Mycotic pseudoaneurysm in the internal carotid artery secondary to cranial base abscess diagnosed with optic neuritis: a case report.

Aspergillus-induced mycotic aneurysm is difficult to treat and often has poor outcomes with severe symptom progression. Early diagnosis is also difficult, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests often fail to reveal any findings. A 74-year-old man presented with recurrent nosebleeds in addition to symptoms of left optic neuritis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan revealed a left internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm protruding into the left Onodi cells, which was identified as the origin of bleeding. Endovascular left internal carotid artery occlusion was performed. One month postoperatively, external ophthalmoplegia and disorientation occurred. Although antibiotic treatment was continued for 1 month, consciousness loss and haematemesis occurred, and a new contralateral right internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm ruptured, which resulted in death. At autopsy, Aspergillus infection centred on the skull base was pathologically found, although the sinus mucosal surface was normal. This case suggested a mycotic infection secondary to optic neuritis resulted in a left infectious pseudoaneurysm that spreads to the skull base and formed an aneurysm on the contralateral side 4 months thereafter. Therefore, the possibility that features of the Onodi cells contributed to the spread of inflammation inside and outside the skull and were involved in the formation of aneurysms inside and outside the dura mater was considered for the first time.

High D-Dimer Concentration Is a Significant Independent Prognostic Factor in Patients with Acute Large Vessel Occlusion Undergoing Endovascular Thrombectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate prognostic factors that affect the modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months after onset of acute stroke in patients with large vessel occlusion who underwent endovascular thrombectomy. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 87 consecutive patients who underwent endovascular cerebral thrombectomy for acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion at Oita University Hospital and Nagatomi Neurosurgery Hospital from January 2014 to December 2020. RESULTS: Age, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, and D-dimer concentration on admission were significant univariate prognostic factors related to modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months after stroke onset. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that D-dimer concentration was the only significant independent prognostic factor. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for D-dimer concentration and modified Rankin Scale score at 3 months was 0.715 (95% confidence interval 0.599-0.831); sensitivity and specificity were 60.6% and 80.0%, respectively, using a 1.9 µg/mL cutoff value. CONCLUSIONS: Prognosis may be worse in patients undergoing acute endovascular cerebral thrombectomy with high D-dimer concentration on admission. Other treatment options should be considered for these patients.

Case of lumbar ligamentum flavum hematoma with epidural hematoma resulting in cauda equina compression.

Background: Lumbar ligamentum flavum hematomas (LFHs) are rare. However, when they occur and contribute to epidural cauda equina compression, timely surgical intervention is frequently warranted. Case Description: A 69-year-old female presented with the left lower extremity sciatica and gait disturbance of 2 weeks' duration that ultimately evolved into a paraparesis/cauda equina syndrome. When the lumbar MRI revealed left-sided L4-L5 epidural compression attributed to a hemorrhage into the hypertrophied ligamentum flavum (HLF), she successfully underwent a bilateral fenestration/decompressive procedure. Pathologically, neovascularization and rupture of the ventral layers of the degenerated and thickened HLF contributed to the LFH. Conclusion: Arterial neovascularization (i.e., arterial feeding vessels from paramuscular/prelaminar lumbar branches) contributed to a left-sided L4-L5 LFH that resulted in epidural cauda equina compression in a 69-year-old female. Following surgical focal fenestration/decompression, the patient's symptoms/signs resolved.

Third nerve palsy caused by compression of the posterior communicating artery aneurysm does not depend on the size of the aneurysm, but on the distance between the ICA and the anterior-posterior clinoid process.

OBJECTIVE: Third nerve palsy (TNP) caused by a posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysm is a well-known symptom of the condition, but the characteristics of unruptured PCoA aneurysm-associated third nerve palsy have not been fully evaluated. The aim of this study was to analyze the anatomical features of PCoA aneurysms that caused TNP from the viewpoint of the relationship between the ICA and the skull base. METHODS: Forty-eight unruptured PCoA aneurysms were treated surgically between January 2008 and September 2013. The characteristics of the aneurysms were evaluated. RESULTS: Thirteen of the 48 patients (27%) had a history of TNP. The distance between the ICA and the anterior-posterior clinoid process (ICA-APC distance) was significantly shorter in the TNP group (p<0.01), but the maximum size of the aneurysms was not (p=0.534). CONCLUSION: Relatively small unruptured PCoA aneurysms can cause third nerve palsy if the ICA runs close to the skull base.

Repeated cyst formation in a patient with leukoencephalopathy, cerebral calcifications, and cysts: effectiveness of stereotactic aspiration with Ommaya reservoir placement.

The combination of leukoencephalopathy, cerebral calcifications, and cysts (LCC) constitutes a rare cerebral disorder characterized by distinctive neuroradiological and clinical findings. Twenty-eight cases of LCC have been reported. Surgery is usually required to treat progressively expanding cysts, but surgical strategies have been varied. The authors present the case of a patient who underwent 4 surgical procedures for repeated cyst formation. The first operation was performed for the removal of a cyst and to make a histopathological diagnosis. The second and third operations were performed to treat de novo cysts. The fourth operation was performed to treat a recurrence. This is the first reported case of LCC in which it was necessary to perform surgery 4 times, in large part due to de novo cyst formation. It provides evidence that multiple cysts may develop in these patients and that several surgical operations may be needed to treat LCC. Stereotactic aspiration with Ommaya reservoir placement is an appropriate procedure for this condition because it is less invasive and more repeatable than open surgery.