Comparison of dynamic CT and stable xenon CT in ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

PURPOSE: To investigate a new hemodynamic parameter that can be obtained by dynamic CT and that reflects cerebral blood flow (CBF), in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease. METHODS: CBF and hemodynamic parameters including the area under the time-dependent contrast-medium dilution curve (A) and mean transit time (MTT) were measured in 23 patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease. They included 17 patients in the chronic stage (more than 1 month after onset) and six with acute occlusion of the internal carotid or middle cerebral artery (within 24 hours of onset). CBF measurement was conducted by inhalation of stable xenon during CT scan and the hemodynamic study was performed using dynamic CT. RESULTS: CBF in the territory of the middle cerebral artery had an inverse correlation with MTT. (A) divided by (MTT) defined as (f) had a significantly positive correlation with CBF (MTT = 18.66 - 0.495.CBF + 0.005.CBF2, r = .730, P < .001). CONCLUSION: This parameter (f) is thought to represent a relative CBF and it can be used in evaluation of the hemodynamic status in ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Intraarterial digital subtraction angiography for definitive diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms.

Comparisons between digital subtraction angiography and conventional angiography have frequently been made in the radiologic literature, and the high quality and several advantages of the former have been reported. In this study, 101 patients with intracranial aneurysms were examined only by intraarterial digital subtraction angiography; no conventional angiography was used. High-quality images were consistently obtained, facilitating an accurate and definitive diagnosis of intracranial aneurysm. Magnification radiography and stereography using intraarterial digital subtraction angiography were done to obtain a more precise diagnosis. Five small intracranial aneurysms with diameters of 1.0 to 2.0 mm could be detected. The procedure was considered to be as reliable and as safe as conventional angiography, used previously. Important advantages of intraarterial digital subtraction angiography include reduced procedural time and decreased contrast agent burden, factors that will ensure broader application of this procedure for definitive diagnosis of intracranial aneurysms as experience with the technique accumulates.

Neurogenic pulmonary edema in the acute stage of hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease.

Extravascular lung water (EVLW) was measured by the double-indicator dilution method in 25 patients with hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases. EVLW had a significantly positive correlation with both alveolar-arterial oxygen difference (AaDO2) and intrapulmonary shunt. The value of EVLW in the acute stage in 15 patients with increased AaDO2 more than 20 mm Hg was 7.8 +/- 2.2 ml/kg and that in the chronic stage 4 weeks after onset significantly decreased to 4.6 +/- 0.7 ml/kg (P less than 0.001). The value of EVLW in the acute stage in 10 patients with normal AaDO2 less than 20 mm Hg was 4.7 +/- 1.1 ml/kg and that in the chronic stage 4 weeks after onset was 4.5 +/- 0.2 ml/kg. There was no significant difference between them. Pulmonary arterial blood pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance index, and pulmonary vascular resistance index in the acute stage in the 25 patients were all within the normal range. Three patients with neurogenic pulmonary edema had markedly increased EVLW without abnormalities in pulmonary arterial blood pressure, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure, central venous pressure, cardiac index, systemic vascular resistance index, and pulmonary vascular resistance index. From these facts, the main cause of the increase in EVLW cannot be explained by left ventricular failure, but can be explained by high permeability pulmonary edema.

Intrahepatic migration of a peritoneal shunt catheter: case report.

The intrahepatic migration of a peritoneal shunt tube of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt system (low pressure Pudenz valve and low pressure Pudenz peritoneal catheter) is reported. This is a rare complication of ventriculoperitoneal shunting and was diagnosed by metrizamide shuntography and abdominal computed tomography. To our knowledge, this is the second case complicated with migration of a peritoneal shunt tube into the liver.

Relationship between abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis and postoperative intracranial hemorrhage in head injury.

Abnormalities of coagulation and fibrinolysis in 12 head-injured patients were studied in early (within 24 hours of onset) and late (10th to 17th day after onset) stages. alpha 2 Plasmin inhibitor (alpha 2PI), antithrombin III (ATIII), and fibrinopeptide A (FPA) and B beta 15-42 (FPB beta) were measured in particular, in addition to the usual tests (platelet count (PLT), prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, and fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products (FDP)). alpha 2PI was abnormally lower, and FPA and FPB beta were much higher; fibrinogen and ATIII were moderately lower in the early stage than in the late stage in 6 head-injured patients with postoperative intracranial hemorrhage. alpha 2PI, ATIII, and fibrinogen were moderately lower and FPA was moderately higher in the early stage than in the late stage in 6 head-injured patients without postoperative intracranial hemorrhage. PLT and fibrinogen were lower, alpha 2PI was much lower, and FPA was much higher in the 6 patients with postoperative intracranial hemorrhage than in the 6 patients without postoperative intracranial hemorrhage. One patient with acute epidural and subdural hematomas had recurrent postoperative intracerebral hematoma twice. This recurrent hemorrhage was due to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) caused by primary brain damage and was associated with extremely high FPA and FPB beta levels and abnormally low alpha 2PI and PLT. Fresh-frozen plasma and intravenous low-dose heparin were administered after the two recurrent hemorrhages, after which FPA and FPB beta normalized immediately, although other screening tests showed only gradual improvement.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Surgical reconstruction of failed indirect anastomosis in childhood Moyamoya disease.

Thirty-one patients with moyamoya disease, who had been treated for encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS), encephalomyosynangiosis (EMS) or EMS with encephaloarteriosynangiosis (EAS) in other hospitals, were admitted to Osaka Neurological Institute from January 1985 to September 1991. Twenty-seven of 57 sides treated by indirect anastomosis showed good filling of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory via the anastomosis, whereas 16 and 14 showed fair and poor collaterals via the anastomosis, respectively. Twenty-eight cerebral hemispheres treated by indirect anastomosis underwent further surgery and received superficial temporal artery-MCA anastomosis with or without EMS for still-existent recurrent transient ischemic attacks or completed stroke even after the indirect anastomosis. One patient still had recurrent transient ischemic attacks with quadriparesis after bilateral encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis, which had produced no effective collaterals in the MCA territory; the patient then underwent omental transplantation to the bilateral anterior cerebral artery and MCA territories, resulting in the cessation of the transient ischemic attacks. Clinical improvement after superficial temporal artery-MCA anastomosis with or without EMS was noted in all patients, except on one side, where a completed stroke had resulted in fixed neurological deficits. We do not know the reasons for the uncertainty of the development of collaterals via the indirect anastomosis, but there are many patients who still need direct reconstruction of the indirect anastomosis.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty in the treatment of atherosclerotic disease of the anterior cerebral circulation and hemodynamic evaluation.

Nineteen patients between 56 and 76 years of age with clinically symptomatic atherosclerotic stenotic lesions at or distal to the C-5 segment in the carotid arterial system underwent percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA). The 19 patients had a total of 19 stenotic lesions, including two lesions in the C-5 segment, three in the C-4 segment, and three in the C-2 segment of the carotid artery, six in the M1 segment and three in the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery, and two in the A2 segment of the anterior cerebral artery. Both prior to and more than 6 months after PTA, angiograms were performed and cerebral perfusion was measured using 99mTc-hexamethyl-propyleneamine-oxime single-photon emission computerized tomography, before and after the administration of 10 mg/kg acetazolamide. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty could be performed in 13 (68.4%) of the 19 patients. The mean degree of stenosis (+/- standard deviation) was 83.1% +/- 8.6% before PTA, but only 35.8% +/- 17.3% on the follow-up angiograms. Restenosis was detected in follow-up angiograms in five (38.5%) of the 13 patients. Seven of the 13 patients exhibited improvement in their neurological condition after PTA and had shown subnormal cerebral perfusion and subnormal vasodilatory response to administration of acetazolamide prior to undergoing PTA. On the other hand, the remaining six patients exhibited no improvement in neurological condition after PTA, and four of these patients (66.7%) had shown normal perfusion and five (83.3%) had shown normal vasodilatory response to administration of acetazolamide prior to undergoing PTA. These findings suggest that PTA may be indicated for patients with atherosclerotic stenotic lesions in the anterior cerebral circulation who have subnormal cerebral perfusion and low vasodilatory response to administration of acetazolamide.

Long-term follow-up study after extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery for anterior circulation ischemia in childhood moyamoya disease.

Between May, 1974, and March, 1991, 104 patients with moyamoya disease, all under 16 years old at the time of first surgery, underwent superficial temporal-to-middle cerebral artery anastomosis and/or encephalomyosynangiosis. The mean follow-up period was 9.6 years (range 4.8 to 16.0 years). Hemiplegia was the most frequent symptom before the first operation. Transient ischemic attacks (TIA's) were noted in 57 patients and minor stroke with hemiplegia in 44. The most frequent type of cortical dysfunction was aphasia (21 cases). Postoperatively, the incidence of TIA's and/or completed stroke with motor weakness of the extremities was markedly decreased, but visual disturbance progressed and major or minor stroke with visual disturbance was found in two cases. In patients under the age of 3 years, a major stroke prior to surgery resulted in a poor outcome in 36% of cases. Preoperative major stroke in patients between the ages of 3 and 7 years was less frequent, and poor outcomes were seen in 17% of this group. There were no major preoperative strokes in patients with surgery after the age of 7 years, and no poor outcomes were recorded in this group. A major preoperative stroke prior to surgery had adverse impact on the ultimate patient intelligence quotient (IQ) following surgery. All patients operated on after the age of 7 years had a normal or borderline IQ at follow-up examination.

Successful excision of a juvenile-type spinal arteriovenous malformation following intraoperative embolization. Case report.

The case of a 57-year-old woman with a 14-year history of progressive paraparesis is presented. Selective spinal angiography revealed a juvenile-type spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) with a typical large size and rapid flow. The AVM was located primarily in the retromedullary space at the cervicothoracic junction. The AVM was successfully obliterated by intraoperative embolization using isobutyl-2-cyanoacrylate and surgical excision.

Cerebral revascularization using omental transplantation for childhood moyamoya disease.

Between January, 1986, and October, 1990, 30 children with moyamoya disease, aged from 2 to 17 years, underwent omental transplantation to either the anterior or the posterior cerebral artery territory. The mean follow-up period was 3.8 years, ranging from 1.6 to 6.4 years. Seventeen patients had symptoms of monoparesis, paraparesis, and/or urinary incontinence and were treated using unilateral or bilateral omental transplantation to the anterior cerebral artery territory. Eleven patients had visual symptoms and were treated with unilateral or bilateral omental transplantation to the posterior cerebral artery territory. Two patients had symptoms associated with both the anterior and the posterior cerebral arteries, and were treated with dual omental transplantations. All 19 patients treated with omental transplantation to the anterior cerebral artery and 11 (84.6%) of the 13 treated with omental transplantation to the posterior cerebral artery showed improvement in their neurological state. Patients with more collateral vessels via the omentum had more rapid and complete improvement in their neurological state. Patients with severe preoperative neurological deficits associated with the posterior cerebral artery had persistence of their symptoms.

Hypermetabolism in the acute stage of hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease.

Oxygen consumption (VO2), carbon dioxide production (VCO2), urinary nitrogen excretion, respiratory quotient, resting energy expenditure (REE), %REE, and the consumption rates of carbohydrate, fat, and protein (%CHO, %Fat, %Prot, respectively) were determined pre- and postoperatively by indirect calorimetry in 13 patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms and 11 patients with hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage in the acute stage. The preoperative VCO2, VO2, urinary nitrogen excretion, respiratory quotient, REE, and %REE were, respectively (mean +/- standard deviation): 171 +/- 46 ml/min, 203 +/- 56 ml/min, 10.3 +/- 1.7 gm/day, 0.84 +/- 0.01, 1397 +/- 389 Cal/day, and 129% +/- 8%. The values for VCO2, VO2, REE, and %REE were all increased above normal levels. The %Prot was increased to 26.1% +/- 9.1%. In the postoperative period, the VCO2, VO2, urinary nitrogen excretion, REE, and %REE significantly increased to: 186 +/- 44 ml/min, 229 +/- 56 ml/min, 14.8 +/- 2.9 gm/day, 1557 +/- 384 Cal/day, and 141% +/- 21%, respectively. The %Fat and %Prot also increased significantly, but the %CHO significantly decreased. Preoperatively, in the patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms, there was a greater increase in %Prot in eight patients classified (according to Fischer) as having a Group 3 or 4 subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) on computerized tomography than in five patients classified as having a Group 1 or 2 SAH. In summary, increased metabolic expenditure, especially increased catabolism of protein and fat, is characteristic of accompanying hemorrhagic cerebrovascular disease, and there is an increase in consumption of fat and protein in the postoperative period. Lack of precise knowledge about the cause and consequences of these metabolic responses makes it impossible at present to judge the optimal extent of nutritional replacement. The hypermetabolic state should be taken into consideration when caring for these patients as it may cause weight loss, poor wound healing, and susceptibility to infection.

Long-term follow-up study of unruptured vertebral artery dissection: clinical outcomes and serial angiographic findings.

OBJECT: Although the spontaneous occurrence of an unruptured vertebral artery (VA) dissection has increasingly been recognized as a relatively common cause of stroke, and the clinical aspects of this lesion have gradually been determined, its natural course remains obscure. The main goal of this study was to clarify the management protocol for this condition by examining serial angiographic changes in patients with unruptured VA dissections. METHODS: Seventeen patients with unruptured VA dissections, including 13 men and four women, were clinically and angiographically examined between 1993 and 1998. All patients were observed using serial angiography studies. The initial angiography examinations most frequently revealed stenotic lesions (appearance of a pearl-and-string sign or string sign) in eight (47.1%) of 17 cases. In 15 cases (88.2%), changes in the lesions were evident on follow-up angiography studies. Stenotic lesions resulted in occlusion in four cases, normalization in three, and subsequent formation of an aneurysm in one case, which was treated successfully by proximal occlusion of the affected vessel performed using a detachable balloon. Occluded lesions, which were initially observed in three patients, recanalized in two patients and remained unchanged in one patient. Fusiform dilation alone was demonstrated in three patients during the initial angiography session; these lesions became normalized or were unchanged on follow-up studies. Saccular aneurysms were observed in two patients. In one of these cases, proximal ligation of the parent artery was successfully performed because of subsequent aneurysm enlargement. A double lumen, which appeared in one patient with an extradural VA dissection, became occluded. Magnetic resonance T2-weighted imaging studies revealed infarction corresponding to the posterior circulation in seven cases. During long-term observation in this series, good or excellent recovery was obtained in 14 (87.5%) of 16 patients, and moderate or severe disability in two (12.5%); one patient was lost to follow up after the second angiography study. CONCLUSIONS: A follow-up angiography study must be performed during the early stage (within approximately 3 weeks after onset of symptoms) to confirm the formation or enlargement of an aneurysm, because such conditions may be amenable to surgical treatment. Unruptured VA dissection could otherwise be treated and followed conservatively. Although the majority of dissected lesions seem likely to stabilize within a few months, as evidenced on angiography, in some cases a longer observation period is required.

Haemodynamic evaluation of paraparetic transient ischaemic attacks in childhood moyamoya disease.

The haemodynamic mechanisms responsible for the appearance of paraparetic transient ischaemic attacks in ten patients with childhood moyamoya disease who subsequently underwent bifrontal omental transplantation were investigated. Cerebral perfusion (CP) was measured with 99mTc-hexamethylene-propyleneamine oxime single photon computed tomography prior to and after administration of acetazolamide. Cerebral perfusion was obtained by dividing radioisotope uptake per pixel in regions of interest by that in cerebellum. Haemodynamic reserve was defined as [CP after acetazolamide--CP before acetazolamide]/CP before acetazolamide x 100. Amounts of CP in the anterior portion of the frontal lobe and in the paracentral lobule were 0.70 +/- 0.04 and 0.74 +/- 0.03, respectively, before appearance of the transient ischaemic attacks. The latter was significantly higher than the former (p < 0.0001). Haemodynamic reserves were -11.1 +/- 2.8 and -9.6 +/- 3.0, respectively, at that time. These two parameters were significantly decreased just after paraparetic transient ischaemic attacks and two parameters in the paracentral lobule were more decreased than those in the anterior portion of the frontal lobe. But these increased again after bifrontal omental transplantation in these two regions. In summary, the watershed region was located anterior to the paracentral lobule before appearance of the transient ischaemic attacks, and widened and moved backward to include the paracentral lobule just before their appearance.

Large ependymal cyst of the cerebello-pontine angle in a child.

Most ependymal cysts occur intracerebrally, with a few cases situated in the subarachnoid space. The cerebellopontine angle is a common site for arachnoid cysts, but a very rare site for ependymal cysts. A case is described here of a large ependymal cyst in the cerebellopontine angle. A 12-year-old girl with left hearing disturbance was admitted. CT and MRI revealed a cystic tumor in the left cerebellopontine angle. At operation, we obtained a discrete thin-walled cyst which had arisen from a continuation of the choroid plexus of the lateral foramen of Luschka, which had no connection with the arachnoid. The cyst proved to be an ependymal cyst.

Cerebellar primary germ-cell tumor in a young boy.

Germ cell tumors originating in the posterior fossa are very rare. Described herein is a case of primary germ cell tumor (yolk sac tumor) found in the cerebellar vermis. A 5-year-old boy who complained of headache was admitted. CT and MRI revealed a tumor with diffuse enhancement by contrast medium in the right cerebellar vermis. Total removal was performed and a diagnosis of medulloblastoma or ependymoma was suspected. However, the tumor proved to be a yolk sac tumor with embryonal carcinomatous components from histological findings. Abnormally high levels of alpha-fetoprotein were found in blood and cerebrospinal fluid. Extensive examination indicated that the intracranial lesion had not metastasized from a primary extracranial tumor.

Hemodynamic evaluation with dynamic DSA during the treatment of cerebral vasospasm: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and super-selective intra-arterial infusion of papaverine have recently been performed for the treatment of cerebral arterial vasospasm, with generally favorable results in patients with delayed symptomatic cerebral vasospasm. METHODS: We used dynamic digital subtraction angiography (dynamic DSA) to measure local transit time before and after endovascular treatment (EVT) for the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysm and delayed symptomatic cerebral vasospasm. Mean transit time (MTT) was measured by dynamic DSA in 19 patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysm and delayed symptomatic cerebral vasospasm and 6 patients without symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (group III) just after surgery, immediately prior to EVT, just after EVT, and in the chronic stage of disease more than 1 month after onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage. EVT included PTA using a silicone nondetachable balloon and/or superselective infusion of 0.2% papaverine. RESULTS: Symptomatic vasospasm occurred between days 7 and 11 after onset of subarachnoid hemorrhage. The MTT just after the onset of neurologic deterioration in these 10 patients with complete neurologic recovery during the chronic stage of disease (group I) and the other 9 patients without complete recovery (group II) were respectively 6.92 +/- 0.42 seconds and 7.66 +/- 0.78 seconds. The latter value was significantly larger than the former (p < 0.02). MTT just after EVT in group II were also significantly greater than the corresponding MTT in group I (p < 0.002). In addition, immediately prior to EVT the MTT in group I and group II was significantly longer than that in group III (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Functional analysis with dynamic DSA can be used to detect hemodynamic disturbances, and can be used for hemodynamic evaluation during the treatment of symptomatic cerebral vasospasm.

End-to-end anastomosis of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery before excision of a meningioma involving the lower clivus and the foramen magnum. Case report.

BACKGROUND: Petroclival and foramen magnum meningiomas sometimes encase the vertebrobasilar arterial system. Magnetic resonance imaging can clearly reveal such encasement. The case presented here was of a meningioma involving the lower clivus and the foramen magnum, encasing a lateral segment of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA), despite the fact that no definitive diagnosis of the encasement of the PICA was made on preoperative radiological examination. End-to-end anastomosis of the PICA was necessary before excision of the tumor. METHODS: A 55-year-old woman presented with complaints of headache and numbness of the right upper extremity. Gadolinium diethylene-thiamine-pentaacetic acid enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images showed a homogeneously enhanced mass lesion involving the lower clivus and the foramen magnum. Direct surgery was then performed, and the lateral medullary segment of the left PICA was found to be encased by the tumor. End-to-end anastomosis was performed using No. 10-0 interrupted monofilament nylon sutures. Total removal of the tumor was performed after completion of the anastomosis. The patient was free of neurological abnormalities and no recurrence of tumor was found during a 2-year follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Revascularization is sometimes thought to be required for resection of craniospinal meningiomas even when they do not appear to encase the vertebro-basilar arterial system on preoperative MR imaging and cerebral angiograms. In the present case, dissection of the PICA from the tumor was attempted, but was difficult due to tight encasement of the PICA by the tumor.

Evaluation of time-dependent thresholds of cerebral blood flow and transit time during the acute stage of cerebral embolism: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Neurons within the ischemic penumbra are thought to be in a potentially reversible state of ischemic challenge. One therapeutic approach that is being actively explored is the recovery of function of cells within the ischemic penumbra through endovascular recanalization of cerebral arteries occluded with embolus. The purpose of this study was to determine the time-dependent hemodynamic threshold for the prevention of irreversible ischemia in patients with acutely symptomatic internal and middle cerebral artery (MCA) embolism. METHODS: Thirty-six patients admitted within 6 hours of the onset of symptoms of acute cerebral ischemia, due to embolic occlusion of the major trunk of one of the arteries of the anterior cerebral circulation, were studied. On admission, both cerebral blood flow (CBF) and mean transit time (MTT) measurements were obtained following plain computed tomography (CT). All patients were treated by intraarterial administration of urokinase. MTT in the territory of the affected MCA divided by that in the territory of the unaffected MCA was defined as %MTT. RESULTS: A significant negative correlation was found between MTT and CBF. In patients with at least 19 mL/100 g/minute CBF and a maximum of 1.6 %MTT, no cortical infarction occurred whether or not recanalization was obtained. Cortical infarction did not appear in patients with 9 mL/100 g/minute residual CBF and infinite %MTT in whom recanalization was achieved within 2 hours of onset, in patients with 13 mL/100 g/minute residual CBF and 3.7 %MTT in whom recanalization was achieved within 2.5 hours of onset, and in patients with 14 mL/100 g/minute residual CBF and 2.8 %MTT in whom recanalization could be achieved within 3.5 hours of onset. CONCLUSIONS: CBF and MTT thresholds for conversion of reversible to irreversible ischemia can be rapidly determined by CT-based technologies. This type of information should be clinically relevant to guiding the management of patients with cerebral embolism.

Disturbance of autoregulation in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms: mechanism of cortical and motor dysfunction.

Serial measurements of local cerebral blood flow were obtained with inhalation of stable xenon and computed tomography prior to and during induced hypertension with continuous infusion of dopamine (7-15 micrograms/kg/min) in 34 patients who underwent surgery for treatment of subarachnoid hemorrhage due to ruptured intracranial aneurysm. Cerebral vasospasm was detected angiographically in all but one of the patients studied. Vasospasm was not symptomatic in 19 patients, but was in the other 15 patients. Disturbance of autoregulation was observed just after surgical operation. In the latter group, local cerebral blood flow in the territory of the middle cerebral artery and the corona radiata on the craniotomy side reached their lowest values, 25.1 +/- 6.8 mL/100 g/min and 15.7 +/- 1.8 mL/100 g/min, respectively, on days 10-14, and each subsequently increased significantly, to 34.3 +/- 7.3 mL/100 g/min and 19.9 +/- 2.0 mL/100 g/min, respectively, during induced hypertension. In conclusion, cortical dysfunction and motor palsy in the patients studied here were thought to be due to significant reduction in local cerebral blood flow in the cortical territories of the middle cerebral artery and corona radiata, respectively.

Cerebral revascularization using gracilis muscle transplantation for childhood moyamoya disease.

BACKGROUND: Omental transplantation is effective in the management of ischemia in the territories of the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries in childhood moyamoya disease. We introduced a surgical revascularization using gracilis muscle transplantation to these territories. METHODS: Between January 1991 and May 1993, six children with moyamoya disease, between the age of 3 and 13 years, underwent gracilis muscle transplantation to the territory of either the anterior or the posterior cerebral artery. The mean period of follow-up after surgery was 15.2 months, with a range of 5 to 32 months. Three of the six patients had suffered from frequent transient visual disturbance and were treated with unilateral or bilateral gracilis muscle transplantation to the territory of the posterior cerebral artery. The other three patients had suffered from frequent transient paraparesis, mental retardation, and/or rectal and urinary incontinence, and were treated with gracilis muscle transplantation bilaterally to the territories of the anterior cerebral arteries. RESULTS: All three patients with gracilis muscle transplantation unilaterally or bilaterally to the occipital lobes manifested complete disappearance of their symptoms. Two of the three patients with gracilis muscle transplantation bilaterally to the frontal lobes also manifested complete disappearance of their symptoms. The remaining patient who underwent the transplantation bilaterally to the frontal lobes, continued to have episodes of transient paraparesis, postsurgically, but the frequency of symptoms was markedly decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Ischemia in the territories of the anterior and/or posterior cerebral arteries could be overcome with the use of gracilis muscle transplantation in childhood moyamoya disease.