Dural sinus malformation with giant pouch (DSMGP): symptoms and treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the clinical manifestations and treatment options of patients having dural sinus malformation with giant pouch (DSMGP) in a tertiary pediatric center. INTRODUCTION: Dural sinus malformation with giant pouch (DSMGP) is a rare vascular malformation affecting fetuses, newborns, and infants. It is characterized by a dilated dural sinus frequently thrombosed with arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in its wall. There is a few information about symptoms, best treatment, and prognosis of the disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Medical charts of cases of DSMGP were retrospectively analyzed from January 2010 to January 2019. Our hospital is a pediatric tertiary center. An adult patient managed by the authors in another institution was added to the series. RESULTS: Eight pediatric patients from 0 to 9 months were managed, four were males. The adult patient was a 40-year-old male. Symptoms were mass effect in 4 pediatric cases. Exophthalmos was present in the pediatric case and adult case. Both cases had venolymphatic malformation of the orbit. Congestive heart failure (CHF), epistaxis and facial vein engorgement, and intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) were the symptoms in other 3 cases. A child has spontaneous resolution of the disease. DISCUSSION: Transverse sinus and superior sagittal sinus are affected more commonly. Patients with totally thrombosed pouch had mass effect symptoms. These cases were managed by surgical excision. When AVFs are present, clinical manifestations were secondary to cerebral venous hypertension or cardiac overload. If cavernous sinus drained the shunt (capture), epistaxis and facial veins engorgement could be present. AVFs are amenable to embolization, achieving the control of venous hypertension in most cases. Cavernous malformation could be present and must be controlled because its enlargement could be a sign of uncontrolled venous hypertension. On the other hand, DSMGP can be accompanied by venolymphatic malformation conforming a cerebral venous metameric syndrome.

Intracranial pial fistulas in pediatric population. Clinical features and treatment modalities.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to describe the clinical manifestations and treatment modalities of patients having intracranial pial arteriovenous fistulas (PAVFs). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the cases of PAVFs from January 2004 to December 2013. Medical charts, diagnostic images, surgical, and endovascular reports were reviewed retrospectively during each of the procedures and follow-up. We recorded patient demographics, clinical presentation, treatment modalities, and outcome. RESULTS: Ten patients with single PAVFs were identified, one of them with multiple holes. The median age was 7.5 years old (20 days to 14 years). Six patients were male (60% of cases). Four PAVFs were localized in the posterior fossa, and six were supratentorial (60%). Two patients had intracranial bleeding, three presented seizures, one was studied for chronic headaches, three manifested by growth retardation, one had hydrocephalus, and one had a congestive heart failure (CHF) and vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation (VGAM). The latter did not improve after embolization and died few days later. Endovascular therapy was used in eight, whereas two patients were surgically managed. Total occlusion of the fistula was achieved in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: PAVF affects pediatric population at different ages with miscellaneous clinical manifestations. Endovascular treatment is safe and effective when the venous side of the fistula can be occluded.

The technique of superselective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: The Garrahan Hospital experience.

Background Superselective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SOAC) is a proven therapy for the treatment of retinoblastomas. We describe the technique, results and complications of SOAC performed in our hospital. Objective The aim of this article is to demonstrate that a seemingly complex technique can be carried out with a low morbidity rate. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients receiving SOAC in our department from November 2014 to April 2017 was performed. Data collected were age, gender, number of procedures, arteries approached, bilaterality of treatment, and complications. The procedure was performed using a 3F sheath and a flow-dependent 1.5F microcatheter that was navigated from the femoral artery to the ostium of the ophthalmic artery (OA). When the OA was too small or a stable position could not be achieved, the microcatheter was navigated in the external carotid artery to reach an anastomotic ramus (AR) of the middle meningeal artery (MMA) to the OA. The drugs were then injected through the microcatheter in a pulsatile way. Results Forty-one patients underwent SOAC. A total of 248 procedures were performed in 45 eyes, and 248 arteries were approached (205 OAs and 43 MMAs). Four patients underwent tandem therapy (both eyes treated in the same procedure). Complications were: hypotension and bradycardia during the procedure (five cases), transient thrombosis of the femoral artery (two cases), retinal hemorrhage (one case), alopecia (one case), and anaphylactic shock to carboplatin (one case). No patient showed adverse effects of radiation or ischemic stroke. Conclusion SOAC is a safe technique with a very low complication rate.

Ophthalmic artery microcatheterization for research purposes in pigs. A technical note.

PURPOSE: To describe a technique for micro catheterization of the external ophthalmic artery (EO) in pigs for investigational and training purposes. METHODS: Carotid angiography was performed in seven male domestic pigs. The external ophthalmic artery was reached with a microcatheter in order to administer a neoplastic drug in the eye. RESULTS: The external ophthalmic artery could be found arising from the infraorbital (IO) artery in the bend of the internal maxillary (IM) artery. It could be reached in every animal. CONCLUSION: Following anatomic landmarks of the external carotid (EC) artery the ophthalmic artery can be easily reached and catheterized for training and investigational purposes.

Hernia de disco lumbar en pacientes menores de 20 años: presentación de 4 casos y revisión de la literatura / Lumbar disc hernia in patients younger than 20 years old: case presentation and literatura review

Objetivo: presentar una serie de pacientes menores de 20 años operados por hernia de disco lumbar. Método: se revisaron 90 pacientes intervenidos quirúrgicamente por HNP en un Htal Público de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (HIGA Vte. López y Planes), en un período d e32 meses – junio 2009 a enero 2012 – que incluyeron 4 pacientes con menos de 20 años de edad (4.5% del n° total). Todos los pacientes eran de sexo femenino y presentaban lumbalgia de 20 días a 6 meses de evolución, asociada a síndrome radicular e impotencia funcional. El diagnóstico se realizó mediante Rx e IRM de columna lumbosacra. Las localizaciones de la HNP fueron en 3 casos L4-L5, uno asociado a L5-S1 y en 1 caso L5-S1 solamente. Se realizó en todos los casos una disectomía + foraminotomia, en 3 casos mediante hemisemilaminectomia y la restante con laminectomia. Resultados: en todos los casos la evolución fue excelente, evaluados mediante cuestionario de discapacidad de Oswestry, logrando reincorporarse al trabajo sin secuelas, con un seguimiento de entre 24 meses y 2 meses como máximo y mínimo respectivamente. Conclusión: el tratamiento quirúrgico de la hernia de disco representa una de las prácticas más frecuentes en un Servicio de Neurocirugía pero en pacientes menores de 20 años es poco habitual, habiendo representado el 4.5%.