Improvement of depression after treatment of dural arteriovenous fistula: a case report and a review.

Patients with dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) in the transverse-sigmoid sinus suffer from several symptoms: bruit, headache, visual impairment, and so on. But depression is rare in patients with DAVF. The authors reported a rare case presenting the improvement of depression after the treatment of a dural arteriovenous fistula in the left transverse-sigmoid sinus. A 46-year-old male had suffered from depression and was treated with antidepressants at a local hospital for four years. The patient was temporarily laid off due to his depression. Afterwards, he had Gerstmann's syndrome and came to our hospital. A DAVF in the left transverse-sigmoid sinus was demonstrated on the angiogram. The DAVF was successfully treated with endovascular surgery, coil embolization of the isolated diseased sinus through the mastoid emissary vein which was a draining vein from the fistula. After this treatment, his depression as well as Gerstmann's syndrome was improved and the quantity of the antidepressants decreased. The patient returned to work without any antidepressant two years after the treatment. DAVFs might be one of the causes of depression. It may be necessary to evaluate cerebral vessels in patients suffering from depression by using MRA or 3D-CTA even if there are not any abnormal findings on plain CT scans.

Usefulness of 3-dimensional CT angiograms obtained by 64-section multidetector row CT scanner for dural arteriovenous fistula.

The authors reported a case of a dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF) in the left transverse-sigmoid sinus, in which 3-dimensional computed tomography (CT) angiograms (3D-CTAs) by a 64-section multidetector row CT scanner were useful for its diagnosis and treatment. The DAVF in the left transverse-sigmoid sinus appeared on the digital subtraction angiogram. 3D-CTAs were obtained by a 64-section multidetector row CT scanner before an endovascular treatment. The feeders and draining veins of the DAVF were clearly demonstrated on the 3D-CTAs, which clarified the relationship between the normal dural sinuses and DAVF. The DAVF was successfully treated with endovascular surgery, a transvenous embolization through the mastoid emissary vein, which was easily detected by using the 3D-CTA, showing both the subcutaneous vein and calvalium. 3D-CTAs by a 64-section multidetector row CT scanner are useful for both diagnosis and treatment of DAVFs.

A convenient sonographic technique for diagnosis of pulsatile tinnitus induced by a high jugular bulb.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to describe our experience with sonography in a case of pulsatile tinnitus (PT) due to a high jugular bulb (HJB). METHODS: A 71-year-old woman came to our hospital with a 1-year history of right PT. A right HJB was shown on cerebral angiography, and enlargement of the right jugular blub compared with the left side was found. First, the ultrasound probe was placed on the anterior right upper neck at the anterior edge of the sternocleidomastoid muscle to identify the ipsilateral internal jugular vein (IJV) and measure the flow velocity. After the measurement, the ultrasound probe gradually compressed the skin until the flow in the IJV decreased. RESULTS: The patient reported that her PT decreased after the flow in the IJV decreased. We decided that the PT in this case was induced by the HJB. CONCLUSIONS: This technique is less invasive and convenient for the diagnosis of PT caused by an HJB.

[Usefullness of intrasacral fixation in an extremely unstable lumbosacral spine].

Intrasacral fixation technique devised by Jackson is said to provide rigid lumbosacral fixation. We treated 3 cases of lumbosacral lesions using this technique in which lumbosacral segment had become extremely unstable during surgical intervention adding to the effect of original lesions. In all cases, surgeries were performed in 2 stages, intrasacral fixation and anterior stabilization. Case 1: A 52-year-old male was diagnosed fungal discitis and spondylitis at L4 and L5. X-ray showed destruction of the vertebral bodies. L2, L3 and sacrum were fixed posteriorly using the intrasacral fixation technique. One week after the first operation, L4 and L5 vertebral bodies were replaced by long fibula grafts through the extraperitoneal approach. Case 2: A 25-year-old female with cauda equina syndrome and abnormal body form diagnosed as having spondyloptosis in which the entire vertebral body of L5 had descended below the endplate of S1. MR imaging revealed marked canal stenosis at the S1 level. In the first surgery, L5 vertebral body was resected through the transperitoneal approach. After 1 week of bed rest, posterior segments of L5 were resected, L4 was affixed to the sacrum and anterior stabilization was achieved with 2 mesh cages and lumbosacral spine was fixed using the intrasacral fixation technique. Case 3: A 64-year-old female was diagnosed as having pyogenic discitis and osteomyelitis at the L5-S1 level. In spite of successful medical treatment for infection, low back pain continued. Radiologically, L5 vertebral body was shown to have collapsed and slipped anteriorly over the sacrum. L3, L4 and sacrum were fixed by intrasacral fixation. One week after the first operation, the L5/S1 disc and the suppurtive vertebral bodies were resected through the extraperitoneal approach and anterior stabilization was performed with iliac bone grafts. At follow-up for a minimum of 6 months, initial fixation was maintained in all 3 cases and bony fusion was obtained. The intrasacral fixation technique was considered to be effective for extremely unstable lumbosacral lesions.

Combined use of TruFill DCS detachable coil system and Guglielmi detachable coil for embolization of meningioma fed by branches of the cavernous internal carotid artery.

A 57-year-old female presented with a left petroclival meningioma fed by the meningohypophyseal trunk of the internal carotid artery (ICA). The enlarged tentorial marginal artery and inferior hypophyseal artery were successfully embolized with the TruFill DCS Detachable Coil System through a 0.019-inch inner diameter microcatheter. Superselective catheterization into the dorsal meningeal artery could not be achieved with the same microcatheter, because the catheter tip was too large to pass into the vessel. Subsequently the feeding artery was successfully embolized with a Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC) through a 0.016-inch inner diameter microcatheter. The patient underwent surgery without blood loss on the day after embolization. Our subjective impression was that the TruFill DCS was softer and had less resistance during insertion, whereas the GDC could be delivered through a smaller caliber system for smaller vessels. Appropriate use of the TruFill DCS and GDCs can allow efficient embolization of the feeding branches of the ICA.

[Embolization for aneurismal dilatation associated with ruptured dissecting anterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm with preservation of the parent artery: case report].

We report a rare case of a ruptured dissecting anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) aneurysm treated by endosaccular embolization with a Guglielmi detachable coil (GDC). An 85-year-old female presented with headache. Computed tomographic (CT) scan showed subarachnoid hemorrhage and intraventricular hemorrhage in the fourth ventricule. Cerebral angiography and 3D-CT angiography revealed an aneurysmal dilatation at the anterior pontine segment of the right AICA with a diagnosis of arterial dissection. The right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) was absent and the right AICA supplied the territory normally nourished by the right PICA. The aneurismal dilatation was occluded by endosacullar embolization with preservation of the AICA. The distal AICA aneurysm is rare and only seven cases treated with endovascular embolization have been reported. In these, six cases were treated by parent artery occlusion with coil and the subsequent three cases presented with ischemic complications. Only one case was treated by endosaccular embolization with GDC. To our knowledge, this is the second report of the distal AICA aneurysm treated by endosaccular embolization with GDC. Distal AICA aneurysms are briefly discussed while reviewing the literature.

[Linear-accelerator-based stereotactic irradiation for metastatic brain tumors].

To assess the safety and availability of stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) for metastatic brain tumors, we reviewed 54 consecutive cases with a total of 118 brain metastases treated with linear-accelerator-based stereotactic irradiation (STI). Nineteen patients with a total of 27 brain tumors that were larger than 3 cm or close to critical normal tissues were treated with SRT. The marginal dose of SRT was 15-21 Gy (median 21 Gy) in 3 fractions for 3 days. The median marginal dose of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) was 20 Gy. Effective rates of imaging studies were 72.7% and 94.4%, and those of clinical symptoms were 46.7% and 55.6% for SRT and SRS, respectively. One-year and two-year survival rates of SRT were 40.9% and 17.6%, respectively, and the median follow-up period was 6.4 months. The one-year survival rate of SRS was 32.7%, with a median follow-up of 4.6 months. Fourteen cases (7 cases each) had recurrent tumors at STI sites. Early complications were observed in one case of SRT and 8 cases of SRS, and late complications occurred in 3 cases of SRS. There were no significant differences among effective rates, survival rates, median follow-up times, recurrence rates, and complications between SRT and SRS. We concluded that SRT is a safe, effective therapy for large or eloquent area metastases.

Wegener granulomatosis manifesting as meningitis. Case report.

The authors describe a unique presentation of Wegener granulomatosis (WG) manifesting predominantly as meningitis. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated diffuse meningeal enhancement, including the pia mater, in a 28-year-old man with meningitis. A diagnosis of atypical WG was based on the findings of a dural biopsy sample and an elevated cytoplasmic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (cANCA) titer, although the patient did not have any of the lesions common to WG. Immunosuppressive therapy was quite effective. With treatment, the meningeal enhancement resolved and the cANCA titer normalized. Meningeal granulomatosis as the sole lesion in WG has never been reported in the literature. This atypical course of WG should be noted.