Long-Term Outcome of Balloon Angioplasty Without Stenting for Symptomatic Middle Cerebral Artery Stenosis.

PURPOSE: A recent randomized controlled trial demonstrated that aggressive medical management was superior to angioplasty with stenting for intracranial stenosis. The purpose of this study was to assess initial and long-term outcomes of balloon angioplasty without stenting for symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 72 patients (mean age, 58.9 years old) with 84 balloon angioplasties without stenting for high-grade (>70%) atherosclerotic stenosis of the main trunk of the MCA. All patients had experienced recurrent transient ischemic attack or minor stroke resistant to medical treatment. We assessed perioperative and long-term outcomes such as restenosis and the recurrence of strokes. The follow-up period was a median of 63 months (range, 6-171 months). RESULTS: Balloon angioplasty was successful in 97% of procedures. During the 30-day perioperative period, a total of 3 patients suffered from stroke (4.2%) without death. A total of 23 (31.9%) patients had restenosis at a time point that varied from 6 to 111 months. Diabetes mellitus (DM) was noted significantly more often in the restenosis group (39%) than in the nonrestenosis group (13%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed DM (odds ratio, 4.84; 95% confidence interval, 1.196-19.62; P = .027) as an independent predictor of restenosis. Restenosis and DM were indicated as independent predictors of the recurrence of ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack. CONCLUSIONS: Balloon angioplasty without stenting for symptomatic MCA stenosis can be performed with a high successful rate and a low risk of complications. Long-term outcome data suggest that this procedure reduces the risk of further strokes.

Effects of Pretreatment Cerebral Blood Volume and Time to Recanalization on Clinical Outcomes in Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Faster time to recanalization leads to better clinical outcomes in patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy. Whether the association between time to recanalization and clinical outcomes depends on cerebral blood volume (CBV) obtained from pretreatment computed tomography (CT) perfusion (CTP) imaging was investigated. METHODS: In consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who achieved recanalization by endovascular thrombectomy for intracranial internal carotid artery or M1 occlusion, the effects on clinical outcome of time to recanalization and the relative CBV value (rCBV) assessed by pretreatment CTP were evaluated. The patient population was divided into 2 groups according to rCBV: normal rCBV group (rCBV ≥ .9) and low rCBV group (rCBV < .9). In each group, time to recanalization was compared between the good and the poor clinical outcome groups. RESULTS: Sixty-four patients were eligible for this study. Twenty-six patients (40.6%) achieved good clinical outcomes. In the normal rCBV group, no association was found between clinical outcome and time to recanalization. In the low rCBV group, time to recanalization from CTP (101 minutes versus 136 minutes, P = .040) was significantly shorter in the good clinical outcome group. On binary logistic regression modeling, CTP to recanalization time (odds ratio 1.035 [1.004-1.067], P = .025) was an independent predictor of good clinical outcome only in the low rCBV group. CONCLUSIONS: The association between time to recanalization and clinical outcomes depends on rCBV obtained from pretreatment CTP. Time to recanalization is more important for good clinical outcomes in patients with low rCBV than in patients with normal rCBV.

Contrast-enhanced transoral carotid ultrasonography for the evaluation of a long stenotic lesion in the internal carotid artery.

Contrast-enhanced transoral carotid ultrasonography (CETOCU) is a novel modality for imaging the distal extracranial internal carotid artery, which is not possible with conventional carotid ultrasonography. We present a representative case that demonstrates the usefulness of CETOCU.

Prediction of cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome after carotid artery stenting by CT perfusion imaging with acetazolamide challenge.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (HPS) is an uncommon but serious complication of carotid artery stenting (CAS). The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of CT perfusion imaging (CTP) with acetazolamide challenge to identify patients at risk for HPS after CAS. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 113 patients who underwent CTP with rest and acetazolamide challenge before CAS. CTP maps were assessed for absolute and relative cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), mean transit time (MTT), and change of each parameter before and after acetazolamide challenge. Patients were divided into two groups according to the HPS after the CAS. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the most accurate CTP parameter for the prediction of HPS. RESULTS: Nine of 113 patients had HPS. There were significant differences for absolute and relative values of resting CBF (p = 0.001 and p = 0.026), resting MTT (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004), post-acetazolamide CBF (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001), post-acetazolamide MTT (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002), and % changes of CBF (p = 0.009) between the HPS and non-HPS groups. ROC curve analysis showed that the CTP parameters with the maximal area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) for HPS was the absolute value of post-acetazolamide MTT (AUC 0.909) and the absolute value of resting MTT (AUC 0.896). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment CTP with acetazolamide challenge could identify patients at risk for HPS after CAS. Although the CTP parameter that most accurately identified patients at risk for HPS was the absolute value of post-acetazolamide MTT, resting MTT was sufficiently accurate.

[Transient ischemic attack due to thoracic aortic dissection: report of a case].

We report a case of a 73-year-old woman with transient left hemiparesis and dysarthria. Neurological signs and symptoms gradually improved over a period of 30 minutes. Carotid sonography revealed common carotid artery (CCA) stenosis and mobile flap at the origin of CCA. On thoracic computed tomography the patient was shown to have dissection of De Bakey type I. She was diagnosed as having a transient ischemic attack due to aortic dissection. Furthermore, it was suggested that the embolic mechanism had occurred from the CCA flap. After replacing the aortic arch, both CCA stenosis and flap had disappeared on carotid sonography. Carotid sonography was useful not only for diagnosis of aortic and common carotid dissections, but also because it contributed to speculation concerning its mechanism and suggesting its relation to ischemic stroke.

The prevalence and clinical characteristics of MS in northern Japan.

In Japan, there is a low prevalence rate (PR) of multiple sclerosis (MS; 0.8-4.0/100,000) but a relatively high frequency of "optic-spinal form" MS (OS-MS). There have been no intensive epidemiologic frequency studies, however, in over 30 years. We performed a province-wide prevalence study of MS in the Tokachi province of Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, and compared the observed clinical features with other populations in Japan and Western countries. Prevalence was determined on March 31, 2001. The primary sources for the case ascertainment were 13 hospitals that treated patients with neurologic diseases including MS in Tokachi. Patients were classified according to Poser's criteria. The prevalence rate of clinically definite or laboratory-supported definite MS (LSDMS) was 8.57 per 100,000 [31/361,726; male/female ratio=1:2.9, and age at onset=29.1+/-14.2 (mean+/-SD) years]. Out of the 31 patients, 5 (16%) were classified as OS-MS. The prevalence rate of MS in the Tokachi province was the highest reported in Orientals to date, although still low in comparison with Western communities at a similar latitude. In contrast to the previous reports in Japan, there was a relatively low frequency of OS-MS in Hokkaido.