Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2017
CommentUrokinase, a promising candidate for fibrinolytic therapy for intracerebral hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with a high rate of mortality and severe disability, while fibrinolysis for ICH evacuation is a possible treatment. However, reported adverse effects can counteract the benefits of fibrinolysis and limit the use of tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). Identifying appropriate fibrinolytics is still needed. ⋯ In addition, uPA therapy more effectively upregulated BBB tight junction protein expression, which was partly attributed to the different effects of uPA and tPA on the regulation of MMPs and its related mRNA expression following ICH. CONCLUSIONS This study provided evidence supporting the use of uPA for fibrinolytic therapy after ICH. Large animal experiments and clinical trials are required to further explore the efficacy and safety of uPA in ICH fibrinolysis.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2017
Case ReportsFracture and migration of a retained wire into the thoracic cavity after endovascular neurointervention: report of 2 cases.
Although extremely rare, retention of foreign bodies such as microcatheters or micro guidewires can occur during various neurovascular procedures due to gluing of the microcatheter tip or entanglement of the micro guidewire tip with intravascular devices. The authors have experienced 2 cases of irresolvable wire retention, one after flow diverter placement for a left cavernous internal carotid artery aneurysm and the other after intracranial stenting for acute basilar artery occlusion. ⋯ The second patient presented 4 years after his procedure with pneumothorax due to migration of the fractured guidewire segment into the right thoracic cavity. In this report, the authors discuss the possible mechanisms of these unusual complications and how to prevent delayed consequences from a retained intravascular metallic wire.
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OBJECTIVE Glioma is a major class of brain tumors, and glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive and malignant type. The nature of tumor invasion makes surgical removal difficult, which results in remote recurrence. The present study focused on glioma invasion and investigated the expression of actin, alpha cardiac muscle 1 (ACTC1), which is 1 of 6 actin families implicated in cell motility. ⋯ The recurrence rate of GBM was 87.5% in the ACTC1-positive group; in contrast, none of the ACTC1-negative patients demonstrated distant recurrence (0.007). No remarkable relationship was demonstrated among ACTC1 expression and patient age, KPS, and the MIB-1 index. CONCLUSIONS ACTC1 may serve as a novel independent prognostic and invasion marker in GBM.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2017
Analysis of facial motor evoked potentials for assessing a central mechanism in hemifacial spasm.
OBJECTIVE Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a cranial nerve hyperactivity disorder characterized by unique neurophysiological features, although the underlying pathophysiology remains disputed. In this study, the authors compared the effects of desflurane on facial motor evoked potentials (MEPs) from the spasm and nonspasm sides of patients who were undergoing microvascular decompression (MVD) surgery to test the hypothesis that HFS is associated with a central elevation of facial motor neuron excitability. METHODS Facial MEPs were elicited in 31 patients who were undergoing MVD for HFS and were administered total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with or without additional desflurane, an inhaled anesthetic known to centrally suppress MEPs. ⋯ CONCLUSIONS Centrally acting inhaled anesthetic agents can suppress facial MEPs and therefore might interfere with intraoperative monitoring. The elevated motor neuron excitability and differential effects of desflurane between the spasm and nonspasm sides support a mechanism of central pathophysiology in HFS. Clinical trial registration no.: B2012:099 ( clinicaltrials.gov ).
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Journal of neurosurgery · Feb 2017
The role of alternative anastomosis sites in occipital artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery bypass in the absence of the caudal loop using the far-lateral approach.
OBJECTIVE Occipital artery-posterior inferior cerebellar artery (OA-PICA) bypass is a technically challenging procedure for posterior fossa revascularization. The caudal loop of the PICA is considered the optimal site for OA-PICA anastomosis, however its absence can increase the technical difficulty associated with this procedure. The use of the far-lateral approach for accessing alternative anastomosis sites in OA-PICA bypass in patients with absent or unavailable caudal loops of PICA is evaluated. ⋯ The far-lateral approach was successfully used for OA-PICA bypass in 3 clinical cases whose caudal loops were absent, whereas the midline foramen magnum approach provided sufficient exposure for caudal loop bypass in the remaining 5 cases. CONCLUSIONS The absence of the caudal loop of the PICA is a major contributing factor to the technical difficulty of OA-PICA bypass. The far-lateral approach is a useful surgical option for OA-PICA bypass when the caudal loop of the PICA is unavailable.