Category: Vascular

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Validation of the Supplemented Spetzler-Martin Grading System for Brain Arteriovenous Malformations in a Multicenter Cohort of 1009 Surgical Patients

AVM

Neurosurgery 76:25–33, 2015

The supplementary grading system for brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) was introduced in 2010 as a tool for improving preoperative risk prediction and selecting surgical patients.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate in this multicenter validation study that supplemented Spetzler-Martin (SM-Supp) grades have greater predictive accuracy than Spetzler-Martin (SM) grades alone.

METHODS: Data collected from 1009 AVM patients who underwent AVM resection were used to compare the predictive powers of SM and SM-Supp grades. Patients included the original 300 University of California, San Francisco patients plus those treated thereafter (n = 117) and an additional 592 patients from 3 other centers.

RESULTS: In the combined cohort, the SM-Supp system performed better than SM system alone: area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUROC) = 0.75 (95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.78) for SM-Supp and AUROC = 0.69 (95% confidence interval, 0.65-0.73) for SM (P , .001). Stratified analysis fitting models within 3 different follow-up groupings (,6 months, 6 months-2 years, and .2 years) demonstrated that the SM-Supp system performed better than SM system for both medium (AUROC = 0.71 vs 0.62; P = .003) and long (AUROC = 0.69 vs 0.58; P = .001) follow-up. Patients with SMSupp grades #6 had acceptably low surgical risks (0%-24%), with a significant increase in risk for grades .6 (39%-63%).

CONCLUSION: This study validates the predictive accuracy of the SM-Supp system in a multicenter cohort. An SM-Supp grade of 6 is a cutoff or boundary for AVM operability. Supplemented grading is currently the best method of estimating neurological outcomes after AVM surgery, and we recommend it as a starting point in the evaluation of AVM operability.

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Indocyanine green videoangiography methodological variations: review

Indocyanine green videoangiography methodological variations- review

Neurosurg Rev (2015) 38:49–57

Indocyanine green videoangiography (ICGVA) procedures have become widespread within the spectrum of microsurgical techniques for neurovascular pathologies.

We have conducted a review to identify and assess the impact of all of the methodological variations of conventional ICGVA applied in the field of neurovascular pathology that have been published to date in the English literature.

A total of 18 studies were included in this review, identifying four primary methodological variants compared to conventional ICGVA: techniques based on the transient occlusion, intra-arterial ICG administration via catheters, use of endoscope system with a filter to collect fluorescence of ICG, and quantitative fluorescence analysis. These variants offer some possibilities for resolving the limitations of the conventional technique (first, the vascular structure to be analyzed must be exposed and second, vascular filling with ICG follows an additive pattern) and allow qualitatively superior information to be obtained during surgery. Advantages and disadvantages of each procedure are discussed.

More case studies with a greater number of patients are needed to compare the different procedures with their gold standard, in order to establish these results consistently.

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Influence of cumulative surgical experience on the outcome of poor-grade patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysm

ICA aneurysm

Acta Neurochir (2015) 157:1–7

The expansion of endovascular techniques for intracranial aneurysms has led to a global decrease in vascular neurosurgery activity. This situation might impact neurosurgeons’ level of expertise, even though they all might have to deal with this surgically challenging pathology. In that context, we wanted to assess the impact of cumulative surgical experience on the outcome of patients with poor-grade subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) treated by microsurgery.

Methods Sixty-seven patients who underwent surgery for a ruptured aneurysm with SAH and ICH, and a WFNS scale of IV/V, were included. Surgeries were performed by five surgeons, whose experience was judged by the total number of aneurysm surgeries performed. The outcome was assessed by three indicators: intraoperative rupture (IOR), early mortality, and the modified Rankin Scale at last follow-up. The time of IOR was reported on an IOR score. The correlation between surgical experience and outcome was assessed by linear regression. Nonlinear regression was used to assess the correlation of the data with a learning curve model.

Results The analysis showed an influence of surgical experience on intraoperative rupture, with no effect on long-term outcome. No influence was found on early mortality. Increased surgical experience seems to reduce IOR during aneurysm dissection and clip repositioning. Intraoperative rupture data fit Wright’s learning curve model.

Conclusion This study suggests a direct impact of cumulative experience on the course of ruptured aneurysm surgery and pleads for the use of training and simulation programmes dedicated to neurovascular surgery.

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Effect of Vascular Anatomy on the Formation of Basilar Tip Aneurysms

Effect of Vascular Anatomy on the Formation of Basilar Tip Aneurysms

Neurosurgery 76:62–66, 2015

The pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysms is multifactorial and includes genetic, environmental, and anatomic influences. Hemodynamic stress plays a particular role in the formation of intracranial aneurysms, which is conditioned by the geometry and morphology of the vessel trees.

OBJECTIVE: To identify image-based morphological parameters that correlated with the formation of basilar artery tip aneurysms (BTAs) in a location-specific manner.

METHODS: Morphological parameters obtained from computed tomographic angiographies of 33 patients with BTAs and 33 patients with aneurysms at other locations were evaluated with Slicer, an open-source image analysis software, to generate 3-dimensional models of the aneurysms and surrounding vascular architecture. We examined the diameters and vessel-to-vessel angles of the main vessels at the basilar bifurcation in patients with and without BTAs. To control for genetic and other risk factors, only patients with at least 1 aneurysm were included. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine statistical significance.

RESULTS: Sixty-six patients (33 with BTAs, 33 with other aneurysms) who were evaluated from 2008 to 2013 were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that a larger angle between the posterior cerebral arteries (odds ratio, 1.04; P = 1.42 · 1023) and a smaller basilar artery diameter (odds ratio, 0.23; P = .02) were most strongly associated with BTA formation after adjustment for other morphological and clinical variables.

CONCLUSION: Larger posterior cerebral artery angles and smaller basilar artery diameters are associated with the formation of basilar tip aneurysms. These parameters are easily measurable by the clinician and will aid in screening strategies in high-risk patients.

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Flow-Diverting Stents for Intracranial Bifurcation Aneurysm Treatment

Flowdiverter

Neurosurgery 75:623–631, 2014

Although initially considered safe when covering bifurcation sites, flow-diverting stents may provoke thrombosis of side branches that are covered during aneurysm treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the occurrence and clinical expression of side-branch remodeling in distal intracranial arterial sites after flow diverter deployment by means of correlation of imaging and clinical data.

METHODS: We analyzed our prospectively collected data on a series of patients treated with flow diverters for intracranial aneurysms at bifurcation sites. From February 2011 to May 2013, 32 patients with 37 aneurysms (anterior communicating artery, 9 [24.3%]; anterior cerebral artery, 5 [13.5%]; middle cerebral artery, 19 (51.4%); terminal internal carotid artery, 4 [10.8%]) were treated. We divided aneurysms into 2 groups based on the side branches covered by the stent during treatment. Group A consisted of cases with side branches that supplied brain territories also receiving a direct collateral supply. Group B consisted of cases in which side branches supplied territories without direct collateral supply. The 2 groups were compared statistically.

RESULTS: Total exclusion occurred in 97.3% of aneurysms at follow-up. Initial modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was 0 to 1 for 29 patients (90.6%) and 2 for 3 patients (9.4%). New permanent neurological deficit was reported in 3 patients (9.4%). At the 6-month follow-up, the mRS score was 0 to 1 for 31 patients (96.8%) and 3 for 1 patient (3.2%). Although 78.5% of side branches in group A underwent narrowing or occlusion after 6 months, no new stroke was found on magnetic resonance imaging.

CONCLUSION: Symptomatic modifications of side branches after flow diverter treatment depend on the extent and type of collateral supply.

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Widening of the basilar bifurcation angle: association with presence of intracranial aneurysm, age, and female sex

Basilar art. bif.

J Neurosurg 121:1401–1410, 2014

Arterial bifurcations represent preferred locations for aneurysm formation, especially when they are associated with variations in divider geometry. The authors hypothesized a link between basilar apex aneurysms and basilar bifurcation (a) and vertebrobasilar junction (VBJ) angles.

Methods. The a and VBJ angles were measured in 3D MR and rotational angiographic volumes using a coplanar 3-point technique. Angle a was compared between age-matched cohorts in 45 patients with basilar artery (BA) aneurysms, 65 patients with aneurysms in other locations (non-BA), and 103 nonaneurysmal controls. Additional analysis was performed in 273 nonaneurysmal controls. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were performed on parametric BA models with increasing angles.

Results. Angle a was significantly wider in patients with BA aneurysms (146.7° ± 20.5°) than in those with non-BA aneurysms (111.7° ± 18°) and in controls (103° ± 20.6°) (p < 0.0001), whereas no difference was observed for the VBJ angle. A wider angle a correlated with BA aneurysm neck width but not dome size, which is consistent with CFD results showing a widening of the impingement zone at the bifurcation apex. BA bifurcations hosting even small aneurysms (< 5 mm) had a significantly larger a angle compared with matched controls (p < 0.0001). In nonaneurysmal controls, a increased with age (p < 0.0001), with a threshold effect above 35 years of age and a steeper dependence in females (p = 0.002) than males (p = 0.04).

Conclusions. The a angle widens with age during adulthood, especially in females. This angular widening is associated with basilar bifurcation aneurysms and may predispose individuals to aneurysm initiation by diffusing the flow impingement zone away from the protective medial band region of the flow divider.

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Spinal CSF leakage and chronic subdural hematoma

Spinal cerebrospinal fluid leak as the cause of chronic subdural hematomas in nongeriatric patients

J Neurosurg 121:1380–1387, 2014

The etiology of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) in nongeriatric patients (≤ 60 years old) often remains unclear. The primary objective of this study was to identify spinal CSF leaks in young patients, after formulating the hypothesis that spinal CSF leaks are causally related to CSDH.

Methods. All consecutive patients 60 years of age or younger who underwent operations for CSDH between September 2009 and April 2011 at Bern University Hospital were included in this prospective cohort study. The patient workup included an extended search for a spinal CSF leak using a systematic algorithm: MRI of the spinal axis with or without intrathecal contrast application, myelography/fluoroscopy, and postmyelography CT. Spinal pathologies were classified according to direct proof of CSF outflow from the intrathecal to the extrathecal space, presence of extrathecal fluid accumulation, presence of spinal meningeal cysts, or no pathological findings. The primary outcome was proof of a CSF leak.

Results. Twenty-seven patients, with a mean age of 49.6 ± 9.2 years, underwent operations for CSDH. Hematomas were unilateral in 20 patients and bilateral in 7 patients. In 7 (25.9%) of 27 patients, spinal CSF leakage was proven, in 9 patients (33.3%) spinal meningeal cysts in the cervicothoracic region were found, and 3 patients (11.1%) had spinal cysts in the sacral region. The remaining 8 patients (29.6%) showed no pathological findings.

Conclusions. The direct proof of spinal CSF leakage in 25.9% of patients suggests that spinal CSF leaks may be a frequent cause of nongeriatric CSDH.

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Treatment of blood blister-like aneurysms of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery by extracranial-to-intracranial bypass and trapping

How I do it- treatment of blood blister-like aneurysms of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery by extracranial-to-intracranial bypass and trapping

Acta Neurochir (2014) 156:2071–2077

Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBAs) pose a significant challenge to neurosurgeons and neurointerventionalists. These fragile broad-based aneurysms have a propensity to rupture with minimal manipulation during surgical or endovascular explorations because, unlike saccular aneurysms, they lack all layers of the arterial wall. Aneurysm trapping with extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass is a safe and durable treatment for BBAs.

Methods We describe our technique and the guiding principles for surgical bypass and trapping of BBAs of the supraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA).

Conclusions Treatment of BBAs of the supraclinoid ICA remains difficult. Aneurysm trapping with EC-IC bypass treats BBAs definitively by eliminating the diseased segment of the ICA. We have found the technique and principles described here to be safe and durable in our hands.

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Perianeurysmal edema as a predictive sign of aneurysmal rupture

Brain edema in aneurysm

J Neurosurg 121:1112–1114, 2014

Subarachnoid hemorrhage following intracranial aneurysmal rupture is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Several factors may affect the probability of rupture, such as tobacco and alcohol use; size, shape, and location of the aneurysm; presence of intraluminal thrombus; and even the sex of the patient. However, few data correlate such findings with the timing of aneurysmal rupture.

The authors report 2 cases of middle-age women with headache and MRI findings of incidental aneurysms. Magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of surrounding parenchymal edema, and in one case there was a clear increase in edema during follow-up, suggesting a progressive inflammatory process that culminated with rupture.

These findings raise the possibility that bleb formation and an enlargement of a cerebral aneurysm might be associated with an inflammatory reaction of the aneurysm wall resulting in perianeurysmal edema and subsequent aneurysmal rupture. There may be a temporal link between higher degree of edema and higher risk for rupture, including risk for immediate rupture.

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Results for a Series of 697 Arteriovenous Malformations Treated by Gamma Knife

AVM frontal

Neurosurgery 75:568–583, 2014

Stereotactic radiosurgery (RS) is an effective tool in treating brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Careful study of AVM angiographic characteristics may improve results.

OBJECTIVE: To report the long-term outcomes of Gamma Knife RS (GKRS) in brain AVMs, focusing on how the angioarchitectural and hemodynamic parameters of AVMs affect the post-RS results.

METHODS: This was a retrospective, longitudinal study of 697 consecutive GKRS treatments of brain AVMs in 662 patients performed at a single center between 1993 and 2005. The mean age of the patients was 37 years; the median AVM volume was 3.6 cm3; and the mean follow-up was 11 years. Forty-five percent of patients presented with intracranial hemorrhage; 44% underwent embolization; and 7% had multiple RSs. AVM characteristics in the RS-planning angiograms were analyzed, and their relationship to the post-RS obliteration rate was determined by univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS: The obliteration rate after a single RS was 69.3%; after multiple RS, it was 75%. Positive predictors of obliteration included compact nidus (odds ratio = 3.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.92-5.22), undilated feeders (odds ratio = 0.36; 95% confidence interval, 0.23-0.57), smaller AVM volume (odds ratio = 0.95; 95% confidence interval, 0.92-0.99), and higher marginal dose (odds ratio = 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 1.06-1.27). Improvement or clinical stability was observed in 89.3% of patients; postprocedural bleeding was noted in 6.1%; and clinical worsening attributable to RS was seen in 3.8%. The annual risk of hemorrhage in the 4 years after RS was 1.2%.

CONCLUSION: GKRS yielded a good long-term clinical outcome in most patients. Certain angiographic features of brain AVMs such as a well-defined nidus and undilated feeder arteries contribute to AVM occlusion by RS. GKRS can be regarded as the treatment of choice for AVMs <6 cm3, even after bleeding.

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Age-related differences in unruptured intracranial aneurysms: 1-year outcomes

Aneurysm surgery

J Neurosurg 121:1024–1038, 2014

The aim of this study was to determine age-related differences in short-term (1-year) outcomes in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs).

Methods. Four thousand fifty-nine patients prospectively enrolled in the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms were categorized into 3 groups by age at enrollment: < 50, 50–65, and > 65 years old. Outcomes assessed at 1 year included aneurysm rupture rates, combined morbidity and mortality from aneurysm procedure or hemorrhage, and all-cause mortality. Periprocedural morbidity, in-hospital morbidity, and poor neurological outcome on discharge (Rankin scale score of 3 or greater) were assessed in surgically and endovascularly treated groups. Univariate and multivariate associations of each outcome with age were tested.

Results. The risk of aneurysmal hemorrhage did not increase significantly with age. Procedural and in-hospital morbidity and mortality increased with age in patients treated with surgery, but remained relatively constant with increasing age with endovascular treatment. Poor neurological outcome from aneurysm- or procedure-related morbidity and mortality did not differ between management groups for patients 65 years old and younger, but was significantly higher in the surgical group for patients older than 65 years: 19.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.9%–24.4%), compared with 8.0% (95% CI 2.3%–13.6%) in the endovascular group and 4.2% (95% CI 2.3%–6.2%) in the observation group. All-cause mortality increased steadily with increasing age, but differed between treatment groups only in patients < 50 years of age, with the surgical group showing a survival advantage at 1 year.

Conclusions. Surgical treatment of UIAs appears to be safe, prevents 1-year hemorrhage, and may confer a survival benefit in patients < 50 years of age. However, surgery poses a significant risk of morbidity and death in patients > 65 years of age. Risk of endovascular treatment does not appear to increase with age. Risks and benefits of treatment in older patients should be carefully considered, and if treatment is deemed necessary for patients older than 65 years, endovascular treatment may be the best option.

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Infundibular dilation and aneurysm at the origin of the posterior communicating artery: differential diagnosis by CT angiography

Infundibular dilation and aneurysm at the origin of the posterior communicating artery- differential diagnosis by CT angiography

Neuroradiology (2014) 56:917–923

Infundibular dilation (ID) and aneurysm at the internal carotid artery (ICA)–posterior communicating artery (PComA) junction can be difficult to distinguish but may differ in clinical significance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility of CT angiography (CTA) in differentially diagnosing IDs and small unruptured aneurysms at the ICA– PComA junction.

Methods This retrospective study comprised 88 patients diagnosed with 107 protrusions (70 IDs and 37 aneurysms <5 mm; 19 bilateral lesions) at the ICA–PComA junction who underwent both CTA and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Two neuroradiologists independently reviewed CTA and DSA images according to these criteria: (a) size (maximum dimension <3 or ≥3 mm), (b) shape (triangular or round/ oval/irregular), (c) aneurysmal neck (absent or present), (d) horizontal direction (posteriomedial or posteriolateral), and (e) PComA origin (apex, no PComA, or base). The intermodality (between CTA and DSA) and interobserver (between the two readers) agreement were determined for each finding.We also evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of CTA for distinguishing ID and aneurysm, using DSA as the reference standard.

Results The mean κ values of intermodality agreement for the size, shape, aneurysmal neck, horizontal direction, and PComA origin were 0.88, 0.87, 0.84, 0.71, and 0.56, respectively. All interobserver agreements of CTA and DSA were excellent. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CTA for differentiating aneurysms from IDs were 94.6, 100, and 98.0 %, respectively.

Conclusion CTA may be a useful noninvasive modality for differential diagnosis of ID and aneurysm at the ICA–PComA junction.

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Gamma knife radiosurgery for brainstem cavernous malformations: should a patient wait for the rebleed?

Gamma knife radiosurgery for brainstem cavernous malformations- should a patient wait for the rebleed?

Acta Neurochir (2014) 156:1937–1946

The effectiveness of stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) for cavernous malformation (CM) has not been fully assessed. Consequently, observation is usually recommended when a bleeding CM is initially discovered. Recurrent bleeding occurs with CMs, and these repeat hemorrhages can result in additional morbidity.

Methods From 1992 to 2011, 49 patients with brainstem CMs were treated with Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS). We classified patients into two groups: Group A (n=31), patients who underwent GKS for a CM following a single symptomatic bleed, and group B (n=18), patients who underwent GKS for a CM following two or more symptomatic bleeds. The mean marginal dose of radiation was 13.1 Gy (range 9.0- 16.8 Gy): 12.8 Gy in group A and 13.7 Gy in group B. The mean follow-up period was 64.0 months (range 1-171 months).

Results In group A, the annual hemorrhage rate (AHR) following GKS was 7.06 % within the first 2 years and 2.03 % after 2 years. In group B, four patients (22.2 %) developed new or worsening neurologic deterioration as a result of repeat hemorrhages. In group B, the AHR was 38.36 % prior to GKS, 9.84 % within the first two years, and 1.50 % after two years. There was no statistically significant difference in the AHRs at each follow-up period after GKS between the two groups. Adverse radiation effects (AREs) developed in a total of four patients (8.2%); among them, one patient (2.0 %) developed a permanent case of diplopia. No mortality occurred in this series.

Conclusion In this study, GKS was demonstrated to be a safe and effective alternative treatment for brain stem CMs that resulted in a reduction in the AHR. Consequently, we suggest that even CM patients who have suffered only a single bleed should not be contraindicated for SRS.

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Subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hematoma caused by aneurysms of the anterior circulation

Subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hematoma caused by aneurysms of the anterior circulation

Neurosurg Rev (2014) 37:653–659

Additional space-occupying intracerebral hematoma (ICH) in patients suffering from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a known predictor for poor outcome. Emergent clot evacuation might be mandatory. However, data concerning the influence of ICH location on outcome is scarce. Therefore, we analyzed the influence of ICH location on clinical course and outcome in patients with SAH and additional ICH.

One hundred seventy-four patients were treated with aneurysmal SAH and additional ICH between September 1999 and May 2012. Information including patient characteristics, treatment, and radiological findings were prospectively entered into a database. Patients were stratified according to ICH location and neurological outcome. Neurological outcome was assessed according to modified Rankin Scale (mRS).

ICH location was temporal (58.6 %), frontal (28.7 %), and perisylvian ICH (12.6%); 63.8% presented in poor admission status and favorable outcome was achieved in 35.6 %. In the multivariate analysis, favorable outcome was associated with young age, ICH <50 ml, and good admission status. The location of ICH was not associated with outcome. The current data confirms that a significant number of patients with ICH after aneurysm rupture achieve favorable outcome. Prognostic factor for favorable outcome are “age,” “size of the hematoma,” and “admission status.” The location of the ICH seems not to be associated with outcome.

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Anterior petroclinoid fold fenestration: an adjunct to clipping of postero-laterally projecting posterior communicating aneurysms

Anterior petroclinoid fold fenestration- an adjunct to clipping of postero-laterally projecting posterior communicating aneurysms

Neurosurg Rev (2014) 37:637–641

Proximally located posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms, projecting postero-laterally in proximity to the tentorium, may pose a technical challenge for microsurgical clipping due to obscuration of the proximal aneurysmal neck by the anterior petroclinoid fold.

We describe an efficacious technique utilizing fenestration of the anterior petroclinoid fold to facilitate visualization and clipping of PCoA aneurysms abutting this aspect of the tentorium. Of 86 cases of PCoA aneurysms treated between 2003 and 2013, the technique was used in nine (10.5 %) patients to allow for adequate clipping. A 3 mm fenestration in the anterior petroclinoid ligament is created adjacent and lateral to the anterior clinoid process. This fenestration is then widened into a small wedge corridor by bipolar coagulation.

In all cases, the proximal aneurysm neck was visualized after the wedge fenestration. Additionally, an adequate corridor for placement of the proximal clip blade was uniformly established. All cases were adequately clipped, with complete occlusion of the aneurysm neck and funduswith preservation of the PCoA. There were two intraoperative ruptures not related to creation of the wedge fenestration. One patient experienced post-operative partial third nerve palsy, which resolved during follow-up.

We describe a technique of fenestration of the anterior petroclinoid fold to establish a critical and safe corridor for both visualization and clipping of PCoA aneurysms.

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Vertebral artery variations and osseous anomaly at the C1-2 level diagnosed by 3D CT angiography in normal subjects

Vertebral artery variations and osseous anomaly at the C1-2 level diagnosed by 3D CT angiography in normal subjects

Neuroradiology (2014) 56:843–849

The craniovertebral junction is anatomically complicated. Representative vertebral artery (VA) variations include the persistent first intersegmental artery (FIA), fenestration of the VA above and below C1 (FEN), posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) from C1/2, and high-riding VA (HRVA). The ponticulus posticus (PP) is a well-known osseous anomaly at C1. Although those anomalies are frequent in patients with cervical deformity, the prevalence of these in subjects with normal cervical spines is still unknown. The aim of this study is to investigate the variations and prevalence of vascular and osseous anomalies based on three-dimensional computed tomographic (3D CT) angiography in patients without any cervical diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Klippel-Feil syndrome, or Down syndrome.

Methods Eligible subjects were patients who underwent 3D CT angiography by the Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Internal Medicine from January 2009 to October 2013 in our institution. The authors defined a HRVA as a C2 pedicle with a maximum diameter of 4 mm or less.

Results Among 480 subjects with a mean age of 63.1 years, 387 patients were eligible. One hundred and eighteen subjects were female, and 269 were male. HRVA was observed in 10.1 % of patients (39 out of 387 cases), FIA in 1.8 % (7 cases), FEN in 1.3 % (5 cases), and PICA in 1.3 % (5 cases). PP was observed in 6.2 % of patients (24 cases).

Conclusion According to past reports, many VA anomalies could be attributed to congenital or acquired conditions (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis). However, VA anomalies appear to exist even in patients without any such cervical diseases.

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Impact of Indocyanine Green Videoangiography on Rate of Clip Adjustments Following Intraoperative Angiography

Essentials in intraoperative indocyanine green videoangiography assessment for intracranial aneurysm surgery

Neurosurgery 75:437–444, 2014

Intraoperative angiography (IA) is used to evaluate the adequacy of clip reconstruction of intracranial aneurysms. Alternative imaging such as indocyanine green videoangiography (ICG-VA) has been proposed. The additional benefit of ICG-VA when IA is routinely used has not been previously determined.

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience with the use of ICG-VA in combination with IA vs IA alone.

METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed cases of aneurysm clipping during a 21-month period by a single surgeon in which ICG-VA was performed after clip reconstruction prior to IA, or IA alone was performed to verify optimal clipping. Records were reviewed for age, sex, race, length of stay, rupture status, Hunt and Hess grade, aneurysm size, location, and temporary clipping. Intraoperative decision making was determined for each group.

RESULTS: Ninety-four patients who underwent 97 craniotomies for 128 aneurysms met inclusion criteria for this study. ICG-VA1IA was performed in 37 craniotomies; IA alone was performed for 60 craniotomies. Baseline characteristics were similar with the exception that median aneurysm size was slightly larger in the ICG-VA group (5.6 mm vs 4.3 mm, P = .04). ICG-VA produced 4 false negatives, which required clip adjustments following IA (10.8%), vs 7 patients (11.7%) in the IA-alone group requiring clip adjustments (P = .897).

CONCLUSION: When IA is routinely performed, the additional use of ICG-VA does not eliminate the need for post-IA clip adjustments owing to the possibility of false negatives. When ICG-VA suggests optimal clipping, but is followed by IA, the rate of post-IA modifications in this study did not differ significantly than if ICG-VA had not been performed.

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Management of perisylvian arteriovenous malformations

Management of perisylvian arteriovenous malformations

Neurosurg Focus 37 (3):E13, 2014

Sylvian arteriovenous malformations (sAVMs) are challenging lesions of the central nervous system. The natural history of these unique lesions as well as clinical outcomes following treatment of sAVMs has been limited to case series owing to the rarity of these lesions. The authors present their experience with sAVMs and review the literature.

Methods. In accordance with the Henry Ford Institutional Review Board, medical records of patients with sAVMs treated from 2000 to 2012 were reviewed. Clinical data were retrospectively collected to calculate pre- and posttreatment modified Rankin Scale scores for all patients.

Results. The authors identified 15 patients with sAVMs who received treatment. Of these, 12 were female and 3 were male, and the average age at presentation was 39.6 ± 12.94 years (± SD). Two patients (13.3%) had Spetzler- Martin Grade I lesions, 6 patients (40%) had Grade II lesions, 5 patients (33.3%) had Grade III lesions, and another 2 (13.3%) harbored Grade IV arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). According to the Sugita classification, 6 patients (40%) had medial lesions, 6 (40%) had lateral lesions, 2 (13.3%) had deep lesions, and 1 patient (6.67%) had a pure sAVM. Eight patients (53.3%) underwent stereotactic radiosurgery while 7 patients (46.7%) had microsurgical resection; 1 patient underwent surgical extirpation after incomplete response following radiosurgery. After treatment, 9 patients were unchanged from pretreatment (60%), 3 patients worsened, and 2 patients had improved functional outcome (20% and 13.3%, respectively). The authors’ literature search yielded 348 patients with sAVMs, most of them harboring Spetzler-Martin Grade II and III lesions. Approximately 98% of the patients underwent resection with excellent outcomes.

Conclusions. While the ideal choice of therapeutic modality for cerebral AVMs remains controversial in light of the recent publication of the ARUBA (A Randomized trial of Unruptured Brain AVMs) trial, a multidisciplinary treatment approach for the management of sAVMs can lead to acceptable neurological outcome.

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Morphological predictors of intraprocedural rupture during coil embolization of ruptured cerebral aneurysms

Morphological predictors of intraprocedural rupture for coiling

J Neurosurg 121:605–612, 2014

This study aimed to investigate morphological predictors of intraprocedural rupture (IPR) during coil embolization of ruptured cerebral aneurysms.

Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted in 322 consecutive patients with ruptured cerebral aneurysms who were treated with coil embolization over an 8-year period from January 2005 to December 2012. The authors analyzed all available data with emphasis on morphological characteristics of the aneurysm as shown on baseline angiography in relation to IPR. Regarding aneurysm morphology, the authors classified patients according to multilobulation, presence of a daughter sac, and presence of a small basal outpouching (SBO).

Results. The incidence of IPR was 4.8% (16 of 332). In terms of aneurysm configuration, the presence of multilobulation (100.0% [16 of 16] in the IPR group vs 89.2% [282 of 316] in the non-IPR group, p = 0.388) and daughter sac (75.0% [12 of 16] in the IPR group vs 59.2% [187 of 316] in the non-IPR group, p = 0.208) were not significantly associated with IPR. However, SBO, found in 9% (30 of 332) of the study population, was significantly associated with IPR (56.3% [9 of 16] in the IPR group vs 6.7% [21 of 316] in the non-IPR group, OR 18.06, p < 0.0001).

Conclusions. Based on the authors’ data, the more general groups of multilobulation and daughter sac were not significantly associated with IPR, although the more specific subgroup with an SBO was. More confirmation studies on these results are required, but they point to the possibility that SBO (with its possible connection to basal rupture) is an important morphological risk factor for IPR during coiling. In addition, future comparison of coiling and clipping treatment for ruptured aneurysms associated with an SBO seems necessary.

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Are parenchymal AVMs congenital lesions?

Are parenchymal AVMs congenital lesions?

Neurosurg Focus 37 (3):E2, 2014

A long-held dogma in neurosurgery is that parenchymal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are congenital. However, there is no strong evidence supporting this theory.

An increasing number of documented cases of de novo formation of parenchymal AVMs cast doubt on their congenital nature and suggest that indeed the majority of these lesions may form after birth.

Further evidence suggesting the postnatal development of parenchymal AVMs comes from the exceedingly rare diagnosis of these lesions in utero despite the widespread availability of high-resolution imaging modalities such as ultrasound and fetal MRI.

The exact mechanism of AVM formation has yet to be elucidated, but most likely involves genetic susceptibility and environmental triggering factors.

In this review, the authors report 2 cases of de novo AVM formation and analyze the evidence suggesting that they represent an acquired condition.

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