Is flow diversion the death of cerebral bypass and coiling/stent-assisted coiling for giant cavernous aneurysms? A critical review on comparative outcomes and ongoing clinical trials.

The classic surgical treatment for symptomatic giant aneurysms originating from the cavernous segment of the carotid artery has been either microsurgical direct clip-reconstruction or carotid occlusion followed by additional cerebral bypass for those patients who fail in a balloon test occlusion. Nevertheless the emergence of new endovascular techniques, especially flow-diverting devices, has promised to revolutionize the treatment of giant cavernous aneurysms, possibly avoiding major microsurgical operations. In this review the authors summarize the current "state-of-art" of treatment of giant cavernous aneurysms, comparing the overall outcomes, complications, morbidity and mortality rates of new flow-diverting devices in relation to traditional microsurgical series.

Safety and efficacy of combined micropuncture and shallow angle femoral artery access for neurovascular angiography.

INTRODUCTION: The AXERA 2 low-angle vascular access device utilizes a dual arteriotomy mechanism in which the standard access tract is compressed by a vascular sheath inserted over the second, low-angle tract. It is unknown whether this device could be effectively used with 21-gauge micropuncture access, as the micropuncture introducer makes a larger arteriotomy than the 19-gauge needle provided with the AXERA 2 system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 189 patients who underwent common femoral artery access for diagnostic cerebrovascular angiography using either combined micropuncture and AXERA 2 access or standard access with manual pressure hemostasis. Demographic and procedural data were reviewed along with complications related to vascular access and times to bed elevation, ambulation and discharge. RESULTS: Combined micropuncture and AXERA 2 access was performed on 110 patients and 79 patients had standard access. The AXERA device was successfully used in 91.8% of the cases. Demographic data, anticoagulant use and sheath sizes were similar between both subsets. Use of the AXERA 2 was associated with two bleeding complications (1.8%) compared with 10 (12.7%) with manual pressure hemostasis alone. Institution-specific protocol allowed shorter mean manual compression time, as well as shorter times to ambulation and discharge with the AXERA 2. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the AXERA 2 device with micropuncture access did not infer increased bleeding risk than standard arterial access in this patient series. The considerable incidence of device use failures suggests a learning curve associated with its use.

Modern interventional management of stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke continues to be one of the leading causes of disability and death and is a financial burden to an already taxed health care system. Much research and investigation has been carried out over the past decade on various recanalization devices aimed at restoring cerebral blood flow. Despite the rapidly improving technical abilities of these devices, it has been difficult to demonstrate corresponding improved clinical outcomes. This article will describe the application of the most recent generation of these devices and briefly discuss the ongoing discrepancy between these technical achievements and stroke outcomes.

Developments on the horizon in the treatment of neurovascular problems.

The field of Interventional Neuroradiology and Endovascular Neurosurgery has seen much technical advancement in the past two decades, which has brought the specialty from its infancy as an alternative therapy to the current standing as near standard of care for many complex neurovascular pathologies. This past year is no exception with flow diverting stents and stent retriever devices aiming to make their mark on advanced treatments for intracranial aneurysms and ischemic stroke, respectively. This review article will focus on the development of these technologies, current data supporting their advantages and limitations, and a brief expert opinion on where these technologies may take the field in the next few years.

Visual complications after stent-assisted endovascular embolization of paraophthalmic and suprasellar variant superior hypophyseal aneurysms: the Duke Cerebrovascular Center experience in 57 patients.

OBJECTIVE: To review retrospectively experience with stent-assisted coiling of ophthalmic segment internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms to report outcome data and identify the rate of associated visual complications. METHODS: The Duke endovascular database was retrospectively reviewed to identify all ICA aneurysms treated with stent-assisted embolization between November 2002 and October 2009. Only aneurysms arising from the ophthalmic segment of the ICA and originating from the paraophthalmic or suprasellar variant superior hypophyseal artery were included. These aneurysms have the potential to create visual disturbances related to mass effect on the optic nerve or chiasm or to disrupt the ophthalmic artery. Chart review was performed to obtain clinical information, immediate incidence, and follow-up of aneurysm remnants and any visual complications. RESULTS: There were 63 aneurysms (48 paraophthalmic and 15 suprasellar variant superior hypophyseal) identified in 57 patients. The ophthalmic artery was preserved in all but two (3.5%) cases, neither of which resulted in visual deficits. One (1.8%) patient experienced transient acute visual disturbances, and two (3.5%) patients had delayed, persistent deficits. CONCLUSIONS: Stent-assisted embolization of ophthalmic segment ICA aneurysms is technically achievable and in our series did not appear to result in increased visual complications compared with coil embolization alone or surgical treatment.

Legacy and current understanding of the often-misunderstood Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. Historical vignette.

Foix-Alajouanine syndrome has become a well-known entity since its initial report in 1926. The traditional understanding of this clinical syndrome is as a progressive spinal cord venous thrombosis related to a spinal vascular lesion, resulting in necrotic myelopathy. However, spinal venous thrombosis is extremely rare and not a feature of any common spinal vascular syndrome. A translation and review of the original 42-page French report revealed 2 young men who had presented with progressive and unrelenting myelopathy ultimately leading to their deaths. Pathological analysis demonstrated endomesovasculitis of unknown origin, including vessel wall thickening without evidence of luminal narrowing, obliteration of cord vessels, or thrombosis. Foix and Alajouanine also excluded the presence of intramedullary arteriovenous malformations. At the time, dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) had not been described, and therefore this type of lesion was not specifically sought. In retrospect, it seems possible that both patients had progressive myelopathy due to Type I dAVFs. In the decades since that original report, numerous authors have included spinal cord venous thrombosis as a central feature of Foix-Alajouanine syndrome. The inclusion of thrombosis in the clinical picture of this syndrome is not only incorrect but may leave one with the impression of therapeutic futility, thus possibly preventing successful surgical or endovascular therapy.