Aneurysm Wall Enhancement Is Associated With Decreased Intrasaccular IL-10 and Morphological Features of Instability

Neurosurgery 89:664–671, 2021

High-resolution vessel wall imaging plays an increasingly important role in assessing the risk of aneurysm rupture.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce an approach toward the validation of the wall enhancement as a direct surrogate parameter for aneurysm stability.

METHODS: A total of 19 patients harboring 22 incidental intracranial aneurysms were enrolled in this study. The aneurysms were dichotomized according to their aneurysm to- pituitary stalk contrast ratio using a cutoff value of 0.5 (nonenhancing < 0.5; enhancing ≥ 0.5). We evaluated the association of aneurysm wall enhancement with morphological characteristics, hemodynamic features, and inflammatory chemokines directly measured inside the aneurysm.

RESULTS: Differences in plasma concentration of chemokines and inflammatory molecules, morphological, and hemodynamic parameters were analyzed using the Welch test or Mann-Whitney U test. The concentration  IL-10 in the lumen of intracranial aneurysms with low wall enhancement was significantly increased compared to aneurysms with strong aneurysm wall enhancement (P = .014). The analysis of morphological and hemodynamic parameters showed significantly increased values for aneurysm volume (P=.03), aneurysm area (P=.044), maximal diameter (P=.049), and nonsphericity index (P=.021) for intracranial aneurysms with strong aneurysm wall enhancement. None of the hemodynamic parameters reached statistical significance; however, the total viscous shear force computed over the region of low wall shear stress showed a strong tendency toward significance (P = .053).

CONCLUSION: Aneurysmal wall enhancement shows strong associations with decreased intrasaccular IL-10 and established morphological indicators of aneurysm instability.

 

CircumferentialWall Enhancement on Magnetic Resonance Imaging is Useful to Identify Rupture Site in Patients with Multiple Cerebral Aneurysms

Neurosurgery 82:638–644, 2018

Identification of rupture sites in patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms is largely based on aneurysm size, location, and shape. Finding circumferential enhancement along the aneurysm wall (CEAW) on magnetic resonance (MR) vessel wall imaging was recently shown to be indicative of ruptured aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that a higher degree of CEAW would identify the site of rupture in patients with multiple aneurysms.

METHODS: We prospectively performed quantitative analysis of CEAW in consecutive patients with both aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and multiple aneurysms (26 patientswith a total of 62 aneurysms), usingMR vesselwall imaging. Three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequenceswere obtained before and after injection of contrast media, and the wall enhancement index (WEI) was calculated. Aneurysm characteristics (size, location, irregular shape, aspect ratio [neck-to-dome length/neck width], and WEI) were compared between ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for ruptures were calculated with conditional univariable logistic regression analysis. Analyses were repeated after adjustment for aneurysm size.

RESULTS: Large aneurysm size, high aspect ratio, WEI (above the median values), and irregular shape were significantly associated with aneurysm rupture. After adjustment for aneurysm size, WEI (adjusted odds ratio: 8.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-72.6) as well as irregular shape and aspect ratio showed a strong association with rupture.

CONCLUSION: CEAW is associated with rupture of intracranial aneurysm independent of aneurysm size and patient characteristics. Contrast-enhanced MR vessel wall imaging helps to identify the site of rupture in patients with multiple aneurysms.

Circumferential Wall Enhancement on Magnetic Resonance Imaging is Useful to Identify Rupture Site in Patients with Multiple Cerebral Aneurysms

Neurosurgery 82:638–644, 2018

Identification of rupture sites in patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms is largely based on aneurysmsize, location, and shape. Finding circumferential enhancement along the aneurysm wall (CEAW) on magnetic resonance (MR) vessel wall imaging was recently shown to be indicative of ruptured aneurysm.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the hypothesis that a higher degree of CEAW would identify the site of rupture in patients with multiple aneurysms.

METHODS: We prospectively performed quantitative analysis of CEAW in consecutive patients with both aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage and multiple aneurysms (26 patientswith a total of 62 aneurysms), usingMR vesselwall imaging. Three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequenceswere obtained before and after injection of contrast media, and the wall enhancement index (WEI) was calculated. Aneurysm characteristics (size, location, irregular shape, aspect ratio [neck-to-dome length/neck width], and WEI) were compared between ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for ruptures were calculated with conditional univariable logistic regression analysis. Analyses were repeated after adjustment for aneurysm size.

RESULTS: Large aneurysm size, high aspect ratio, WEI (above the median values), and irregular shape were significantly associated with aneurysm rupture. After adjustment for aneurysm size, WEI (adjusted odds ratio: 8.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.1-72.6) as well as irregular shape and aspect ratio showed a strong association with rupture.

CONCLUSION: CEAW is associated with rupture of intracranial aneurysm independent of aneurysm size and patient characteristics. Contrast-enhanced MR vessel wall imaging helps to identify the site of rupture in patients with multiple aneurysms.

 

Aneurysm wall enhancement on magnetic resonance imaging as a risk factor for progression of unruptured vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms after reconstructive endovascular treatment

J Neurosurg 128:747–755, 2018

The recurrence rate of vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms (VBDAs) after reconstructive endovascular treatment (EVT) is relatively high. The aneurysm wall enhancement on high-resolution MRI (HRMRI) reportedly predicts an unsteady state of an intracranial aneurysm. The authors used HRMRI to investigate the relationship between wall enhancement on HRMRI and progression of VBDAs after reconstructive EVT.

METHODS From January 2012 to December 2015, patients with an unruptured VBDA who underwent reconstructive EVT were enrolled in this study. Preoperative enhanced HRMRI was performed to evaluate radiological characteristics. The relationships between aneurysm wall enhancement and various potential risk factors were statistically analyzed. Follow-up angiographic examination was performed with digital subtraction angiography and conventional HRMRI. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of VBDA progression after reconstructive EVT.

RESULTS Eighty-two patients (12 women and 70 men, mean age 53.48 ± 9.23 years) with 83 VBDAs were evaluated in the current study. The average maximum diameter of the VBDAs was 11.30 ± 7.90 mm. Wall enhancement occurred in 43 VBDAs (51.81%). Among all 83 VBDAs, 62 (74.70%) were treated by stent-assisted coil embolization and 21 (25.30%) by stenting alone. The mean duration of imaging follow-up among all 82 patients was 10.55 months (range 6–45 months), and 15 aneurysms (18.07%) exhibited progression. The statistical analysis indicated no significant differences in age, sex, risk factors (high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes mellitus, and a high cholesterol level), VBDA stage, or VBDA size between enhanced and unenhanced VBDAs. Univariate Cox regression analysis showed that both the maximum diameter of the VBDAs and wall enhancement were associated with recurrence (p < 0.05). Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that the maximum diameter of the VBDAs and wall enhancement on HRMRI were independent risk factors for aneurysm progression (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS Aneurysm size and wall enhancement on HRMRI can predict the progression of VBDAs after reconstructive EVT.