Effectiveness of hinge craniotomy as an alternative to decompressive craniectomy for acute subdural hematoma.

BACKGROUND: Acute subdural hematoma (ASDH) is a life-threatening condition, and hematoma removal is necessary as a lifesaving procedure when the intracranial pressure is highly elevated. However, whether decompressive craniectomy (DC) or conventional craniotomy (CC) is adequate remains unclear. Hinge craniotomy (HC) is a technique that provides expansion potential for decompression while retaining the bone flap. At our institution, HC is the first-line operation instead of DC for traumatic ASDH, and we present the surgical outcomes. METHODS: From January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2022, 372 patients with traumatic ASDH were admitted to our institution, among whom 48 underwent hematoma evacuation during the acute phase. HC was performed in cases where brain swelling was observed intraoperatively. If brain swelling was not observed, CC was selected. DC was performed only when the brain was too swollen to allow replacement of the bone flap. We conducted a retrospective analysis of patient demographics, prognosis, and subsequent cranial procedures for each technique. RESULTS: Of the 48 patients, 2 underwent DC, 23 underwent HC, and 23 underwent CC. The overall mortality rate was 20.8% (10/48) at discharge and 30.0% (12/40) at 6 months. The in-hospital mortality rates for DC, HC, and CC were 100% (2/2), 21.7% (5/23), and 13.0% (3/23), respectively. Primary brain injury was the cause of death in five patients whose brainstem function was lost immediately after surgery. No fatalities were attributed to the progression of postoperative brain herniation. In only one case, the cerebral contusion worsened after the initial surgery, leading to brain herniation and necessitating secondary DC. CONCLUSIONS: The strategy of performing HC as the first-line operation for ASDH did not increase the mortality rate compared with past surgical reports and required secondary DC in only one case.

Case of Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage Nine Years after Pituitary Gamma Knife Surgery for Poststroke Thalamic Pain Syndrome.

Pituitary gamma knife surgery (GKS) is a treatment option for poststroke thalamic pain syndrome. Complications such as hypopituitarism, transient enuresis, and transient hyponatremia have been reported. However, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage has not yet been reported as a complication of pituitary GKS for poststroke thalamic pain syndrome. Herein, we report a case of delayed CSF rhinorrhea that developed 9 years after GKS for poststroke thalamic pain syndrome. A 64-year-old man presented to our hospital with bacterial meningitis and CSF rhinorrhea. Pituitary GKS for poststroke thalamic pain had been performed 9 years prior to his admission to our hospital. Computed tomography revealed pneumocephalus, fluid in the sphenoid and maxillary sinuses, and a partial bony defect of the sella turcica floor with communication between the paranasal and intracranial spaces. The CSF rhinorrhea resolved with bed rest and a lumbar CSF drain but recurred several days later. The patient underwent direct endoscopic surgical repair of the skull base. The sellar floor was covered with an autologous fascia graft harvested from the rectus sheath, and the sphenoid sinus was packed with abdominal fat grafts. The patient recovered, and the CSF rhinorrhea has not recurred for 2 years. Long-term follow-up is necessary after pituitary GKS, considering the complication of delayed CSF leakage.

Transarterial embolization for convexity dural arteriovenous fistula with or without pial arterial supply: A report of four patients.

Background: Convexity dural arteriovenous fistulae (dAVF) usually reflux into cortical veins without involving the venous sinuses. Although direct drainage ligation is curative, transarterial embolization (TAE) may be an alternative treatment. Case Description: Between September 2018 and January 2021, we encountered four patients with convexity dAVFs. They were three males and one female; their age ranged from 36 to 73 years. The initial symptom was headache (n = 1) or seizure (n = 2); one patient was asymptomatic. In all patients, the feeders were external carotid arteries with drainage into the cortical veins; in two patients, there was pial arterial supply from the middle cerebral artery. All patients were successfully treated by TAE alone using either Onyx or N-butyl cyanoacrylate embolization. Two patients required two sessions. All dAVFs were completely occluded and follow-up MRI or angiograms confirmed no recurrence. Conclusion: Our small series suggests that TAE with a liquid embolic material is an appropriate first-line treatment in patients with convexity dAVFs with or without pial arterial supply.

[A Case Report of Subacute Thrombosis after Carotid Stenting Caused by Food Allergy].

An 89-year-old man underwent carotid artery stenting for symptomatic left internal carotid artery stenosis. His postoperative course was uneventful;however, on postoperative day 4, he developed a food allergy rash throughout his body after consuming sushi. He developed right hemiplegia and aphasia the following day, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed left internal carotid artery occlusion. Angiography revealed stent thrombosis, and endovascular thrombectomy achieved partial recanalization;however, right hemiplegia and aphasia persisted. Eosinophilia and increased platelet aggregation suggested allergic stent thrombosis(Kounis syndrome type 3).

Ruptured Aneurysm Originating from a Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Communicating Artery: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

This report presents a rare case of such an aneurysm arising from such a communicating artery. A 66-year-old woman presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage located predominantly in the cisterna magna with intraventricular hemorrhage. Angiography showed hypoplasia of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery. Its vermian territory was supplied by the communicating artery from the posterior medullary segments of the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery. An aneurysm was on that communicating artery itself at a nonbranching site. The aneurysm was trapped the next day. Postoperative computed tomography showed no infarct in the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory. Trapping is applicable when other collateral vessels supply the contralateral posterior inferior cerebellar artery territory. J. Med. Invest. 67 : 197-199, February, 2020.

[A Case Report of Endovascular Thrombectomy for Internal Carotid Artery Thromboembolism after Left Upper Lobectomy of Lung Cancer].

A 76-year-old man underwent a left upper lobectomy due to lung cancer. On postoperative day 3, he developed a cerebral infarction(NIHSS:17). MR and right carotid angiography demonstrated a right internal carotid artery occlusion. The patient underwent an endovascular thrombectomy without intravenous administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator. Complete recanalization was achieved and the symptoms almost disappeared except for a slight dysarthria. The patient subsequently continued cancer treatment by administration of edoxaban. Reports of cerebral emboli due to a thrombus migrating from the stump of the pulmonary vein after a left upper lobectomy are increasing. Several reports indicate that left upper lobectomy carries a high risk of thromboembolism. The current prospective study demonstrates that a mechanical thrombectomy can significantly improve both neurological and cognitive functions of patients after acute ischemic stroke. Endovascular neurosurgeons should prepare for and await an opportunity for thrombectomy for patients undergoing pulmonary resection.

[A Case of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension Successfully Treated with Repetitive Epidural Blood Patch after Warfarin Reversal].

We report a case of spontaneous intracranial hypotension successfully treated with repetitive epidural blood patch after warfarin reversal. A 75-year-old man presented with a 2-week history of headache. He was being treated with warfarin for atrial fibrillation. Neurological examination on admission showed mild disorientation. Prothrombin time-international normalized ratio(PT-INR)was elevated to 2.43. Initial magnetic resonance images of the brain demonstrated bilateral subdural hematomas, distortion of midbrain and diffuse pachymeningeal enhancement. Conservative treatments with bed rest and hydration were administered. On the third posthospital day, he became lethargic and emergently underwent epidural blood patch(EBP)at lumbar level. Consciousness disturbance improved immediately but reappeared 12 hours after the EBP. The second EBP was performed but consciousness level decreased again 12 hours later. The effect of warfarin was reversed by administration of vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma before the third EBP. After the procedure, he became alert. The findings of neurological examination did not change but a CT on day 12 revealed increase in volume of left-sided subdural hematoma. He underwent EBP and evacuation of hematoma. The neurological findings remained unchanged. A CT on the 17th posthospital day showed increase of right-sided subdural hematoma, and EBP and evacuation of hematoma were then performed. After the 5th EBP, the clinical course was uneventful. Predictors for successful EBP are not fully clarified. In patients who undergo anticoagulation therapy, EBP may be ineffective and normalization of coagulability required.

[A Case Report of Basilar Artery Thromboembolism from Severe Stenosis of the Vertebral Artery Ostium].

We report a case of basilar artery embolism from the large thrombus of the right vertebral artery with severe stenosis of the vertebral artery ostium. Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator treatment and thrombectomy by catheter with reverse blood flow using a proximal subclavian artery blocking balloon(intentional subclavian artery steal phenomenon)were performed. A large thrombus along with other small thrombi were removed by an aspiration catheter. Additional stent placement was performed for residual vertebral artery stenosis, at ten days after the thrombectomy. Finally, the patient was discharged without any neurological deficits.

[A Case Report of Congenital Protein C Deficiency with Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis during Early Pregnancy Period].

A 35-year-old woman at eight weeks of gestation in her second pregnancy presented with generalized seizures. Magnetic resonance images revealed a small hemorrhagic infarction in the left frontal lobe, and magnetic resonance venography indicated cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. After hospitalization, anticoagulant therapy was continued, and a low protein C level was confirmed, which was also confirmed in both her mother and her sister. Follow-up magnetic resonance venography performed on day 27 confirmed that the cerebral venous sinuses had undergone recanalization. After a completed gestation period, the patient gave birth to healthy girl uneventfully.

[Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis Following Cisplatin-Based Chemotherapy for Testicular Tumor].

A man in his 30s who presented with an enlarged right testicle was diagnosed with a germ cell tumor via orchiectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin(BEP)was initiated. He developed a headache 8 days later, followed by neurological deficits 10 days later. Magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)and magnetic resonance venography(MRV)showed thrombotic occlusion at the superior sagittal sinus. Anticoagulant therapy with heparin was initiated. However, a generalized epileptic seizure occurred 11 days later, and an antiepileptic drug therapy was initiated. The headache and neurological deficits gradually improved, and MRI findings showed that the superior sagittal sinus had re-canalized. The main cause of the sinus thrombosis in this patient was considered dehydration and cisplatin-induced hypercoagulability. Five courses of BEP therapy were carried out with care to avoid dehydration. The patient has remained free of testicular tumor recurrence, metastasis, and cerebral sinus thrombosis for 2 years. Cisplatin-based chemotherapy is an established risk factor for venous thromboembolism(VTE), and cerebral sinus thrombosis is a rare but dangerous complication. Therefore, cerebral sinus thrombosis should be considered when patients with testicular cancer who undergo cisplatin-based chemotherapy start to develop neurological symptoms. Clinicians should be aware of this treatable complication.

[A Case of Paradoxical Cerebral Embolism Developed during in vitro Fertilization Treatment].

A 35-year-old woman with a history of infertility, was presented to our hospital because of impaired consciousness and cerebellar ataxia, 14 days after in vitro fertilization. She received an embryo transfer under controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation. Magnetic resonance images revealed acute infarction in the cerebellum and brainstem. Magnetic resonance angiography showed a basilar artery occlusion at the end point. Following immediate intravenous rt-PA treatment, the symptoms disappeared completely. A transesophageal echocardiography revealed an atrial septal defect with a continuous left to right shunt. In addition, a Valsalva maneuver trans-esophageal echocardiography with injected saline showed the presence of jet bubbles in the left atrium crossing via the atrial septal defect. She was diagnosed with paradoxical cerebral embolism. Anticoagulant therapy was continued and she gave birth to a healthy baby. Deep vein thrombosis was associated with the ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome that occurred during infertility treatment. As anti-phospholipid antibodies were weakly positive, the possibility of anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome was suggested. If a woman of childbearing age is presented because of stroke, it is important to administer initial therapy by keeping fertility in mind. Thrombolytic therapy for pregnant women should be carefully considered, because of the associated hazards; however, it is a very important treatment for maternal function after birth.

Computer-assisted analysis of heterogeneity on B-mode imaging predicts instability of asymptomatic carotid plaque.

BACKGROUND: Computerized assessment of plaque echogenicity by B-mode ultrasonography has demonstrated that the gray-scale median (GSM) pixel intensity of the entire plaque predicts future ischemic stroke in patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis, but not those with asymptomatic stenosis. This study investigated whether plaque heterogeneity (i.e., the distribution of pixel intensities) could predict the instability of asymptomatic plaque. METHODS: By comparison with carotid endarterectomy specimens and the GSM values of known tissues on B-mode images, the GSM values for blood, lipid, muscle/fibrous tissue, and calcification were determined. Then we estimated the percent area of each tissue component for 297 asymptomatic plaques causing 40-99% carotid artery stenosis in 250 patients, and monitored the incidence of atherothrombotic cerebral infarction due to carotid stenosis during follow-up. RESULTS: Eight infarcts occurred during a follow-up period of 22 +/- 15 months. Plaques in the top tertile for the percent area of lipid-like echogenicity (p < 0.05) and in the lowest tertile for calcification (p = 0.06) showed an association with future infarction according to Kaplan-Meier analysis. This association remained significant after adjustment for the severity of carotid stenosis (hazard ratio 4.4 for lipid-like and 0.24 for calcification-like component, both p < 0.05) according to Cox proportional hazards analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The distribution of pixel intensities in carotid plaque on B-mode ultrasonography can be employed to predict instability of asymptomatic plaque and possibly to select patients for interventional procedures. A large-scale investigation will be needed to confirm that estimating the percentage of plaque components relative to the total plaque area can predict ischemic stroke.