Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2018
Rationale for graft selection in patients with complex internal carotid artery aneurysms treated with extracranial to intracranial high-flow bypass and therapeutic internal carotid artery occlusion.
OBJECTIVE After internal carotid artery (ICA) sacrifice without revascularization for complex aneurysms, ischemic complications can occur. In addition, hemodynamic alterations in the circle of Willis create conditions conducive to the formation of de novo aneurysms or the enlargement of existing untreated aneurysms. Therefore, the revascularization technique remains indispensable. ⋯ During a median follow-up period of 26.1 months, LRICs were observed in 9 patients (11%). An actual MCAP ratio < 0.80 (p = 0.003), expected MCAP ratio < 0.80 (p = 0.001), and (M2 radius/graft radius)2 < 0.49 (p = 0.002) were related to LRICs according to the Cox proportional-hazards model. CONCLUSIONS Data in the present study indicated that it was important to use an adequate graft to achieve a sufficient MCAP ratio in order to avoid LRICs and that the adequate graft size could be evaluated based on a formula in patients with complex ICA aneurysms treated with ICAO.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2018
Early low cerebral blood flow and high cerebral lactate: prediction of delayed cerebral ischemia in subarachnoid hemorrhage.
OBJECTIVE Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is one of the major contributors to poor outcome. It is crucial to be able to detect early signs of DCI to prevent its occurrence. The objective of this study was to determine if low cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurements and pathological microdialysis parameters measured at the bedside can be observed early in patients with SAH who later developed DCI. ⋯ A high lactate/pyruvate ratio was also detected in patients with DCI. CONCLUSIONS Early low CBF measurements and a high lactate and lactate/pyruvate ratio may be early warning signs of the risk of developing DCI. The clinical value of these findings needs to be confirmed in larger studies.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2018
Case ReportsOptic neuropathy after anterior communicating artery aneurysm clipping: 3 cases and techniques to address a correctable pitfall.
Brain shifts following microsurgical clip ligation of anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms can lead to mechanical compression of the optic nerve by the clip. Recognition of this condition and early repositioning of clips can lead to reversal of vision loss. The authors identified 3 patients with an afferent pupillary defect following microsurgical clipping of ACoA aneurysms. ⋯ Near-complete restoration of vision was achieved at the last clinic follow-up visit in all 3 patients. Clip ligation of ACoA aneurysms has the potential to cause clip-related compression of the optic nerve. Postoperative visual examination is of utmost importance, and if any changes are discovered, reexploration should be considered as repositioning of the clips may lead to resolution of visual deterioration.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2018
Simplifying the use of prognostic information in traumatic brain injury. Part 1: The GCS-Pupils score: an extended index of clinical severity.
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores and pupil responses are key indicators of the severity of traumatic brain damage. The aim of this study was to determine what information would be gained by combining these indicators into a single index and to explore the merits of different ways of achieving this. ⋯ A simple arithmetic combination of the GCS score and pupillary response, the GCS-P, extends the information provided about patient outcome to an extent comparable to that obtained using more complex methods. The greater range of injury severities that are identified and the smoothness of the stepwise pattern of outcomes across the range of scores may be useful in evaluating individual patients and identifying patient subgroups. The GCS-P may be a useful platform onto which information about other key prognostic features can be added in a simple format likely to be useful in clinical practice.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Jun 2018
Predictive anatomical factors for rupture in middle cerebral artery mirror bifurcation aneurysms.
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to define predictive factors for rupture of middle cerebral artery (MCA) mirror bifurcation aneurysms. METHODS The authors retrospectively analyzed the data in patients with ruptured MCA bifurcation aneurysms with simultaneous presence of an unruptured MCA bifurcation mirror aneurysm treated in two neurosurgical centers. The following parameters were measured and analyzed with the statistical software R: neck, dome, and width of both MCA aneurysms-including neck/dome and width/neck ratios, shape of the aneurysms (regular vs irregular), inflow angle of both MCA aneurysms, and the diameters of the bilateral A1 and M1 segments and the frontal and temporal M2 trunks, as well as the bilateral diameter of the internal carotid artery (ICA). ⋯ It seems as though under the same conditions, one of the two aneurysms suffers changes in its wall and starts growing in a more or less stochastic manner. Newer imaging methods should enable practitioners to see which aneurysm has an unstable wall, to predict the rupture risk. At the moment one can only conclude that in cases of MCA mirror aneurysms the larger one, with or without shape irregularities, is the unstable aneurysm and that this is the one that needs to be treated.