomography, fibrin-fibrinogen degradation product level, and intracranial pressure) were found to correlate significantly (p < 0.01) with outcome. Linear discriminant functions were formulated by multivariate analysis to investigate the relationship between these factors and recovery or poor prognosis. The following formula was obtained: Z = -0.110 + 0.013 (Age) - 0.108 (GCS) + 0.397 (Eye) + 0.003 (Shift) + 0.268 (Ambient). Functional recovery could be predicted by a negative Z value, with an accuracy of 90.59%. This simple discriminant function is useful for predicting the outcome of ASDH.

Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in the planning of supratentorial glioma surgery.

The utility of gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in the planning of supratentorial glioma surgery was evaluated. MR angiograms of the arterial and venous anatomy visualized the anatomical relationship of the main arteries to the tumor, especially on three-dimensional images. Combination with data from surface anatomical images allowed the tumor location to be determined preoperatively. Gd-enhanced MR angiography can be used non-invasively prior to tumor surgery to ascertain the spatial relationship of the vessels to the tumor mass.

MR imaging of diffuse glioma.

Neuroradiologic diagnosis of "gliomatosis cerebri" is hampered by the diffuse, isodense character of the lesion, and the fact that it may not enhance when intravenous contrast medium is administered. Clinical signs and symptoms are usually nonspecific, nonfocal, and disproportionately mild. We report a case of diffuse glioma in a 30-year-old man, discuss the difficulty in arriving at a precise diagnosis of gliomatosis cerebri, and examine the possible role of MR in its detection and delineation.

[The actual situation in surgical management of occlusive cerebrovascular disease].

We studied 828 cases with occlusive cerebrovascular disease who were admitted to our hospital over these 5 years in relation to surgical management. Cerebral angiography including digital subtraction angiography was carried out in 770 cases. Surgical management was carried out in 110 cases; 77 cases of carotid endarterectomy (CEA), 18 cases of EC-IC bypass and 15 cases of external decompression. The ratio of surgical management was 13. 3% of all cases admitted. The mortality and the morbidity were 5.4% and 1.8% respectively. The number of EC-IC bypass has decreased gradually after the reports of international cooperative study concerning with EC-IC bypass in 1985. But the number of CEA has increased gradually.

[Bilateral traumatic hemorrhage in the basal ganglia: report of two cases].

Hematomas of the basal ganglia in head injury have long been recognized by pathologists with an interest in head injury but their mechanism has not been revealed clearly. We report two cases of bilateral traumatic hemorrhage in the basal ganglia. Case #1, a 17-year-old male was admitted to our hospital immediately after a traffic accident. Neurological examination revealed that the patient was comatose and had right hemiparesis. CT scan showed bilateral hemorrhage of the basal ganglia and subarachnoid hemorrhage in the perimesencephalic cistern. MRI showed high signal intensity areas in the bilateral basal ganglia, perimesencephalic cistern, cerebral white matter and corpus callosum. The patient was diagnosed as having diffuse axonal injury coinciding with bilateral hemorrhage of the basal ganglia. Stereotactic aspiration for the hematoma of the left basal ganglia was carried out. Case #2, a 75-year-old male was admitted immediately after falling from the roof of his house. Neurological examination revealed no neurological deficit except for headache and nausea. CT scan on the day of injury revealed no abnormality. But CT scan 12 hours following the injury showed bilateral hemorrhage of the basal ganglia. Blood pressure of the patient was within normal range and he was diagnosed as having traumatic bilateral intracerebral hematoma. Conservative treatment was carried out and the patient was discharged 7 days after injury with no neurological deficit. The mechanism of traumatic hemorrhage of the basal ganglia has not been clear. In case #1, diffuse axonal injury (DAI) may have played an important role in the bilateral hemorrhage. But in case #2, non-DAI factor such as vasoparalysis syndrome may have existed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)