World Neurosurg
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Case Reports
Safe endovascular recanalization of internal carotid artery occlusion using retrograde aspiration angiography.
Cerebral infarction, resulting from acute internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion, typically manifests with a wide ischemic area and severe symptoms. Mechanical thrombectomy proves effective within 24 hours of disease onset and in less ischemic infarction core. However, in cases with well-developed collateral flow and mild symptoms, conservative treatment is initially selected. If symptoms worsen or ipsilateral hemisphere perfusion decreases, superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery anastomosis is considered. Revascularization therapy may also be effective. Contralateral angiography allows for ipsilateral blood flow verification once complete revascularization is achieved, albeit with potential treatment-related complications. Here, we describe retrograde angiography using an intermediate catheter (IMC) and contralateral contrast injection to achieve safer revascularization. ⋯ Advancements in IMC technology facilitate distal catheter guidance to the ICA, even in proximal occlusion. Combining this technique with contralateral imaging allows us to confirm the extent of occlusion and recanalization status without antegrade imaging, making recanalization therapy safer.
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Relationships between low socioeconomic status and surgical outcomes are well established for certain procedures. However, scant literature has focused on relationships between median household income and lumbar fusion outcomes. ⋯ Reduced household income significantly affected perioperative outcomes after lumbar fusion and should be taken into consideration during the perioperative period.
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The prevalence of osteoporotic vertebral fractures has increased with aging populations, necessitating effective treatments such as percutaneous kyphoplasty combined with posterior screw fixation. However, biomechanical research on the effects of using short screws on fixation stability and bone stress or on the impact of bone cement bonding to screws on structural strength is lacking. This study aimed to optimize short-segment fixation strategies for osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fractures by analyzing the biomechanical effects of pedicle screw length and bone-cement augmentation. ⋯ Short screws in injured vertebrae without contact with the bone cement can achieve satisfactory stability and stress distribution. It is feasible to implant short screws in the injured vertebrae, reduce the number of bilaterally injured vertebrae, and inject bone cement through the non-pedicle approach during the surgical procedure, which simplifies the surgical process.
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Spinal injuries occur in 3% of all patients with trauma, most commonly in males, and often as a result of high-velocity impact followed by abrupt deceleration. The most affected region after spinal trauma is the thoracolumbar junction because of the anterior center of gravity at the T12-L1 vertebral level and the relatively stiff thoracic spine uniting with the mobile lumbar spine. Many classifications exist to guide the choice of operative versus nonoperative management of traumatic injuries at this site. ⋯ Ignoring this aspect of thoracolumbar management often contributes to the development of posttraumatic malalignment and other complications. This review recommends that a new or modified classification system accounts for sagittal segmental alignment factors, including the level of the injured vertebra, the number of affected adjacent levels, imaging techniques with better specificity and sensitivity, and assessment for osteoporosis. Case studies are included to show the importance of segmental sagittal alignment and the vertebral level on patient outcomes.
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Transarterial embolization (TAE) is generally the endovascular treatment of choice for tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF). Although flow control of the feeder vessel has been reported to achieve complete shunt blockade, flow control in the absence of ischemia tolerance of internal carotid artery as a feeder has not been reported. We present a case in which treatment by Onyx TAE with intermittent flow control of the meningohypophyseal trunk as the feeder was successful for a tentorial dAVF presenting with myelopathy without tolerance of ischemia. ⋯ Intermittent flow control of the meningohypophyseal trunk using a balloon may be safe and effective for cases showing no tolerance for ischemia.