Neurosurgery
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Case Reports
Improved cerebral perfusion after stenting of a petrous carotid stenosis: technical case report.
Atherosclerotic occlusive disease of the intracranial vasculature is associated with increased risk of systemic vascular occlusive disease and stroke. Therapeutic options have included anticoagulation therapy, antiplatelet therapy, or, in a limited number of patients, extracranial-intracranial vascular bypass procedures. We report a patient who had improved cerebral perfusion with silent watershed zone infarctions after endovascular stenting of a severe petrous segment carotid stenosis. ⋯ Selective internal carotid artery angiography after stenting revealed markedly improved flow. A brain 99mTc-bicisate single-photon emission computed tomographic scan performed within 24 hours of stent placement, revealed significantly improved perfusion within the right internal carotid artery territory. Two perfusion voids suggestive of embolic stroke were noted; both were clinically silent. The patient had uncomplicated coronary artery bypass grafting 72 hours later. Five months postoperatively, he remains at home, living independently and with intact neurological function. Intracranial stenting for severe atherosclerotic stenosis is technically possible. However, its ultimate clinical role remains to be determined.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of transcranial Doppler investigation of aneurysmal vasospasm with digital subtraction angiographic and clinical findings.
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) findings for evaluation of the severity of vasospasm (VSP) in patients with ruptured aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage are controversial. To clarify these TCD findings, intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography was used to simultaneously investigate the angiographic features of cerebral vessels and the cerebral circulation time (CCT). ⋯ This study suggests that the MFV at the M1 segment is inadequate for estimation of the severity of VSP extending to vessels more peripheral than the M1 segment. Furthermore, severe VSP extending to more peripheral sites can produce more serious ischemic insults, compared with that localized to basal vessels. Patients with negative TCD results and clinical features suggesting the development of VSP should undergo quantitative investigation of cerebral circulatory parameters, such as the CCT, using intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography.
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The gold standard for documentation of surgical cure of a brain arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is a postoperative angiogram. Intraoperative angiography also has been used for assessing surgical obliteration of AVMs. The objective of this work is to determine the incidence of unexpected residual AVM in patients undergoing intraoperative angiography after brain AVM surgery, the incidence of false-negative intraoperative angiography, and whether there are any identifiable factors that would predict such an occurrence. ⋯ Intraoperative angiography is useful to demonstrate residual AVM in about 8% of patients undergoing AVM resection. It can be used to localize small AVMs, but other methods for localization may be as useful and may avoid the risks and cost of additional angiography. Intraoperative angiography does not replace postoperative angiography to confirm AVM removal because of false-negative findings, which occurred in 18% of patients in this series.
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We review the anatomy of the mesial temporal lobe region, establishing the relationships among the intraventricular, extraventricular, and surrounding vascular structures and their angiographic characterization. We also demonstrate the clinical application of these anatomic landmarks in an anatomic temporal lobectomy plus amygdalohippocampectomy. ⋯ Not only is the knowledge of these relations useful to angiographically characterize the mesial temporal region, but it has also proven to be of extreme value during microsurgeries involving this region.
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This case report illustrates an uncommon complication from the retroperitoneal exposure of the lumbar spine. The diagnosis and management of a retroperitoneal lymphocele is presented. The lymphocele was treated with intralesional povidone iodine (Betadine; Purdue-Frederick, Norwalk, CT), which eradicated the lesion and provided symptomatic relief to the patient. ⋯ A retroperitoneal lymphocele is an uncommon complication caused by the surgical exposure of the lumbar spine when a ventral approach is used. In this case, it was diagnosed and treated without further surgical intervention.