RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although intravenous thrombolysis is the Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) within 3 h, combined intravenous and intra-arterial thrombolysis with endovascular techniques may be able to extend this traditional time window. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present the clinical evolution of a 45-year-old male presenting with acute left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a small diffusion restriction at the right basal ganglia with perfusion compromise in the entire right middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. Angiography revealed a complete occlusion of MCA at its M1 segment. The patient underwent endovascular mechanical thrombectomy with additional intra-arterial thrombolysis more than 24 hours after the onset of the initial symptoms and experienced complete vessel recanalization. At 1 year, the patient had global independence with minor residual motor impairment in the left arm. CONCLUSIONS: We report the case of a successful thrombolytic therapy following AIS performed more than 24 h after the initial symptoms based on the presence of a perfusion-diffusion mismatch. This report is expected to stimulate the development of future prospective studies with special focus on the role of perfusion-diffusion mismatch in patient selection for treatment of AIS, especially in those presenting outside the traditional time window.
RESUMO
OBJECT: The authors provide a detailed review of the surgical management of trigeminal schwannomas (TSs) and also discuss the best surgical approach based on the surgical anatomy and tumor extension. METHODS: A series of 17 patients with TSs who were surgically treated between 1987 and 2008 at the authors' institution is reported. The lesions were small (< 3 cm) in 2, medium (between 3 and 4 cm) in 5, large (> 4 cm) in 6, and giant (> 5 cm) in 4 cases. Preoperative symptoms included trigeminal hypesthesia (53%), facial pain (53%), headaches (35.3%), hearing impairment (17.6%), seizures (17.6%), diplopia (11.8%), ataxia (11.8%), and hemiparesis and increased intracranial pressure with papilledema (5.9%). The mean follow-up duration was 10.5 years (121.6 months), with an average of 0.8 patients per year. RESULTS: Total tumor excision was possible in 16 patients, with no surgery-related deaths. Postoperative trigeminal anesthesia was observed in 7; trigeminal motor function was preserved in 7. Two developed cerebrospinal fluid leakage, 2 presented with mild facial palsy, and 1 patient with neurofibromatosis Type 2 had recurrence of the tumor, which was uneventfully removed. Of the 9 who reported facial pain, only 1 remained symptomatic postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: The best treatment for TSs is complete microsurgical removal. Postoperative preservation of trigeminal nerve function is possible when resection of the lesion is performed at well-established skull base neurosurgical centers. Although good results have been reported with radiosurgery, no cure can be obtained with this therapeutic modality. Instead, this treatment should be reserved only for nonresectable and residual tumors within the cavernous sinus.
