Posterior Communicating Artery Hypoplasia: A Risk Factor for Vertebral Artery Dissection Causing Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVE: Subarachnoid hemorrhage due to vertebral artery dissection is often fatal; however, its anatomical predictors remain unclear. We conducted a retrospective hospital-based case-control study to evaluate whether variations in the posterior communicating artery are associated with the risk of vertebral artery dissection with subarachnoid hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We obtained data from patients who underwent computed tomography angiography at our hospital between April 2010 and March 2020. Based on the connection between the anterior and posterior circulation of the arterial circle of Willis, the patients were categorized into a separated group (posterior communicating artery hypoplasia) and a connected group (all others). We evaluated the association between the development of posterior communicating artery and subarachnoid hemorrhage due to vertebral artery dissection using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-eight patients had subarachnoid hemorrhage due to vertebral artery dissection and 76 were identified as age- and sex-matched controls. In conditional multivariate logistic regression analysis, the separated group showed a significant association with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to vertebral artery dissection, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.8 (95% confidence interval, 1.2-6.5; P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that posterior communicating artery hypoplasia may be associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to vertebral artery dissection. Our results highlight the importance of anatomical variations in the cerebral artery and provide evidence to help develop preventive measures against strokes.

[Transoral Penetrating Cranial Injury by a Chopstick:A Case Report].

Intracranial injury resultant from a chopstick penetrating the oral cavity is often fatal in children, and only 5 clinical cases have been reported. If the depth of penetration is indeterminable, due to the chopstick being removed or the remaining piece not being located, then injury management is challenging; here, we report such a case. A 26-month-old girl fell over with a plastic chopstick in her mouth. The chopstick was removed immediately and without breakage by her father. He noted that around 3 cm of the pointed end had pierced the palate. CT revealed air bubbles in the retropharyngeal space but no abnormality in the cranium. Subsequent complications included bacterial meningitis and right hemiparesis but neither MRI nor any alternative imaging modality could aid in locating the intracranial lesion that induced the weakness. Neurological findings suggested injury of the right lateral corticospinal tract at the lower end of the medulla oblongata. An axial T2-weighted MRI showed a 30-mm high signal path of penetration from the posterior nasopharyngeal wall to the dura at the craniocervical junction. When the route is extended 36 mm intracranially from the wound orifice, the path makes superficial contact with the right lateral portion of the medulla oblongata, which corresponds with the lateral corticospinal tract. We therefore hypothesize that this was the lesion location but that it was too small to be detected using MRI.

Contralateral hyperacute intracerebral hemorrhage after carotid artery stenting with contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion.

An 87-year-old man sustained an intracerebral hemorrhage in the watershed area of the contralateral frontal lobe immediately after carotid artery stenting (CAS) for severe cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. The contralateral cervical ICA was occluded. CAS resulted in increased cross-flow through the anterior communicating artery and increased flow in the contralateral middle cerebral artery. This case demonstrates that CAS in patients with contralateral ICA occlusion and insufficient collateral flow can cause dramatically increased collateral flow through the circle of Willis and result in contralateral hyperperfusion. In patients with severely compromised cerebral perfusion, measures should be taken to prevent hyperperfusion-related complications.

Long-term Functional Outcomes for World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies Grade V Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage after Active Treatment.

This study investigated the long-term outcomes of patients with World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade V aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) who underwent early aneurysm repair. We evaluated consecutive patients with WFNS grade V aneurysmal SAH from April 2010 to March 2015 who underwent aneurysm repair within 72 h after onset. We assessed the functional outcomes at discharge and 3 years after onset using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). The primary outcome was defined as a favorable functional outcome (mRS ≤2). We identified 145 patients with grade V SAH during the study period. Of these, 44 patients (19 males and 25 females; median age, 64 years; range, 24-79 years) met the inclusion criteria. For aneurysm repair, surgical clipping and coiling were performed in 40 (90.9%) and 4 (9.1%) patients, respectively. Although no patient had a favorable functional outcome at discharge, 11 (25.0%) patients had a favorable functional outcome at the end of follow-up. The number of patients with a favorable outcome significantly increased during the first year (P = 0.012) and during the follow-up period (P <0.001). Patients who underwent active rehabilitation had significant improvement. Our study showed that one-fourth of the patients who underwent early aneurysm repair with WFNS grade V SAH achieved a mRS score of ≤2 over a 3-year period. It might be important to consider age and rehabilitation for better clinical outcomes. Larger studies are required to adequately assess the long-term functional outcomes and other multi-faceted prognoses.

Sumo-Associated Traumatic Vertebral Artery Dissection Precipitating Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Association with Bifid Origins of the Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic vertebral artery dissection (tVAD) is frequently accompanied by cerebellar infarction, but subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is rare. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report a unique case of tVAD precipitating SAH, from which the patient fully recovered, most likely because of the protective effects of an anomalously duplicated posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) origin. A 17-year-old Sumo wrestler experienced a brief loss of consciousness after an attack by an opponent to his neck. Head computed tomography imaging demonstrated diffuse posterior fossa SAH; cerebral angiography demonstrated left vertebral artery (VA) occlusion, which was thought to be most likely attributable to tVAD. Angiography revealed distal PICA reconstitution, supplied by collateral arterial flow from the meningeal branch of the proximal ipsilateral VA. An external ventricular drain was placed acutely for treatment of SAH-induced hydrocephalus; however, the patient had an otherwise uneventful course, and remained without clinical evidence of ischemic infarct. A repeat imaging confirming a probable duplicated PICA origin from the VA, distal to the tVAD-associated thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: Of particular interest, the patient's abnormal anatomy may have been a mixed blessing, with a more fragile bifid PICA potentially underlying the unexpected development of SAH, whereas the sister branch simultaneously spared him a potentially catastrophic infarction via arterial collateralization.

Bilateral Internal Carotid and Left Vertebral Artery Dissection after Blunt Trauma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Multi-vessel cervical arterial injury after blunt trauma is rare, and its pathophysiology is unclear. Although blunt cerebrovascular injury is a common cause of cerebral ischemia, its management is still controversial. We describe a 23-year-old man in previously good health who developed three-vessel cervical arterial dissections due to blunt trauma. He was admitted to our emergency and critical care center after a motor vehicle crash. Computed tomography showed a thin, acute subdural hematoma in the right hemisphere and fractures of the odontoid process (Anderson type III), pelvis, and extremities. He was treated conservatively, and about 1 month later, he developed bleariness. Computed tomography angiography showed bilateral internal carotid and left vertebral artery dissection. Aspirin therapy was started immediately, and then clopidogrel was added to the regimen. Two weeks later, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed improved blood flow of the vessels. Only aspirin therapy was continued. About 3 months after discharge, MRA demonstrated further improvement of the blood flow of both internal carotid arteries, but the dissection flap on the right side remained. Therefore, we extended the duration of antiplatelet therapy. On the basis of our experience with this case, we think that antithrombotic therapy is crucial for the management of multi-vessel cervical arterial injury, and agents should be used properly according to the injury grade and phase; however, further study is needed to confirm this recommendation.