A complex anterior communicating artery aneurysm projecting into the sella turcica.

Intrasellar aneurysms are rare vascular lesions that typically present with symptoms of mass effect upon the pituitary gland and optic apparatus. Most arise from the internal carotid artery, while only a handful of case reports describe intrasellar aneurysms originating from the anterior communicating artery. The appropriate recognition and management of these lesions are critical to prevent irreversible neurological deficits and catastrophic hemorrhage. Here, we highlight a patient with an anterior communicating artery aneurysm projecting into the sella turcica, leading to hyponatremia, pituitary dysfunction, and chiasmal compression.

Eagle syndrome: a rare pathology presented in a 3-Dimensional reconstructed view.

A 42-year-old male presented with 3-month history of constant right-sided frontal headaches, severe right-sided intermittent sharp jaw pain, odynophagia, globus pharyngis, and worsening episodes of blurry vision in his right eye. Cervicocerebral angiography demonstrated a prominent, 4 cm right sided styloid process with close proximity to the right internal carotid artery (ICA). The patient was referred to otorhinolaryngology for styloidectomy and continued care.

Resolution of hypoglossal nerve palsy after coil embolization of an anterior condylar confluence fistula.

A 69-year-old female presented with 2-year history of slurred speech, left-sided pulsatile tinnitus, and left-sided hypoglossal nerve palsy. Cerebral angiography demonstrated a left anterior condylar confluence fistula. She was treated with a transvenous coil embolization of the left condylar fistula pocket.

Microsurgical treatment of tentorial dural fistulas causing thalamic venous hypertension: two illustrative sister cases.

This video is a presentation of technical tenets for the microsurgical clipping of a tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula presenting with thalamic venous hypertension. These cases are easily misdiagnosed and often supplied by the tentorial artery of Davidoff and Schecter. The cases shown in the video uniquely illustrate a supracerebellar infratentorial approach to identify and clip an arterialized tentorial vein utilizing intraoperative Doppler and fluorescein, with navigation and an intraoperative cerebral angiogram in a hybrid neuroangiography operative suite. Both patients were found to have thalamic edema on preoperative imaging, which significantly improved postoperatively.The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/HmUO6Ye53QI.

Transcranial Optical Monitoring of Cerebral Hemodynamics in Acute Stroke Patients during Mechanical Thrombectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical thrombectomy is revolutionizing treatment of acute stroke due to large vessel occlusion (LVO). Unfortunately, use of the modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score (mTICI) to characterize recanalization of the cerebral vasculature does not address microvascular perfusion of the distal parenchyma, nor provide more than a vascular "snapshot." Thus, little is known about tissue-level hemodynamic consequences of LVO recanalization. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) and diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) are promising methods for continuous, noninvasive, contrast-free transcranial monitoring of cerebral microvasculature. METHODS: Here, we use a combined DCS/DOS system to monitor frontal lobe hemodynamic changes during endovascular treatment of 2 patients with ischemic stroke due to internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusions. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: The monitoring instrument identified a recanalization-induced increase in ipsilateral cerebral blood flow (CBF) with little or no concurrent change in contralateral CBF and extracerebral blood flow. The results suggest that diffuse optical monitoring is sensitive to intracerebral hemodynamics in patients with ICA occlusion and can measure microvascular responses to mechanical thrombectomy.

Spontaneous regression of an idiopathic arteriovenous fistula of the right vertebral artery.

A previously healthy 53-year-old male presented with a 2-month history of pulsatile tinnitus, worsening headaches, and neck pain. Given the clinical symptoms, a workup was initiated to assess for a vascular etiology such as a dural arteriovenous fistula.

Fluoroscopic C-Arm and CT-Guided Selective Radiofrequency Ablation for Trigeminal and Glossopharyngeal Facial Pain Syndromes.

Objectives: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the gasserian ganglion through the foramen ovale and the glossopharyngeal nerve at the jugular foramen is a classical approach to treating trigeminal neuralgia (TN) and glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GPN), respectively. However, it can be technically challenging with serious complications. We have thus developed a novel technique utilizing C-arm and computerized tomography (CT) guidance to block TN and GPN. Our goals were to describe a three-dimensional image-based technique to improve patient comfort and to decrease procedural time associated with needle guidance. Study design: Consecutive procedures were reviewed. Setting: Academic hospital. Methods: Three patients with classical TN and GPN and 15 patients with atypical facial pain (AFP) were treated. Numeric rating scale (NRS) scores for pain at pretreatment and at one, three, and 12 months post-treatment were recorded. The primary clinical outcome (50% or more reduction in NRS) and secondary adverse clinical outcome (hematoma, facial numbness, etc.) were monitored. Results: We had a 100% technical success with respect to appropriate needle positioning. All three classical TN/GPN patients had both immediate and sustained pain relief. Complications were minimal. The 15 AFP patients, however, showed more variable results, with only five (33%) having sustained pain relief, while in the other 10 (67%) patients, we observed suboptimal response. Conclusions: We present a novel method and single-center experience with C-arm and CT-guided RFA of facial pain. Quick and accurate needle placement will help future advancements in the RFA algorithm so that more durable and consistent effects can be attained, reducing uncertainty with respect to needle placement as a confounder. The RFA procedure in our study had a satisfying effect for classical TN/GPN patients but was less successful for AFP patients, though it did mirror the results from previous studies. Limitations: This study is limited by its small sample size and nonrandomized design.

Implementation of a multimodal patient safety improvement program "SafetyLEAP" in intensive care units.

Purpose Patient safety remains a top priority in healthcare. Many organizations have developed systems to monitor and prevent harm, and have invested in different approaches to quality improvement. Despite these organizational efforts to better detect adverse events, efficient resolution of safety problems remains a significant challenge. The authors developed and implemented a comprehensive multimodal patient safety improvement program called SafetyLEAP. The term "LEAP" is an acronym that highlights the three facets of the program including: a Leadership and Engagement approach; Audit and feedback; and a Planned improvement intervention. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the implementation of the SafetyLEAP program in the intensive care units (ICUs) of three large hospitals. Design/methodology/approach A comparative case study approach was used to compare and contrast the adherence to each component of the SafetyLEAP program. The study was conducted using a convenience sample of three ( n=3) ICUs from two provinces. Two reviewers independently evaluated major adherence metrics of the SafetyLEAP program for their completeness. Analysis was performed for each individual case, and across cases. Findings A total of 257 patients were included in the study. Overall, the proportion of the SafetyLEAP tasks completed was 64.47, 100, and 26.32 percent, respectively. ICU nos 1 and 2 were able to identify opportunities for improvement, follow a quality improvement process and demonstrate positive changes in patient safety. The main factors influencing adherence were the engagement of a local champion, competing priorities, and the identification of appropriate resources. Practical implications The SafetyLEAP program allowed for the identification of processes that could result in patient harm in the ICUs. However, the success in improving patient safety was dependent on the engagement of the care teams. Originality/value The authors developed an evidence-based approach to systematically and prospectively detect, improve, and evaluate actions related to patient safety.

Contralateral transcallosal resection of a ventricular body arteriovenous malformation: 3D operative video.

A 46-year-old male presented with an incidentally discovered left ventricular body arteriovenous malformation (AVM). It measured 2 cm in diameter and had drainage via an atrial vein into the internal cerebral vein (Spetzler-Martin Grade III, Supplementary Grade 4). Preoperative embolization of the posterior medial choroidal artery reduced nidus size by 50%. Subsequently, he underwent a right-sided craniotomy for a contralateral transcallosal approach to resect the AVM. This case demonstrates strategic circumferential disconnection of feeding arteries (FAs) to the nidus, the use of aneurysm clips to control large FAs, and the use of dynamic retraction and importance of a generous callosotomy. Postoperatively, he was neurologically intact, and angiogram confirmed complete resection. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/j0778LfS3MI .

Quantitative volumetric analysis of head and neck venous and lymphatic malformations to assess response to percutaneous sclerotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Venous and lymphatic malformations of the head and neck can be successfully treated with percutaneous sclerotherapy. PURPOSE: To examine the utility of three-dimensional volumetric analysis to assess these lesions and their response to therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Prospectively maintained procedure records were retrospectively reviewed to identify all patients with vascular malformations who underwent percutaneous sclerotherapy. Clinical data were used to classify lesions by apparent size and degree of visible physical asymmetry due to the lesions. Lesion volume was calculated using magnetic resonance images. Cohen's weighted kappa coefficients were calculated to assess both intra- and inter-rater agreement. Pearson coefficients were calculated to identify correlation between clinical and volumetric measures, both at initial diagnosis and following treatment. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients with head and neck venous or lymphatic malformations underwent 55 treatment sessions. Cohen's weighted kappa coefficients were 0.84 and 0.77 for intra- and inter-rater agreement, respectively. Clinical size did not significantly correlate with measured volume at diagnosis (ρ = 0.08, P = 0.57). For lymphatic malformations, total lesion volume correlated with volume of macrocystic components (ρ = 0.47, P < 0.01). Total volume reduction significantly correlated with clinical response grade (ρ = 0.46, P = 0.02). For lymphatic malformations, reduction of volume of the macrocystic component significantly correlated with clinical response grade (ρ = 0.44, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Changes in calculated volume corresponded to clinical measures of treatment response. Variability of qualitative approaches to lesion analysis may have led to the lack of correlation between initial size of a lesion based on clinical measures and calculated volume. Future research should include quantitative metrics to augment qualitative clinical results.

Supracerebellar infratentorial sitting craniotomy for a pinealoblastoma.

Pinealoblastomas are WHO grade IV tumors of the pineal region and comprise up to 50% of all pineal parenchymal tumors. They are highly aggressive tumors that spread along the craniospinal axis and are most commonly seen in children. The standard of care involves maximal surgical resection and chemoradiation following tissue diagnosis. We present the rare case of a large pinealoblastoma in an 18-year-old girl who presented with headaches and Parinaud's syndrome from tectal compression. An attempt was made at endoscopic transventricular biopsy of the tumor at an outside hospital, but it was aborted given bleeding at the biopsy site. We performed a supracerebellar infratentorial approach in a sitting position to achieve a gross-total resection of the tumor. This video case illustrates techniques for setting up a sitting craniotomy and approaching a previously biopsied hemorrhagic pinealoblastoma. The venous conglomerate at the tentorial incisura was found to be enveloped by the tumor and a thickened arachnoid scar. Surgical anatomy of the third ventricle and the pineal region is illustrated in this case through the process of surgical dissection and tumor resection. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/CzB0lFQ7AyI .

Subfrontal trans-lamina terminalis approach to a third ventricular craniopharyngioma.

Craniopharyngiomas are benign, partly cystic epithelial tumors that can rarely occur in a retrochiasmatic location with involvement of the third ventricle. The lamina terminalis is an important neurosurgical corridor to these craniopharyngiomas in the anterior portion of the third ventricle. We present a video case of a large midline suprasellar and third ventricular craniopharyngioma in a 32-year-old male with visual disturbances. The tumor was approached with a subfrontal translamina terminalis exposure, and a gross-total resection of the tumor was achieved. This surgery involved working through a lamina terminalis fenestration around the optic nerve, optic chiasm, optic tracts, and the anterior communicating artery complex. This video illustrates the techniques employed in performing a transbasal anterior skull base approach to the third ventricle and demonstrates vivid surgical anatomy of neurovascular structures around the lamina terminalis. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/fCYMgx8SnKs .

Microsurgical treatment of a tentorial galenic dural arteriovenous fistula.

Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulae (TDAVFs) are complex lesions with the arteriovenous fistula located between the leaves of the tentorium cerebelli. While a large portion of dural arteriovenous fistulae are treated endovascularly, TDAVF may require additional microsurgical treatment given their high risk of hemorrhage and multitude of feeders. We describe the case of a 65-year-old male who presented with hemorrhage from a straight sinus and galenic TDAVF. The straight sinus portion of the fistula was obliterated by 3 endovascular treatments and 1 microsurgical treatment. The galenic component of the TDAVF persisted and was approached via a posterior interhemispheric approach in a lateral position. This video demonstrates surgical technique and anatomy associated with this rarely seen dural arteriovenous fistula. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/iOLzWOabLZ0 .

Microsurgical resection of ambient cistern arteriovenous malformation.

The middle tentorial incisural space, located lateral to the midbrain and medial to the temporal lobe, contains the ambient cistern through which courses the third, fourth, and fifth cranial nerves, posterior cerebral artery (PCA), superior cerebellar artery, and the choroidal arteries. Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) in this compartment are supplied by the thalamogeniculate and posterior temporal branches of the PCA, and drain into tributaries of the basal vein of Rosenthal. We present a case of an AVM in this middle tentorial incisural space that persisted after embolization and radiosurgery, and was microsurgically resected through a subtemporal approach. This case demonstrates the anatomy of the middle incisural space and technical aspects in microsurgical resection of these rare AVMs. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/V-dIWh8ys3E .

The strokes that killed Churchill, Roosevelt, and Stalin.

From February 4 to 11, 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the United States, Soviet Union Premier Joseph Stalin, and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill met near Yalta in Crimea to discuss how post-World War II (WWII) Europe should be organized. Within 2 decades of this conference, all 3 men had died. President Roosevelt died 2 months after the Yalta Conference due to a hemorrhagic stroke. Premier Stalin died 8 years later, also due to a hemorrhagic stroke. Finally, Prime Minister Churchill died 20 years after the conference because of complications due to stroke. At the time of Yalta, these 3 men were the leaders of the most powerful countries in the world. The subsequent deterioration of their health and eventual death had varying degrees of historical significance. Churchill's illness forced him to resign as British prime minister, and the events that unfolded immediately after his resignation included Britain's mismanagement of the Egyptian Suez Crisis and also a period of mistrust with the United States. Furthermore, Roosevelt was still president and Stalin was still premier at their times of passing, so their deaths carried huge political ramifications not only for their respective countries but also for international relations. The early death of Roosevelt, in particular, may have exacerbated post-WWII miscommunication between America and the Soviet Union-miscommunication that may have helped precipitate the Cold War.

Alberta stroke program early computed tomographic scoring performance in a series of patients undergoing computed tomography and MRI: reader agreement, modality agreement, and outcome prediction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: In this study, we compare the performance of pretreatment Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomographic scoring (ASPECTS) using noncontrast CT (NCCT) and MRI in a large endovascular therapy cohort. METHODS: Prospectively enrolled patients underwent baseline NCCT and MRI and started endovascular therapy within 12 hours of stroke onset. Inclusion criteria for this analysis were evaluable pretreatment NCCT, diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI), and 90-day modified Rankin Scale scores. Two expert readers graded ischemic change on NCCT and DWI using the ASPECTS. ASPECTS scores were analyzed with the full scale or were trichotomized (0-4 versus 5-7 versus 8-10) or dichotomized (0-7 versus 8-10). Good functional outcome was defined as a 90-day modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients fulfilled our study criteria. The full-scale inter-rater agreement for CT-ASPECTS and DWI-ASPECTS was 0.579 and 0.867, respectively. DWI-ASPECTS correlated with functional outcome (P=0.004), whereas CT-ASPECTS did not (P=0.534). Both DWI-ASPECTS and CT-ASPECTS correlated with DWI volume. The receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that DWI-ASPECTS outperformed both CT-ASPECTS and the time interval between symptom onset and start of the procedure for predicting good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score, ≤2) and DWI volume ≥70 mL. CONCLUSION: Inter-rater agreement for DWI-ASPECTS was superior to that for CT-ASPECTS. DWI-ASPECTS outperformed NCCT ASPECTS for predicting functional outcome at 90 days.

Seven-Tesla MRI and neuroimaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease.

The goal of this paper was to review the effectiveness of using 7-T MRI to study neuroimaging biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). The authors reviewed the literature for articles published to date on the use of 7-T MRI to study AD. Thus far, there are 3 neuroimaging biomarkers for AD that have been studied using 7-T MRI in AD tissue: 1) neuroanatomical atrophy; 2) molecular characterization of hypointensities; and 3) microinfarcts. Seven-Tesla MRI has had mixed results when used to study the 3 aforementioned neuroimaging biomarkers for AD. First, in the detection of neuroanatomical atrophy, 7-T MRI has exciting potential. Historically, noninvasive imaging of neuroanatomical atrophy during AD has been limited by suboptimal resolution. However, now there is compelling evidence that the high resolution of 7-T MRI may help overcome this hurdle. Second, in detecting the characterization of hypointensities, 7-T MRI has had varied success. PET scans will most likely continue to lead in the noninvasive imaging of amyloid plaques; however, there is emerging evidence that 7-T MRI can accurately detect iron deposits within activated microglia, which may help shed light on the role of the immune system in AD pathogenesis. Finally, in the detection of microinfarcts, 7-T MRI may also play a promising role, which may help further elucidate the relationship between cerebrovascular health and AD progression.

Preoperative endovascular embolization of meningiomas: update on therapeutic options.

In this review paper the authors analyze new therapeutic options for the embolization of meningiomas, as well as the future of meningioma treatment through recent relevant cohorts and articles. They investigate various embolic materials, types of meningiomas amenable to embolization, imaging techniques, and potential imaging biomarkers that could aid in the delivery of embolic materials. They also analyze perfusion status, complications, and new technical aspects of endovascular preoperative embolization of meningiomas. A literature search was performed in PubMed using the terms "meningioma" and "embolization" to investigate recent therapeutic options involving embolization in the treatment of meningioma. The authors looked at various cohorts, complications, materials, and timings of meningioma treatment. Liquid embolic materials are preferable to particle agents because particle embolization carries a higher risk of hemorrhage. Liquid agents maximize the effect of devascularization because of deeper penetration into the trunk and distal tumor vessels. The 3 main imaging techniques, MRI, CT, and angiography, can all be used in a complementary fashion to aid in analyzing and treating meningiomas. Intraarterial perfusion MRI and a new imaging modality for identifying biomarkers, susceptibility-weighted principles of echo shifting with a train of observations (SW-PRESTO), can relay information about perfusion status and degrees of ischemia in embolized meningiomas, and they could be very useful in the realm of therapeutics with embolic material delivery. Direct puncture is yet another therapeutic technique that would allow for more accurate embolization and less blood loss during resection.

Ventricular endoscopy in the pediatric population: review of indications.

INTRODUCTION: Neuroendoscopy has greatly impacted pediatric neurosurgery over the past few decades. Improved optics and microsurgical tools have allowed neuroendoscopes to be used for a multitude of neurosurgical procedures. DISCUSSION: In this review article, we present the breadth of intraventricular neuroendoscopic procedures for the treatment of conditions ranging from hydrocephalus and brain tumors to congenital cysts and other pathologies. We critically discuss treatment indications and reported success rates for neuroendoscopic procedures. We also present novel approaches, technical nuances, and variations from recently published literature and as practiced in the authors' institution.

Endovascular treatment of a tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula.

Tentorial dural arteriovenous fistulae are rare intracranial fistulae, in which the fistula pocket is present within the leaves of tentorium cerebelli. These tentorial fistulae can be rarely present near the galenic complex, where they can engorge the deep venous system and cause symptoms of venous hypertension. We present an interesting case of endovascular treatment of a galenic tentorial dural arteriovenous fistula in a patient with headaches and imbalance. The fistula was accessed through the artery of Davidoff and Schecter from the posterior cerebral artery supplying the fistula. The fistula was completely embolized using Onyx and with preservation of vein of Galen. The video can be found here: http://youtu.be/igX2X5tfvrg .