[Bilateral Internal Carotid Artery Dissection Caused by Elongated Styloid Processes:A Case Report].

We report a case of bilateral internal carotid artery(ICA)dissection associated with bilateral elongated styloid processes(ESPs). A 46-year-old man presented with transient aphasia and left visual disturbance at a business meeting. He complained of a foreign body sensation in his throat during swallowing for two years. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)demonstrated fresh small infarcts in the left corona radiata. Magnetic resonance angiography(MRA)revealed string signs bilaterally in the cervical ICAs. The patient was diagnosed with bilateral idiopathic ICA dissection and was treated with ozagrel and clopidogrel. Three-dimensional computed tomographic angiogram(3DCTA)indicated bilateral ESPs and bilateral ICA stenosis. 3DCTA with the patient's head tilting and neck extension revealed that each ICA was compressed by the ipsilateral ESP. A follow-up MRA showed complete normalization of bilateral ICAs after neck rest and anti-platelet therapy, following which, clopidogrel was stopped. The patient wore a soft cervical collar until the operation, to avoid contact between the ESPs and ICAs due to changes in head position. Bilateral ESP resection was performed to prevent recurrence of cerebral ischemic events caused by ICA dissection. The patient was discharged one week after the surgery without any neurological deficit. There was no recurrence of symptoms during the next eight months after the operation.

[A Case of Fibromuscular Dysplasia in a Patient with Various Main Trunk Dissections in the Head and Neck over a Short Period].

We report a case of subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)from an intracranial vertebral artery(VA)dissection in a patient with fibromuscular dysplasia(FMD)who presented with headache. A 54-year-old woman complained of spontaneous occipital headache. The dilatation of the left VA was detected on magnetic resonance angiography(MRA). She was diagnosed with left VA dissection(headache onset type). After sudden onset of headache on the second day of hospitalization, her consciousness level, as defined by the Japan Coma Scale, was 300. Computed tomography(CT)revealed SAH. Cerebral angiography showed the dilatation of the left intracranial VA and contrast material pooling, which was suspected to be a sign of dissection. We performed VA intravascular ligation by coil embolization. The postoperative course was good but postoperative MRA revealed arterial wall irregularities in both the extra cranial internal carotid artery and the right VA. Cerebral angiography showed the presence of the string-of-beads sign at these arteries. She was diagnosed with FMD. SAH might develop during the follow-up period in patients with VA dissection, even those in whom the initial symptom is headache. In addition, cases of FMD might also be complicated by various lesions of the main trunk of the cerebral artery.

[Clinical Study on Cerebellar Contusion:A Report on 9 Cases and Literature Review].

We report 9 cases of cerebellar contusion from April 2011 to September 2014 at our department. Frequency, clinicoradiological findings, mechanism of injury, treatments, and outcomes were retrospectively analyzed. Of 239 head injury cases admitted to our department during the same period, 9(3.8%)were diagnosed as cerebellar contusion. Among these 9 cases, 7 were men, and 2 were women. The patient age ranged from 12 to 83 years with a mean age of 64.7 years. The mechanism of injury was traffic accident in one patient, and fall in 8. All cases were associated with direct head trauma to the occiput, and radiographic studies showed occipital bone fracture in 8 cases. Six cases were managed conservatively. Three cases underwent suboccipital craniectomies and clot evacuations. Glasgow Outcome Scale(GOS)score at discharge were Good Recovery(GR)in 2, Moderate Disability(MD)in 2, Severe Disability(SD)in 3, Vegetative State(VS)in 1, and Dead(D)in 1. GOS scores in surgically treated cases were GR in 1, SD in 1, and VS in 1. Supratentorial severe traumatic lesions were concomitant with poor prognosis. Coup injury was a significant cause of cerebellar contusion. External decompression and clot evacuation were useful in patients who suffered severe cerebellar contusion;however, concomitant supratentorial lesions influenced the prognosis.

[Long-term Results Regarding the Instability of Decompressive Surgery without Fusion for Degenerative Spondylolisthesis].

PURPOSE: The long-term results of decompressive surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) were evaluated with reference to instability. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients (n=48) undergoing decompressive surgery without fusion were studied. The diagnosis of spondylolisthesis was made based on the presence of sagittal vertebral slippage greater than 3mm. Instability was defined as translation more than 2mm on lateral functional radiography. Surgical interventions were divided into two groups: bilateral laminotomy (n=25)and laminectomy (n=23). Clinical results were evaluated according to the McCulloch's classification and Japanese Orthopedic Association(JOA)score. RESULTS: Of 48 patients, 25 showed preoperative instability. Eleven patients showed both pre-and postoperative instability. The mean pre-and postoperative slippages were 7.5 and 7.6mm, respectively. Of 23 patients without preoperative instability, nine developed postoperative instability. In this group, slippage changed from 6.2 to 6.1mm. Instability was not related to slippage progression. Surgical results of patients undergoing laminotomy were superior to those undergoing laminectomy. The mean pre-and postoperative JOA scores and recovery rate were 14.5, 20.9, and 63.1 in instability group patients with laminotomy and 15.6, 23.2, and 59.0 in the non-instability group, respectively. Surgical results were similar and not related to preoperative instability. Low back pain (LBP) showed no correlation to the degree of slippage, instability, and surgery type. LBP improved in each group. CONCLUSIONS: Instability, defined by vertebral translation on lateral functional radiography, did not affect the surgical results of patients with DS treated with laminotomy.

[Long-term results of decompressive surgery without fusion for degenerative spondylolisthesis].

PURPOSE: The long-term results of decompressive surgery for degenerative spondylolisthesis with symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis were evaluated retrospectively with regard to the postoperative progression of slippage and clinical symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 53 patients who underwent surgery, and for whom follow-up of at least 5 years was conducted. Spondylolisthesis was diagnosed based on the presence of sagittal vertebral translation greater than 3mm on lateral radiographs. The patients were divided into two groups:Group I:37 patients undergoing bilateral laminotomy, and Group II:16 patients undergoing laminectomy. The clinical results were evaluated according to McCulloch's classification and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score. RESULTS: The mean pre-and postoperative JOA scores were 14.6 and 22.9 in Group I and 14.7 and 21.0 in Group II, respectively. The JOA scores improved soon after surgery, after which the scores declined gradually in both groups. The recovery rate was 63.0% in Group I and 43.7% in Group II. The average amount of pre- and postoperative slippage was 7.3mm and 6.9mm in Group I and 6.2mm and 6.9mm in Group II, respectively. In Group I, the slippage progressed within the first year, after which the degree of slippage slowly decreased to lower values than those observed preoperatively, whereas slippage progressed for 5 years before declining in Group II. No correlations were observed between progression of slippage and clinical outcomes in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Laminotomy produces satisfactory long-term results both clinically and radiographically in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Successful treatment of bilateral vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms with subarachnoid hemorrhage: report of three cases.

Vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) is a relatively rare cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Bilateral VADAs are even rare, and management strategies for this type of VADAs are still controversial. Here, we report 3 cases of bilateral VADAs with SAH. All 3 patients were treated conservatively under strict sedation and blood pressure control during the acute stage. During the course, rebleeding was not observed in any case. One patient underwent trapping of the ruptured VADA on day 28, because this lesion was considered to have a high tendency to rebleed, even in the chronic stage. In the other 2 patients, after conservative treatment, the VADAs spontaneously resolved on the both sides. As for the therapeutic strategy for bilateral VADAs presenting with SAH, at the acute stage, considering the difficulty of bypass surgery, we recommend conservative treatment with sedation and strict control of blood pressure. At the chronic stage, however, when the VADA is still large and growing in size, surgical treatment such as proximal occlusion or trapping of the affected VA with or without distal revascularization should be considered to avoid rebleeding.

[Case of bilateral vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage].

Vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) is a relatively rare cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Bilateral VADAs are even rarer, and there is no established treatment for this type of VADA. We report a case of bilateral VADAs with SAH. A 45-year-old man suddenly developed headache and consciousness disturbance and was referred to our hospital. CT scans demonstrated SAH mainly in the left cerebello-pontine cistern. Three dimensional computed tomographic angiography (3D-CTA) revealed fusiform dilatation of the bilateral vertebral arteries (VAs), suggesting dissecting aneurysms. The aneurysm on the left was larger in size than that on the right, and also had a bleb-like protrusion. Therefore, the left one was considered to be the cause of SAH. The patient was initially treated conservatively for one month to obtain spontaneous resolution of the aneurysms. On day 22, 3D-CTA revealed that the right VADA had decreased in size, however, the left VADA had slightly enlarged. On day 28, he underwent trapping of the ruptured left VADA. Postoperative course was uneventful. Occlusion of one VA may increase the hemodynamic pressure of the contralateral VA, inducing enlargement and subsequent rupture of the contralateral aneurysm. Therefore, both lesions of bilateral VADAs should be treated. However, if collateral blood flow through the posterior communicating artery is poor, occlusion of both VAs at the acute phase is considered to be intolerable. Therefore, waiting spontaneous resolution of the contralateral unnruptured dissecting aneurysm may be the treatment of choice for this type of lesion.

Kissing aneurysms at the junction of the internal carotid artery and the ipsilateral duplicate anterior choroidal arteries--case report.

A 45-year-old woman presented with kissing aneurysms located at the junctions of the internal carotid artery and the duplicate anterior choroidal arteries manifesting as acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. The aneurysms were clipped during temporary occlusion of the internal carotid artery. Surgery for kissing aneurysms requires special consideration including analysis of the anatomical relationship before clipping, control of premature rupture during clipping, and preservation of the patency of the two anterior choroidal arteries after clipping.

Blood pressure in the artery distal to an intraarterial embolus during thrombolytic therapy for occlusion of a major artery: a predictor of cerebral infarction following good recanalization.

OBJECT: The aim in this study was the investigation of back pressure in arteries distal to the occlusion site during intraarterial thrombolysis as well as the usefulness of back pressure measurement in combination with diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to predict the occurrence of ischemic lesions following good recanalization. METHODS: . Twenty-five consecutive patients with severe hemiparesis caused by embolism of the internal carotid artery (10 patients) and the proximal middle cerebral artery (15 patients) were treated using intraarterial thrombolysis. Systolic back pressure, measured through a microcatheter in the artery just distal to the emboli, ranged from 22 to 78 mm Hg. According to an angiographic inclusion criterion for good recanalization--that is, recanalization of the M2 or more distal arteries at the end of thrombolysis--21 of 25 patients underwent evaluation in this study. In 14 patients volumes of low-density areas on computerized tomography (CT) scans obtained 2 months postthrombolysis were smaller in comparison with volumes of hyperintense areas on DW MR images acquired before treatment, whereas these low-density areas were larger in seven patients. Compared with those on initial DW MR images, the volume of abnormalities on CT scans obtained 2 months posttreatment were significantly reduced in patients with a systolic back pressure greater than 30 mm Hg (16 patients) than in those with a back pressure of 30 mm Hg or less (five patients) (p < 0.05). Systolic back pressures greater than 30 mm Hg were associated with significantly better modified Rankin Scale scores than those 30 mm Hg or less (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Back pressure measurement in combination with DW MR imaging can be used to predict the occurrence of infarction as demonstrated on CT scans following thrombolysis.

Tumoral calcinosis involving the cervical spine.

BACKGROUND: Tumoral calcinosis (TC) is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by the presence of calcified masses in the juxta-articular regions of the extremities. Involvement of the cervical spine is very rare. In this report, the characteristics of TC of the cervical spine, including the clinical presentation, radiographic features, and surgical management are discussed. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 90-year-old healthy female suffering from numbness of the upper extremities for 3 months presented with a 2-week history of progressive weakness of the lower extremities. A neurological examination revealed mild weakness and sensory impairment of the bilateral upper and lower extremities. Computed tomography (CT) scans demonstrated amorphous calcified masses posterior to the spinous process that extended into the interlaminar spaces of C3/4 and C4/5. The masses involved the posterior elements of C3-C4. Interestingly, CT scans performed 4 years earlier showed subtle calcification of a yellow ligament at C3/4 and C4/5. However, neither calcified masses nor bone erosion were observed. On magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, the mass showed hypointensity on T1- and T2-weighted images. The lesion was compressing the spinal cord and was resected surgically. The pathological findings were consistent with those of TC. The natural history of TC is not understood. However, this case suggests that calcified masses may progress within several years and that the bone around the mass may be involved. Postoperatively, residual masses may disappear spontaneously, while new bone is formed in the erosive lamina and facet. CONCLUSION: The treatment of choice for TC, if the lesion causes progressive symptoms, is surgical resection.

Recanalization by mechanical embolus disruption during intra-arterial thrombolysis in the carotid territory.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mechanical disruption of a clot with a microcatheter and a guidewire has not been detailed in conjunction with intra-arterial thrombolysis in patients with acute ischemic stroke. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of mechanical disruption of an embolus in the carotid artery distribution. METHODS: We analyzed clinical and radiologic findings and functional outcomes 3 months after thrombolysis with mechanical disruption. Outcomes were classified as good for modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores of 0-2, moderate for mRS scores of 3, and poor for death and mRS scores of 4 or 5. RESULTS: Twenty-three consecutive patients with severe hemispheric symptoms were treated with several methods of mechanical embolus disruption during the intra-arterial administration of urokinase. Twelve patients had occlusions of the proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA), and 11 had occlusions of the distal internal carotid artery (ICA). Recanalization was observed in all patients with MCA occlusions and in 10 (91%) with ICA occlusions. Outcomes were good in nine patients (75%) with MCA occlusions and in four (36.4%) with ICA occlusions. Early management of vessel perforation, caused by a microguidewire tip in two patients, resulted in early hemostasis. Neither patient had a major deficit attributable to the complication. CONCLUSION: A high incidence of recanalization and clinical improvement can be observed in patients with occlusions of not only the proximal MCA but also the distal ICA. This method might be an effective additional option to intra-arterial thrombolysis for acute distal ICA and proximal MCA occlusions.

Postangiographic 3D CT findings of a thrombosed dissecting aneurysm of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery.

We report a case of a thrombosed dissecting aneurysm of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Although the aneurysmal sac was not shown on an angiogram on the day of the onset, 3D CT performed immediately after angiography revealed the aneurysm. The patient was successfully treated by endovascular occlusion.

[Quantitative analysis of plasma concentration of barbiturate for diagnosis of brain death].

Organ transplantation from brain death patients started in Japan in 1997. However it is difficult to diagnose brain death in patients treated with barbiturate therapy. In this study, the influence of long continuous administration of barbiturate on diagnosis of brain death was investigated by measuring plasma concentration of barbiturate. In 15 patients treated with barbiturate therapy, plasma concentrations of thiamylal were measured by liquid chromatographic apparatus every day until it's level decreased below 0.1 microgram/ml after cessation of continuous administration. At the same time, plasma thiamylal levels were checked on the day when burst-suppression (b-s) pattern had disappeared in 9 cases, light reflex of pupil appeared in 7 cases and spontaneous respiration had been detected by trigger lamp in 11 cases. The plasma concentrations of thiamylal on the day when b-s pattern had disappeared differed clearly among the cases in the range of 8.8 to 37.9 micrograms/ml. Those cases in which light reflex of the pupil had been recognized were also different in the range of 17.8 to 57.8 micrograms/ml. The cases in which spontaneous respiration had been detected were in the range of 4.4 to 23.0 micrograms/ml. These concentrations varied about 4, 3 and 5 times among the cases examined. The intervals between cessation of continuous administration of thiamylal and the decrease of plasma concentration to below 0.1 microgram/ml also varied from 2 to 14 days from case to case. The minimum concentration of thiamylal on the day when b-s pattern had disappeared, light reflex of the pupil had been recognized and spontaneous respiration had been detected was 8.8, 17.8 and 4.4 micrograms/ml respectively. These results suggest that diagnosis of brain death in patients treated with barbiturate therapy is able to be made when the plasma thiamylal level is below 4.4 micrograms/ml.

[Rupture of a small aneurysm originating from an infundibular dilatation--case report].

Infundibular dilatations (IDs) are funnel-shaped enlargements of the origin of cerebral arteries. Usually IDs occur at the junction between posterior communicating artery and the internal carotid artery. Progression from an ID of the posterior communicating artery to an aneurysm has previously been described, but it is unclear whether an ID is a pre-aneurysmal state or a normal anatomical variant. In this study, we describe the successful treatment of a small aneurysm originating from a pre-aneurysmal ID. A 63-year-old man suddenly developed severe headache and consciousness disturbance and was admitted to our hospital. CT scans revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) mainly in the left sylvian fissure. Three-dimensional computed tomographic angiography (3D-CTA) revealed an ID of the left posterior communicating artery. A small aneurysm of 1.5 mm in diameter was also observerd to extend posterolaterally from the wall of the ID. In addition the left posterior communicating artery was well developed, and the angle between the left internal carotid artery and left posterior communicating artery was large. On the bosis of the CT and 3D-CTA findings, the small aneurysm originating from the ID was considered to be the cause of SAH. On day 18, left pterional craniotomy was performed, and the patient underwent clipping of the small aneurysm. The postoperative course was uneventful. An ID of the posterior communicating artery can develop into an aneurysm and subsequently rupture. The development of an aneurysm from the ID may be influenced by hemodynamic stress and hypertension. Thus patients with the pre-aneurysmal ID should be carefully followed up for a long time.

Mild hyperthermia plus adenoviral p53 over-expression additively inhibits the viability of human malignant glioma cells.

Adenoviral replacement of the p53 gene has already been proved effective for the treatment of various tumours, including malignant gliomas. However, it is difficult to treat malignant glioma with p53 gene therapy alone because of problems with resistance or a less-than-satisfactory response to the treatment. This study investigated whether heat shock at 43 degrees C (mild hyperthermia) augments the cytotoxic effect of p53 gene transfer on malignant glioma cells expressing wild-type p53 (D54) or mutant p53 (U373-MG and U251-MG). The combination of mild hyperthermia and adenoviral p53 over-expression had an additive inhibitory effect on cellular proliferation in all three cell lines studied. Further, both cell cycle analysis and a DNA fragmentation assay showed that apoptosis was induced by p53 over-expression alone but not by heat shock at 43 degrees C alone. However, p53 over-expression followed by mild hyperthermia additively increased the proportion of cells in which apoptosis was induced, regardless of the endogenous p53 status of the tumour cells. Interestingly, a caspase-independent mechanism was observed to be involved in the p53-induced apoptosis in U251-MG and D54 cells. Taken together, the findings showed that combining adenoviral p53 transfer with mild hyperthermia inhibits the proliferation of malignant glioma cells in an additive manner, irrespective of their endogenous p53 status, suggesting a novel treatment strategy for this malignancy.

Mild heat shock induces autophagic growth arrest, but not apoptosis in U251-MG and U87-MG human malignant glioma cells.

Although hyperthermia has been used as a treatment of malignant brain tumors, it is not yet clear what is the mechanism of the cell growth inhibition by heat shock, especially by the temperature which has clinically been applied to tumor-brain border-zone, 42-43 degrees C. Therefore, we evaluated the change of U251-MG and U87-MG human malignant glioma cells after 43 degrees C-heat shock comparing with that of 45 degrees C. First, we observed that cell growth was transiently inhibited after 43 degrees C-heat shock for 3 or 5 days, in U251-MG or U87-MG cells, respectively, which was followed by regrowth. During the period of transient growth inhibition, mild G2/M arrest was observed. However, apoptosis was observed in only 2.7% or 1.5%, of 43 degrees C-heated cells, in U251-MG or U87-MG cells, respectively. Instead, transmission electron micrography showed the formation of vacuoles, degeneration of mitochondria, and autophagosomes. Moreover, in the both cell lines, flow-cytometric analysis with acridine orange revealed the induction of acidic vesicle organelles, which was blocked by 3-methyladenine (3-MA), suggesting the involvement of autophagy. Furthermore, while 3-MA did not increase the anti-tumor effect of 43 degrees C-heat shock, bafilomycin A1, another autophagy inhibitor, did significantly enhance the effect in U251-MG cells. Taken together, mild heat shock (43 degrees C for 2 h) causes autophagy and mild G2/M arrest, but does not induce apparent apoptosis in U251-MG and U87-MG glioma cells. Inhibition of autophagy with bafilomycin A1 may increase the anti-tumor efficacy of mild heat shock against some malignant glioma cells.