Utility of catheter-shaping using mixed-reality devices in cerebral aneurysm coil embolization.

BACKGROUND: Catheter shaping is vital in cerebral aneurysm coil embolization; however, understanding three-dimensional (3D) vascular structures on two-dimensional screens is challenging. Although 3D-printed vascular models are helpful, they demand time, effort, and sterility. This study explores whether mixed-reality (MR) devices displaying 3D computer graphics (3D-CG) can address these issues. METHODS: This study focused on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of seven cases of cerebral aneurysms. Head-mounted display (HMD) and spatial reality display (SRD) MR devices were used, and applications for 3D-CG display at a 1:1 scale and a 3D-CG control panel were developed. Catheters shaped using a 3D printer, HMD, and SRD were inserted into hollow models to assess their accessibility and positioning. RESULTS: The concordance rate of the 3D printer and HMD groups in terms of accessibility to the aneurysm was 71.4 %, while that of the 3D printer and SRD group was 85.7 %, and that of the HMD and SRD group was 85.7 %. The concordance rates of positioning in the 3D printer and HMD groups, 3D printer and SRD groups, and HMD and SRD groups were 85.7 %, 85.7 %, and 100 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MR devices facilitate catheter shaping in cerebral aneurysm coil embolization and offer a time-efficient, precise, and sterile alternative to traditional 3D printing methods.

Dolichoectasia of the ophthalmic artery: a case report on the treatment strategy in endovascular therapy and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Dolichoectasia is a rare arterial condition characterized by the dilatation, tortuosity, and elongation of cerebral blood vessels. The vertebrobasilar artery and internal carotid artery are the common sites of dolichoectasia. However, dolichoectasia of the branch arteries, such as the ophthalmic artery (OA), is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of ophthalmic dolichoectasia that was successfully treated with endovascular internal coil trapping. CASE PRESENTATION: A 54-year-old female patient presented with transient left ophthalmalgia and visual disturbance. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a dilated and elongated left OA compressing the optic nerve at the entrance of the optic canal. However, a previous image that was taken 17 years back revealed that the OA was normal, which suggested the change in dolichoectasia was acquired. Cerebral angiography showed that the dilated and tortuous OA was running from the ophthalmic segment of the left internal carotid artery into the orbit. The symptoms could have been attributed to the direct compression of the dolichoectatic OA in the optic canal. A sufficient anastomosis between the central retinal artery and the middle meningeal artery was identified on external carotid angiography with balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Endovascular treatment with internal trapping of the OA was performed due to ophthalmic symptom progression. Internal coil trapping of the OA was performed at the short segment between the OA bifurcation and the entrance of the optic canal. As expected, the central retinal artery was supplied via the middle meningeal artery after the treatment. The transient visual disturbance was immediately resolved. Ophthalmalgia worsened temporarily after the treatment. However, it completely resolved after several days of oral corticosteroid therapy. Postoperative angiography showed that the origin of the OA was occluded and that the OA in the optic canal was shrunk. The flow of the central retinal arteries via the middle meningeal artery was preserved. CONCLUSIONS: OA dolichoectasia is rare, and its pathogenesis and long-term visual prognosis are still unknown. However, endovascular therapy can improve symptom by releasing the pressure site in the optic canal.

Improving the Reachability of Contact Aspiration for Acute Ischemic Stroke Using a New Delivery Assist Catheter.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to improve the reachability of large lumen catheter for contact aspiration during acute ischemic stroke by a new delivery assist catheter. METHODS: This study included 58 patients with large-vessel stroke treated using endovascular procedures at our institution and affiliated hospitals between July 2021 and January 2023. Contact aspiration, especially contact aspiration using nonpenetrating of thrombus (CANP) technique, was adopted as first-line thrombectomy for localized internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery proximal (M1 segment), and basilar artery without tandem occlusion in acute stroke. The new delivery assist catheter (AXS Offset catheter, Stryker, Fremont, CA, USA) was standardized after its release. Results of this improved contact aspiration technique using the new delivery assist catheter, including reachability, procedure time, and first-pass effect, were compared with conventional catheters. RESULTS: Of the 58 patients, 43 underwent only thrombectomy for acute embolic stroke. CANP technique was attempted on 25 patients (25/43, 58.1%). Of these, a normal inner catheter (inner diameter: 0.021 or 0.027 inches) and the new delivery assist catheter were used on 10 (10/25, 40%) and 15 (15/25, 60%) patients, respectively. An aspiration catheter reached the thrombus for 5 patients (5/10, 50%) and 14 patients (14/15 93.3%) in the normal and new delivery assist catheter groups, respectively (P = 0.023). There was no significant difference in the results of contact aspiration due to the delivery catheter. CONCLUSIONS: The new delivery assist catheter improved the reachability of the aspiration catheter to the thrombus and is an effective device for performing CANP technique.

Clinical Course and Management of Vein of Galen Varix of the Neonate: A Case Report and Literature Review.

A 28-year-old pregnant woman underwent an emergency caesarian section after 39 weeks of gestation because of decreased fetal movement and baseline fetal heart rate variability. The neonate was diagnosed with neonatal asphyxia and presented with right cardiac failure due to pulmonary hypertension. The neonate presented convulsion, and plane computed tomography (CT) showed dilation of the vein of Galen and sinuses on day 3. Magnetic resonance imaging and CT with contrast were performed after cardiac failure subsided, and there was no evidence of arteriovenous shunt and normalization of the vein of Galen. The patient was diagnosed with vein of Galen varix (VGV). In the previous literature, only 3 cases of VGV have been reported. VGV is considered to be caused by right cardiac failure without the presence of an arteriovenous shunt and requires treatment only for cardiac failure and its cause. Therefore, it is important to differentiate VGV from vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation.

Platelet Aggregability as a Predictor of Restenosis Following Carotid Endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: Antiplatelet drugs are administered before and after carotid endarterectomies (CEAs), but their efficacy for preventing restenosis remains unclear. Hence, this study aimed to identify associations between postoperative restenosis and platelet aggregability in CEA patients. METHODS: Thirty-six consecutive CEA patients treated at Tokyo Women's Medical University from May 2013 to March 2015 were included in this retrospective study. Restenosis was defined as a stenosis ratio greater than or equal to 50% per the European Carotid Surgery Trial criteria or peak systolic velocity of 150 cm/s on carotid ultrasound. Platelet aggregability was measured turbidimetrically using a light-transmission platelet aggregometer and analyzed in terms of aggregation profiles for 2 concentrations of collagen used to induce aggregation (.25 and 2.0 µg/mL). Patients were automatically divided into 9 classes (Class 1-9, from the lowest to the highest aggregability) using a software program according to area under their platelet aggregation curves. Each class was subdivided into 10 further gradations for a total of 90 possible scores (10-99) using a software program. Patients were divided into high- and low-platelet aggregability score groups (cut-off = 49). RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 36 of the 99 patients. Restenosis was observed in 10 (28%) patients. Restenosis incidence was significantly higher in patients with high-platelet aggregability score than in those with low-platelet aggregability score (50.0% [7/14] versus 13.6% [3 of 22]: P = .0176, odds ratio = 6.34, 95% CI: 1.27-31.57). CONCLUSIONS: Platelet aggregability is a useful metric for predicting and preventing restenosis after CEA. It has potential as an indicator for determining the optimal dose of antiplatelet drugs.

Chronic subdural hematoma of the posterior fossa treated by suboccipital craniotomy.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) of the posterior fossa is uncommon in adults. Only a few cases have been reported, and most of these were secondary to head injury or anticoagulant therapy. We herein describe a case of successful surgical treatment of CSDH in the posterior fossa after surgical removal of a large supratentorial and infratentorial dermoid cyst. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 71-year-old woman underwent removal of a left supratentorial and infratentorial dermoid cyst via a left transzygomatic approach. Three years, 6 months after surgery, screening computed tomography revealed CSDH in the supratentorial and infratentorial regions. Four months later, the patient was transferred to the emergency department with cerebellar ataxia, vomiting, and deterioration of consciousness. Two hematomas, one in the supratentorial region and one in the infratentorial region, were greatly compressing the brain, and seemed to be separate lesions. It was difficult to judge on computed tomography whether there was communication between these two hematoma cavities. The patient underwent hematoma removal via suboccipital craniotomy for the posterior fossa CSDH to resolve brain stem compression. Burr-hole irrigation was used for the supratentorial CSDH to avoid upper herniation. The patient recovered uneventfully and was discharged with no neurological deficits. CONCLUSION: Although the optimal treatment for CSDH of the posterior fossa remains unclear because of the limited number of previous reports, direct decompression of the posterior fossa via suboccipital craniotomy should be considered, especially when CSDH exists primarily at the cerebellopontine angle and strongly compresses the brain stem.

Thrombosed Giant "True" Posterior Communicating Artery Aneurysm Treated by Trapping and Thrombectomy.

Giant "true" posterior communicating artery (PCOM) aneurysms are rare and the best surgical treatment for them is unclear. We present a case of 85-year-old woman with this type of lesion, 35 mm in diameter, successfully treated by trapping and thrombectomy via pterional approach without complications. There were no perforating arteries originating from the aneurysmal wall. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. The key for successful treatment for such lesions is preservation of perforators, as trapping may result in ischemic complications. However, our case indicates that trapping and thrombectomy might have relatively low risks for development of such complications, supposing that the thrombosis within the giant "true" PCOM aneurysm induced spontaneous obliteration of perforators, arising from the aneurysmal dome, and that collateral flow from the posterior cerebral artery already compensated the corresponding territories.

[Application of Silicone Rubber Stents in Intracranial Arterial Microanastomosis for Vessels with Intimal Dissection:A Technical Note].

Intracranial arterial microanastomosis remains an important neurosurgical technique. Intimal dissection of donor or recipient arteries can cause bypass failure. We used a silicone rubber stent while performing arterial microanastomoses, and achieved an excellent postoperative patency rate. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of the stent in cases of extensive intimal dissection. In 5 cases involving extensive intimal dissection of vessels out of a total of 856 microanastomoses that were performed between November 2000 and August 2014, we placed a silicone rubber stent in the lumen of the recipient artery for donor to recipient suturing. Surgery was performed in 3 cases of cerebrovascular atherosclerotic disease and in 2 cases requiring cerebral revascularization for the treatment of aneurysm recurrence. In one of the 5 cases in which arterial microanastomosis was performed in the spasm period after subarachnoid hemorrhage, a patent anastomosis could not be confirmed. We observed the following advantages of silicone stent use: clear visualization of the orifice created in the vessel, avoidance of suturing or damaging the contralateral side vessel edges, and maintenance of the shape of the anastomosed vessel segment. These advantages made it easier to visualize the intima and to achieve fixation by using tacking sutures.

Bone regeneration using a bone morphogenetic protein-2 saturated slow-release gelatin hydrogel sheet: evaluation in a canine orbital floor fracture model.

Bone regeneration methods using bone inductive cytokines show promise, however, due to early diffusion and absorption of single applications of these cytokines, the bone inductive effects are limited. In this study, such a system was applied, using gelatin hydrogel as a carrier to slowly release (bone morphogenetic proteins) BMP-2 over a relatively long period in vivo. By coupling this slow-release system with a biodegradable copolymer, this composite was evaluated by grafting into bone defect sites of a canine orbital floor fracture model. Radio-iodinated BMP-2 incorporated into the gelatin hydrogel carrier and subcutaneously implanted into nude mice showed a similar slow release (approximately, 60% at 3 days and 80% at 14 days) as the radiolabeled hydrogel carrier alone. In contrast, greater than 90% of fluid-injected BMP-2 was lost in the injection site within the first 8 hours. Using a dog model of orbital floor fracture, a complex of BMP-2-saturated gelatin hydrogel and a polylactide-based biodegradable copolymer was implanted into the orbital bone defect. Bone structural analysis, using radiography, histologic examination, and microfocus CT, showed greatly enhanced new bone formation and defect healing at 5 weeks in comparison to implanted biodegradable copolymer directly saturated with the same amount of BMP-2 (no slow-release hydrogel carrier). A trabecular structure resembling that normal bone tissue was restored in the new bone tissue generated by the slow-release constructs. Thus study demonstrates the potential of slow-release BMP-2 for bone healing of difficult defects.

Morphologic study of normal, ingrown, and pincer nails.

BACKGROUND: Pincer nail has been confused with ingrown nail for decades. OBJECTIVE: The objectives were to analyze the circumferential length of pincer nail and the relationship between nail deformity and the underlying distal phalangeal shape. METHODS: The circumferential length of 53 pincer nails was determined at successive 5-mm intervals of the nail plate. Sixty great toes, including normal (n=20), ingrown (n=20), and pincer nails (n=20), were assessed with respect to body height, body weight, body mass index, nail height, nail width index, and nail height index. Nail angle and height of osteophyte were measured. RESULTS: Despite the presence or absence of overcurvature, the circumferential length displayed nearly identical values across the proximal to distal range of the nail. In the pincer nail group, only the correlation between the width and height indices was statistically significant; 50%, 80%, and 100% of cases were confirmed based on osteophyte presence in normal, ingrown, and pincer nails. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that the mechanical cause may be associated with the over curved nail, which is affected by nail bed contraction. Results may support the hypothesis that an osteophyte of the distal phalanx may not be a cause of, but rather a result of, an overcurving deformity.

Intramural duodenal hematoma after endoscopic therapy for a bleeding duodenal ulcer in a patient with liver cirrhosis.

We report a case of intestinal obstruction due to intramural hematoma of the duodenum following therapeutic endoscopy for a bleeding duodenal ulcer in a patient with liver cirrhosis. A 44-year-old man was admitted to our hospital with severe epigastralgia, nausea and tarry stool. Two years previously he had undergone endoscopic sclerotherapy for esophageal varices caused by alcoholic liver cirrhosis. Endoscopy revealed an open ulcer with a bleeding vessel in the duodenal bulb, and sclerotherapy was performed by clipping the vessel and injecting 20 ml of 0.2% epinephrine. His platelet count was 3.5x10(4)/mul. Twelve hours later, he again developed epigastralgia and hypotension. Emergency computed tomography and ultrasonography revealed an intramural hematoma, 15x18 cm in diameter, at the dorsal and lateral duodenum. Endoscopy and upper gastrointestinal series revealed severe stenosis of the duodenal lumen caused by intramural hematoma. He received parenteral feeding for 22 days and within 8 weeks the hematoma was gradually absorbed using conservative management. Intramural duodenal hematoma may be diagnosed as a complication of the endoscopic procedure in a patient with a bleeding tendency, such as liver cirrhosis.

Gastric juvenile polyposis associated with germline SMAD4 mutation.

We treated a 39-year-old woman with hypoproteinemia and anemia who had profuse gastric polyposis. Radiographic and endoscopic examination showed numerous polyps restricted to the stomach. The patient had pulmonary arteriovenous malformations in the left lung. Histological examination of the resected stomach revealed the gastric polyposis to be composed of cystic dilatation of the glands with small areas of adenocarcinoma. These findings were compatible with gastric juvenile polyposis (GJP) accompanied by gastric cancer. Analysis of genomic DNA revealed that the patient had truncating mutation of SMAD4, a responsible gene for juvenile polyposis (JP). Our case suggests that SMAD4 is possibly a responsible gene for GJP.