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Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIA) is a rare infectious neurovascular disease. The most common clinical manifestation of IIA is subarachnoid hemorrhage or intracranial hematoma caused by aneurysm rupture, which has a high morbidity and mortality. For unruptured IIA, the clinical manifestations are hidden and the diagnosis is more difficult. This article mainly reviews the research progress of diagnosis and treatment of IIA, in order to provide reference for the diagnosis and treatment of IIA.
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Objective:To compare the effect of middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) versus conventional therapy for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH).Methods:Retrospective analysis of 38 patients with 48 CSDHs treated with MMAE from May 2019 to May 2021 was performed. Comparisons were made with a conventional treatment for 126 patients with 126 CSDHs from January 2016 to May 2021. The MMAE and conventional treatment patients were matched by the propensity score matching method, and a total of 25 pairs of patients (31 pairs of CSDHs) were successfully matched. The CSDH recurrence, rescue treatment, radiographic follow-up outcome, clinical improvement and complication between the two groups were compared by t test, χ 2 test or Fisher exact probability methods. Results:The rescue treatment rate in MMAE group was significantly lower than that in conventional treatment group [0 (0/31) vs 19.4% (6/31), P=0.024] and the complete resolution rate at 6 months follow-up in MMAE group was significantly higher than that in conventional treatment group [96.8 (30/31) vs 74.2% (23/31), P=0.026]. In terms of CSDH recurrence, there was a trend of lower recurrence in the MMAE group [3.2%(1/31) vs 22.6% (7/31), P=0.053]. The complete resolution rate at 3 months follow-up was 61.3% (19/31) in MMAE group and 45.2% (14/31) in conventional treatment, clinical improvement rate was 92.0% (23/25) in MMAE group and 88.0% (22/23) in conventional treatment, good outcome rate (mRS≤2) was 92.0% (23/25) in MMAE group and 84.0% (21/25) in conventional treatment, complication rate was 0(0/25) in MMAE group and 4.0% (1/25) in conventional treatment, and there were no significant differences in all above-mentioned parameters ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The MMAE may be considered as a safe and effective treatment for CSDH, and MMAE for CSDH is associated with lower trend of recurrence, lower rescue treatment rate and better radiographic follow-up outcome than conventional therapy.
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Objective:To explore the value and significance of sensorimotor cortex (SMC) in the recovery of upper limb motor function after cerebral infarction in the striatum with blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI).Methods:A total of 17 patients with primary onset of striatal intracapsular infarction (SCI) with unilateral severe upper limb paralysis, who were strictly screened from the Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University from June 2015 to December 2017, were selected as research subjects, and 15 healthy volunteers were selected as controls. BOLD-fMRI under the passive finger extension (FE) task on the hemiplegic side was performed within one week, one month and three months after the onset of the disease. The activation of SMC was observed by SPM8 software. The activation of corresponding brain activation areas in BOLD-fMRI was observed by Xjview software and compared with the standard brain activation areas dynamically. The upper limb section of the Fugl-Meyer Scale (FM-UL) was used to track the motor function of the upper limb. The upper limb motor function of the selected patients was evaluated before functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning, at one month and three months after onset of the disease.Results:In the controls, fMRI showed that the main brain activation areas were located in the contralateral SMC and bilateral supplementary motor area. According to the activation time course of the affected side SMC and the comparison results with the standard brain activation area, the study patients were divided into three groups: group 1 (six patients), in which the activation intensity of SMC was stronger than that of standard brain activation area in the early stage of onset; group 2 (five patients), in which the activation intensity of SMC in the affected side was stronger than that in the standard brain activation area at one month after onset; group 3 (six patients), in which the activation intensity of SMC in the affected side increased gradually in three months, but still did not exceed the standard brain activation area. The activated voxel values of the affected side SMC in group 1 patients at the first time, one month and three months were 3 570.2±1 125.9, 1 205.8±328.2 and 1 121.5±407.5, respectively, the difference within the group being statistically significant ( F=12.8, P=0.001); the activated voxel values of the affected SMC in group 2 patients were 556.2±171.7, 648.6±177.3 and 993.2±182.9, respectively, and the differences within the group were statistically significant ( F=6.5, P=0.018); the activated SMC values of the affected SMC in group 3 patients were 520.0±375.9, 573.5±375.0 and 680.9±359.8, respectively, and there was no statistically significant difference within the group ( P>0.05). The three times FM-UL scores corresponding to group 1 patients were (10.0±3.3) points, (52.3±4.6) points and (63.7±2.9) points; the three times FM-UL scores corresponding to group 2 patients were (10.6±5.7) points, (36.6±2.4) points and (59.2±3.1) points; and the three times FM-UL scores corresponding to group 3 patients were (9.2±4.0) points, (12.5±3.0) points and (13.3±5.0) points; FM-UL scores in group 1 and group 2 patients showed statistically significant differences within the groups ( F=348.4, 183.6; P<0.001), whereas that in group 3 patients showed no statistically significant difference within the group ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the initial FM-UL score among the groups ( P>0.05), while the differences among the groups at one month and three months were statistically significant ( F=191.7,304.5; P<0.001). Conclusions:The survival of SMC on the affected side after cerebral infarction is a prerequisite for the rehabilitation of limb motor function. Its early activation cannot predict the clinical prognosis, but the dynamic enhancement of SMC activation on the affected side is related to the rehabilitation speed of the affected limb.
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Objective:To explore the relationship between cerebral hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and angiographic early venous filling (EVF) following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.Methods:A retrospective imaging analysis was performed in the consecutive patients treated from January 2015 to November 2018 for acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion using mechanical thrombectomy on the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University. The demography, vascular risk factors and other clinical data of the patients were also collected. According to the experimental study of European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study Ⅱ (ECASS Ⅱ), the modified classification of HT after mechanical thrombectomy was divided into HT negative, HT-Ⅰ type and HT-Ⅱ type. The differences in EVF, clinical and demographic characteristics were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for HT and clinical outcome. Diagnostic test characteristics of EVF for HT-Ⅱ type were determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.Results:A total of 98 patients with acute ischemic stroke who received mechanical thrombectomy were enrolled, including HT negative in 48 cases (49.0%, 48/98), HT-Ⅰ in 40 cases (40.8%, 40/98) and HT-Ⅱ in 10 cases (10.2%, 10/98). Significant differences were noted in age, and incidence of atrial fibrillation, EVF and poor outcomes among three groups ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that EVF [odds ratio (OR) 5.960, 95%CI 1.750-8.960, P=0.001] and atrial fibrillation (OR 3.485, 95%CI 1.962-18.986, P=0.028) were risk factors for the occurrence of HT-Ⅱ after mechanical thrombectomy. No risk factor for HT-Ⅰ was noted. Baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (OR 1.162, 95%CI 1.021-1.345, P=0.038), EVF (OR 5.358, 95%CI 1.665-13.653, P=0.006) and HT-Ⅱ (OR 1.326, 95%CI 1.226-2.038, P=0.032) were independent risk factors for poor outcomes. And the sensitivity and specificity of EVF in prediction for HT-Ⅱ were 80.0% and 86.4% respectively, with the area under the ROC curve of 0.832. Conclusion:Presence of EVF after mechanical thrombectomy may be the predictor for HT-Ⅱ, which indicates the poor clinical outcomes for acute ischemic stroke patients.
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Objective@#To explore the relationship between cerebral hemorrhagic transformation (HT) and angiographic early venous filling (EVF) following mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.@*Methods@#A retrospective imaging analysis was performed in the consecutive patients treated from January 2015 to November 2018 for acute anterior circulation large vessel occlusion using mechanical thrombectomy on the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University. The demography, vascular risk factors and other clinical data of the patients were also collected. According to the experimental study of European Cooperative Acute Stroke Study Ⅱ (ECASS Ⅱ), the modified classification of HT after mechanical thrombectomy was divided into HT negative, HT-Ⅰ type and HT-Ⅱ type. The differences in EVF, clinical and demographic characteristics were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent risk factors for HT and clinical outcome. Diagnostic test characteristics of EVF for HT-Ⅱ type were determined using a receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis.@*Results@#A total of 98 patients with acute ischemic stroke who received mechanical thrombectomy were enrolled, including HT negative in 48 cases (49.0%, 48/98), HT-Ⅰ in 40 cases (40.8%, 40/98) and HT-Ⅱ in 10 cases (10.2%, 10/98). Significant differences were noted in age, and incidence of atrial fibrillation, EVF and poor outcomes among three groups (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that EVF [odds ratio (OR) 5.960, 95%CI 1.750-8.960, P=0.001] and atrial fibrillation (OR 3.485, 95%CI 1.962-18.986, P=0.028) were risk factors for the occurrence of HT-Ⅱ after mechanical thrombectomy. No risk factor for HT-Ⅰ was noted. Baseline National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score (OR 1.162, 95%CI 1.021-1.345, P=0.038), EVF (OR 5.358, 95%CI 1.665-13.653, P=0.006) and HT-Ⅱ (OR 1.326, 95%CI 1.226-2.038, P=0.032) were independent risk factors for poor outcomes. And the sensitivity and specificity of EVF in prediction for HT-Ⅱ were 80.0% and 86.4% respectively, with the area under the ROC curve of 0.832.@*Conclusion@#Presence of EVF after mechanical thrombectomy may be the predictor for HT-Ⅱ, which indicates the poor clinical outcomes for acute ischemic stroke patients.
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Objective To investigate the mechanism of motor recovery in hemiplegic patients after ischemic stroke using acupuncture-induced blood oxygenation level dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).Methods A total of 20 patients with left hemiplegia after ischemic stroke were enrolled in the study. DTI raw data was used to reconstruct three dimensional image of pyramidal tract through post-processing of workstation,and the damage and recovery of the pyramidal tract were observed. SPM8 and other software were used to compare and analyze the acupuncture-induced BOLD-fMRI data, and the distribution differences in the brain activation areas were compared. Results The muscle strength grade and the Fugl-Meyer scale score at 6 months were significantly higher than those during 3-6 weeks after stroke onset. DTI showed that the right pyramidal tract had different degrees of damage, interrupt, compression, and displacement during 3-6 weeks after onset, and there were different degrees of repair, remodeling at 6 months after onset. Acupuncture-induced BOLD-fMRI showed that compared with 3-6 weeks after onset, the positive activated brain regions were mainly located in the motor related brain regions in bilateral frontal cortex and the left cerebellum, and the negative activated brain regions were mainly located in the limbic system, such as bilateral anterior cingulate cortex and parahippocampal gyrus. Conclusions The mechanism of motor recovery in hemiplegic patients after ischemic stroke may be mainly related to the regulation and compensation of motor related brain regions,as well as the regulation of muscular tension through the extrapyramidal system. The repair and reorganization of the damaged motor pathway may also be the mechanism of motor recovery in hemiplegic patients after ischemic stroke.
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Objective To evaluate the safety and efficiency of thrombectomy with clamping embolus technique ( TCET ) by partial retrieving stent comparing with conventional stent retrievers thrombectomy (CSRT) for acute ischemic stroke.Methods Retrospective analysis was performed in 42 consecutive patients treated by stent retrievers thrombectomy between January 2015 and November 2016 for acute intracranial large vessel embolism . Data on recanalization rates , procedure duration , thrombectomy attempts, one-pass rate, postoperative subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH),and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score during 90 days follow-up were compared between TCET and CSRT groups .Results Recanalization rate was 90.0%(18/20) in TCET group and 90.9% (20/22) in CSRT group, post-procedural SAH was 10.0%(2/20) in TCET group and 13.6% (3/22) in CSRT group, good outcome (mRS score≤2) was 60.0%(12/20) in TCET group and 59.1% (13/22) in CSRT group, all without significant differences (P>0.05).The number of thrombectomy attempts with TCET was significantly lower than that with CSRT (1.7 ±0.5 vs 2.6 ±0.8, t=2.118, P=0.040), the procedure duration with TCET was significantly shorter than that with CSRT ( (36.8 ±8.6) min vs (55.5 ±10.5) min, t=-3.493, P=0.001) and one-pass thrombectomy rate with TCET was significantly higher than that with CSRT ( 60.0% ( 12/20 ) vs 22.7%(5/22), χ2 =6.041,P=0.014) .Conclusion TCET is safe and feasible for acute ischemic stroke and might improve the efficiency of thrombectomy comparing with CSRT .
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Objective To evaluate the safety and efficiency of thrombectomy with clamping embolus technique ( TCET ) by partial retrieving stent comparing with conventional stent retrievers thrombectomy (CSRT) for acute ischemic stroke.Methods Retrospective analysis was performed in 42 consecutive patients treated by stent retrievers thrombectomy between January 2015 and November 2016 for acute intracranial large vessel embolism . Data on recanalization rates , procedure duration , thrombectomy attempts, one-pass rate, postoperative subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH),and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score during 90 days follow-up were compared between TCET and CSRT groups .Results Recanalization rate was 90.0%(18/20) in TCET group and 90.9% (20/22) in CSRT group, post-procedural SAH was 10.0%(2/20) in TCET group and 13.6% (3/22) in CSRT group, good outcome (mRS score≤2) was 60.0%(12/20) in TCET group and 59.1% (13/22) in CSRT group, all without significant differences (P>0.05).The number of thrombectomy attempts with TCET was significantly lower than that with CSRT (1.7 ±0.5 vs 2.6 ±0.8, t=2.118, P=0.040), the procedure duration with TCET was significantly shorter than that with CSRT ( (36.8 ±8.6) min vs (55.5 ±10.5) min, t=-3.493, P=0.001) and one-pass thrombectomy rate with TCET was significantly higher than that with CSRT ( 60.0% ( 12/20 ) vs 22.7%(5/22), χ2 =6.041,P=0.014) .Conclusion TCET is safe and feasible for acute ischemic stroke and might improve the efficiency of thrombectomy comparing with CSRT .
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Objective To observe the cortical functioning of healthy volunteers during acupuncture as a way of exploring acupuncture's neural mechanisms.Methods Twenty healthy volunteers received acupuncture applied to the left hegu and waiguan acupoints while their cortical activity was examined using blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-fMRI).Brain activation,especially of the regions related to motor function,were observed and analyzed.Results Acupuncture applied to the left hegu and waiguan acupoints was observed to significantly activate the left middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal gyrus,with many activated regions in the left insula and a few in the left cerebellum,the left precentral gyrus,the left postcentral gyrus,the left inferior parietal lobule,the left medial frontal gyrus,the left precuneus,the left anterior cingulate gyrus and the left claustrum.The right side of the brain was excited mainly in the right middle frontal gyrus and the right medial frontal gyrus.The right inferior parietal lobule and the right precentral gyrus were also activated to some extent.There was slight activation of the right middle temporal gyrus,the right superior temporal gyrus,the right insula,the right inferior frontal gyrus and the right postcentral gyrus.The negatively activated regions were mainly located on both sides of the limbic lobe,including the hippocampus,the parahippocampal gyrus and the cingulate gyrus.The left superior temporal gyrus,the left middle temporal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus also had small negative activation zones.Conclusions In brain regions associated with motor function,in addition to partial activation of the contralateral primary sensorimotor area,acupuncture at these two points clearly generates bilateral activation of secondary motor areas with some activation in the ipsilateral cerebellum.This may serve as a neuropathological basis for acupuncture treatment of motor dysfunction.BOLD-fMRI imaging displays the neural effects of acupuncture in an intuitive way.It can be a useful technique for further study of the neural effects of acupuncture on pathological conditions.
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Objective To explore the prognostic effect of hyperintense vessel sign (hyperintense vessel sign,HVS) in fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) on endovascular recanalization of acute ischemic stroke.Methods The clinical and imaging data of the patients with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion treated by endovascular therapy from January 2013 to october 2015 were analyzed retrospectively.The inclusion criteria:(1)＜8 h after symptom onset;(2) The preoperative MRI included conventional non-enhanced MR,FLAIR,diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI),magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and DWI-ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score) ≥7;(3) acute MCA occlusion verified by conventional angiography and recanalizations (TICI score of 2b and 3) were obtained after endovascular therapy;(4) postoperative similar MR examinations were performed within one week.The patients were divided into group A (HVS score＜5) and B (HVS score≥5).The clinical outcomes and radiological characteristics were compared between two groups.Results There were 15 patients in group A and 33 patients in group B.No significant differences were noted in onset-to-MRI interval (4.8±0.7 h vs 4.6± 0.6 h),MRI-to-recanalization interval (2.1 ±0.5 h vs 2.2±0.5 h) and preoperative DWI-ASPECTS score (7.8± 0.9 score vs 8.2± 1.0 score) between the two groups (all P＞0.05).Significant differences were noted in NIHSS score at admission (14.6±2.6 score vs 10.1±2.2 score),grade of collateral circulation (1.6±0.3 score vs 2.4± 0.4 score),postoperative DWI-ASPECTS score (5.6±0.8 score vs 7.3±0.9 score),postoperative extension of DWI-ASPECTS score (2.2±0.4 score vs 0.9±0.2 score),the incidence of cerebral hemorrhage transformation (26.7％ vs 12.1％) and mRS score at 3 months (3.2±0.5 score vs 2.3±0.4) score between the two groups (all P＜0.05).Conclusion HVS score is clearly associated with collateral circulation and high HVS score indicates better functional outcomes than low HVS score.
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Objective To explore the pattern of functional reorganization in the cortex after corticospinal tract ( CST) injury and its relationship with the recovery of upper limb motor function. Methods Fifteen patients with complete paralysis on one side after acute cerebral infarction were studied. Within 1 week after the onset, func-tional magnetic resonance imaging ( fMRI ) and diffusion tensor tractography ( DTT) were performed in parallel with timed finger flexion and extension movements in all subjects. The number of nerve fibers in corticospinal tract ( CST) in the affected and healthy sides was measured by using Dtv.Ⅱ. R2 software. One and three months later, fMRI was performed while the affected fingers were flexed and extended passively and any cortical activation was observed. In addition, Fugl-Meyer arm motor function scores were assessed one week, one month and three months after the stroke. Results According to the reconstructed nerve fiber number in CST on the affected side, the patients were classified into three types. Type I:the number of newly-built CST nerve fibers is more than 2/3 of that on the healthy side;type II:the ratio is between 1/3 and 2/3;and type III:the ratio is less than 1/3. For typeⅠpatients, blood oxygenation level-dependent fMRI ( bold-fMRI) showed initial activation of the bilateral sensorimotor cortex ( SMC) and the sup-plementary motor area ( SMA) on the affected side. That was followed by a gradual decrease in the activity in the healthy SMC and an increase in the affected SMC at 1 and 3 months. Among the type II patients bold-fMRI indicated activation of the SMC and SMA on the affected side initially, significant activation of the bilateral SMC and SMA one month later and then stronger activation in the SMC on the healthy side and a weakening of activation in the SMC on the affected side. For typeⅢpatients, initially the SMA and the posterior parietal cortex were found to be slightly ac-tivated. One month later SM1 on the unaffected side was slightly activated, and 3 months later neither the SMC nor the SMA on either side was activated. One week after the onset, the average upper extremity FM scores of the three types of subjects were not significantly different. After one month the three groups′averages were all significantly dif-ferent from one another. But after three months the averages for types I and II were again not significantly different, but significantly better than the average of the type III patients. Conclusion Different CST injuries induce different modes of cortical reorganization. The reorganization is a dynamic process, and different activation patterns are closely correlated with clinical prognosis.
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Objective To investigate the significance of change of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery(FLAIR) hyperintense vessel sign(HVS) after endovascular recanalization in acute ischemic stroke. Methods The clinical and imaging data of the patients with acute middle cerebral artery(MCA) occlusion treated by mechanical thrombectomy with Solitaire AB from January 2013 to october 2014 were analyzed retrospectively. The inclusion criteria: (1) The preoperative MRI included conventional non-enhanced MR, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), magnetic resonance angiography(MRA) and perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI), and HVS was observed on preoperative FLAIR images; (2) acute MCA occlusion verified by conventional angiography;(3) postoperative similar MR images examination was performed within 48 hours. The relationships among postoperative changes in the HVS, DWI and Thrombolysis In Cerebral Ischemia (TICI) scale (1—3) were assessed. Results After endovascular therapy, HVS of the 11 cases were showed to be disappeared(n = 9) and decreased (n = 2). All the 9 patients with disappeared HVS achieved high grade flow (TICI 3), and minor decrease of ischemic area on DWI in 1 case, minor progression in 6, and significant progression in 2. However, of the 2 patients with decreased HVS, one achieved relatively low grade flow (TICI 2a) and the other was found to be relatively high grade flow (TICI 2b), but severe MCA stenosis. DWI demonstrated significant progression in both two cases. Conclusion Our data indicate that endovascular recanalization of acute MCA occlusion was effective for decreasing HVS. Postoperative decrease and disappear in HVS can be considered as a marker for hemodynamic improvement.
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Objective To evaluate the safety and efficacy of the endovascular treatment of anterior circulation multiple occlusions (AMO) in acute ischemic stroke.Methods The clinical data of 10 patients with AMO treated by endovascular method from January 2011 to August 2013 were retrospectively analyzed.The proximal internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion was treated using angioplasty in order to achieve ideal location of the guiding catheter.When necessary,stenting was performed after the reconstitution of the intracranial vessel.Recanalization was assessed according to the thrombolysis in cerebral ischemia (TICI) grade.Clinical prognosis was assessed using mRS at 3 months.The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) on admission and at discharge was compared using t test.Results The intracranial vessel was recanalized successfully (TICI ≥ 2b) in 9 cases and cervical carotid was stented in 8 cases.Adverse events were recorded in 3 patients,including one case of asymptomatic subarachnoid hemorrhage and two cases of symptomatic intra-cerebral hemorrhage.Mortality rate was 10 ％ (n=1).At the three-month follow up,mRS ≤ 2 was observed in five patients.The mean NIHSS scores was 15.7±2.2 on admission and 9.6±4.7at discharge,and the difference was statistic significant(t=2.86,P=0.02).Conclusion Endovascular therapy of AMO is technically feasible,and relatively safe and effective.
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Objective To study the potential of functional MRI (fMRI) during passive finger extension (FE) for predicting the motor function recovery of hemiplegic stroke survivors.Methods Nineteen survivors of a 1st cerebral infarction in the non-M1 cortex with complete paralysis on one side were selected for study.Within 1 week after the stroke,fMRI was performed while one of the patient's paralyzed fingers was passively flexed and extended.fMRI signals were acquired from the sensorimotor cortex (SMC),the supplementary motor area (SMA) and the premotor area (PM).Fugl-Meyer (FM) scores of arm motor function were recorded one week,one month and three months after the stroke.Results The early fMRI results were used to classify cortex activation performances as type Ⅰ (activation mainly on the affected side,but SMC and SMA activated bilaterally),type Ⅱ (activation of the SMC and SMA only on the affected side) or type Ⅲ (only activation of the SMC on the affected side).At one week after stroke the average FM scores of the three groups were not significantly different.At one month the three average FM scores were 47.1 ± 5.5 points,36 ±6.7 points and 11.2 ± 3.1 points,for groups Ⅰ,Ⅱ and Ⅲ respectively,each significantly different from the others.At three months the average FM ratings of groups Ⅰ (61.1 ± 3.8 points) and Ⅱ (59 ± 5.2 points) were not significantly different,but both were significantly higher than the average score of group Ⅲ (10.8 ± 5.6 points).Conclusion The early stage fMRI characteristics of hemiplegic patients can be used for predicting motor outcomes.
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Objective To assess the feasibility of arterial blood bypass using microcatheter in intraarterial thrombolysis for acute cerebral ischemic stroke.Methods Six patients with acute cerebral infarction within 6 hours underwent intraarterial thrombolysis,in which arterial blood bypass was used.A 2.3 F microcatheter was advanced through the clot and two milliliters of contrast was injected beyond the clot that remained stagnant in the major branches.At this point,20 ml of oxygenated blood from femoral artery was injected for 2 minutes through the microcatheter past the occluding clot Then,conventional intraarterial thrombolysis,including fibrinolytic agents infusion and mechanical disruption,was performed.Intraarterial thrombolysis and oxygenated blood infusion alternated every 30 minutes.Results Every patient received arterial blood bypass with average three times(from 1 to 5 times)in the process of the intraarterial thrombolysis,which cost(8.0±3.2)min.Recanalization was achieved in all 6 patients,but minor subarachnoid hemorrhage developed in one patient All the patients got favorable clinical outcome.The life conditions is excellent in 4 cases and good in 2 cases.Conclusions Arterial blood bypass using microcatheter in intraarterial thrombolysis for acute cerebral ischemic stroke might be feasible,which did not interfere with conventional intraarterial thrombolysis and prolong the operation time significantly but could protect ischemic penumbra.
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Objective To assess the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of balloon disruption of thrombus by using a deflated balloon catheter combined with intraarterial thrombolysis for the treatment of acute middle cerebral artery(MCA) occlusion. Methods Five consecutive patients with acute MCA occlusion underwent balloon disruption combined with intra-arterial thrombolysis. The microballoon was inflated in the distal carotid artery and then deflated and advanced just distal to the occlusion site in the MCA. Thereafter, intra-arterial thrombolysis of the MCA was applied and the maximum dosage of urokinase was 500,000 U. Results Complete recanalization was achieved in 3 patients and partial recanalization in 2. All patients got favourable clinical outcome. There was no major intracerebral hemorrhage. Conclusion The penetration of the MCA with a deflated balloon catheter combined with an intra-arterial thrombolysis may be a safe and effective treatment for acute ischemic stroke.