The efficacy and deficiency of contemporary treatment for spinal cord arteriovenous shunts.

Contemporary treatments for spinal cord arteriovenous shunts are only based on clinicians' treatment experiences and expertise due to its rarity. We reviewed the clinical course of the largest multicentred cohort to evaluate the efficacy and deficiency of contemporary interventional treatments for spinal cord arteriovenous shunts. The clinical features, treatment results and clinical outcomes of 463 patients with spinal cord arteriovenous shunts were retrospectively assessed. The main outcome was the neurological deterioration that was evaluated based on the modified Aminoff and Logue scale. According to post-treatment digital subtraction angiography, complete obliteration was defined as disappearance of the intradural lesion, whereas partial obliteration was defined as any residual intradural lesion remaining visible and was further categorized as shunt-reduction obliteration (the nidus or shunt points were reduced) or palliative obliteration (only obliterated aneurysms or feeders). Cure rate was 40.6% for the whole cohort, 58.5% after microsurgery, and 26.4% after embolization. The curative resection was associated with non-metameric lesions, lesions with a maximum diameter <3 cm and lesions without anterior sulcal artery supply. The curative embolization was associated with fistula-type lesions, non-metameric lesions, and main drainage diameter <1.5 mm. The permanent treatment-related neurological deficits rate was 11.2% for the whole cohort, 16.1% after microsurgery, and 5.6% after embolization. The pretreatment clinical deterioration rate was 32.5%/year, which decreased to 9.3%/year after clinical interventions. Following partial treatment, the long-term acute and gradual deterioration rates were 5.3%/year and 3.6%/year, respectively. The acute deteriorations were associated with metameric lesions, craniocervical lesions, lesions with a maximum diameter ≥2 cm and residual aneurysm. Residual aneurysm was the only predictor of acute deterioration for non-metameric spinal cord arteriovenous shunts. The gradual deteriorations were associated with palliative obliteration, absence of pretreatment acute deterioration and intact main drainage. Although clinical risks of spinal cord arteriovenous shunts were reduced following clinical interventions, contemporary treatments for spinal cord arteriovenous shunt remains associated with considerable risks and incomplete efficacy. Individualized treatment plans should be adopted according to the angio-architectural features and major clinical risks of specific lesions. There is a higher opportunity for complete obliteration for lesions with simple angio-architecture. However, for most of spinal cord arteriovenous shunts with complex vascular anatomy, partial treatment is the only choice. For these patients, palliative obliteration targeting the aneurysms is recommended for reducing haemorrhagic risk, whereas shunt-reduction obliteration is necessary for non-haemorrhagic myelopathy. Contemporary treatment is ineffective in reducing haemorrhagic risk of incurable metameric spinal cord arteriovenous shunts.

Health-related quality of life outcomes and influencing factors in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms after endovascular treatment.

BACKGROUND: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is an important indicator when evaluating prognosis and disease-related treatments. Our current knowledge of the HRQoL outcomes of unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) patients treated by the endovascular intervention appeared to be very limited. To fill this gap, the present study investigated the HRQoL outcomes and identified the influencing factors in UIA patients treated by endovascular intervention. METHODS: We conducted a single-center cross-sectional study on patients who underwent endovascular treatment for UIAs. HRQoL outcomes were assessed by the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). The SF-36 results of the Chinese reference population were used as the reference data. The independent variables with a univariate analysis result of P < 0.05 were included in the multivariate analysis. Finally, multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to identify the factors influencing HRQoL. Bonferroni correction was utilized for multiple testing correction. RESULTS: A total of 200 patients (83 males and 117 females, mean age of 55.2 ± 9.48 years) with UIAs treated by endovascular intervention were enrolled. The scores of SF-36 in 8 domains for UIA patients treated by endovascular intervention did not all reach the average level of the Chinese reference population after an average recovery period of 30.67 ± 8.6 months. Ischemic cerebrovascular disease history, advanced age, and mRS progression at discharge were independent risk factors of HRQoL for UIA patients treated by endovascular intervention, but physical exercise at least once a week and daily sleep time no < 6 h were independent protective factors. CONCLUSION: The HRQoL of UIA patients treated by the endovascular intervention was decreased to varying degrees compared with those of the Chinese reference population. The influencing factors of HRQoL explored by this study provide insights for improving the clinical management and daily lives of these patients. HRQoL assessment should be included in future aneurysm prognostic studies to provide better evidence.

Current Knowledge of and Perspectives about the Pathogenesis of Blood Blister-like Aneurysms of the Internal Carotid Artery: A Review of the Literature.

Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBAs) are rare and usually appear at nonbranching sites in the supraclinoid portion of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Because it is difficult to obtain histological specimens of the aneurysm wall and because experimental models are challenging to establish, the pathogenesis of BBAs remains uncertain. In this paper, we reviewed the diagnostic, radiological, and pathophysiological characteristics of patients with BBAs. We also summarized the existing evidence and potential mechanisms related to the causes of BBAs. Current evidence indicates that atherosclerosis and dissection are the main prerequisites for the formation of BBAs. Hemodynamics may play a role in the process of BBA formation due to the unique vascular anatomy of the supraclinoid ICA. Further research on histopathology and hemodynamics is warranted in this field.

Comprehensive Treatment and Vascular Architecture Characteristic of High-Flow Vascular Malformations in Periorbital Regions.

OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed the vascular architecture characteristics of high-flow vascular malformations (VMs) in periorbital regions, as well as the treatment and imaging prognosis of occlusion degree of the outflow veins. METHOD: The clinical data of 24 patients with high-flow VMs in periorbital regions treated in our center from 2012 to 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, and the vascular architecture characteristics, treatment methods, and follow-up results were recorded. RESULTS: The vascular architecture of high-flow VMs in periorbital regions which usually contained the intracranial feeding arteries (24/24,100.0%) and intracranial outflow veins (18/24, 75.0%). The average age of first diagnosis was 23 ±â€Š16 years; the average age of treatment was 37 ±â€Š10 years; the median follow-up time was 42.5 months. Twenty-four patients with high-flow VMs in periorbital regions had 58 treatments in all. The imaging cure was achieved in 6 patients by complete occlusion of outflow veins, and no recurrence was found by DSA. Eighteen patients who get incomplete occlusion of outflow veins were given 49 treatments, and 8 patients had imaging recurrence. Seven patients (7/24, 29.2%) had treatment-related complications in all. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with high-flow VMs in periorbital regions are the most complex cases. The prognosis of patients whose outflow veins can be completely occluded is relatively good. The stepwise embolization while preserving organ function is advisable. Nevertheless, the incidence of treatment complications is still high.

Natural history of spinal cord arteriovenous shunts: an observational study.

The natural history of intradural spinal cord arteriovenous shunts is unknown. We performed an observational study in a consecutive patient cohort with symptomatic intradural spinal cord arteriovenous shunts who were admitted to three institutes to investigate the clinical course of this complex disease, which would provide valuable evidence to inform clinical decision-making. The clinical course of patients with symptomatic intradural spinal cord arteriovenous shunts from initial presentation to occurrence of clinical deterioration, initiation of treatment, or last follow-up was analysed. Patients with at least 1 month of observation were included in this study. Clinical onset and deterioration patterns were divided into acute and gradual. Annual and cumulative rates of clinical deterioration as well as their risk factors were analysed using Kaplan-Meier life table analysis and Cox proportional hazards model. To assess risks and benefits of treatment, post-treatment clinical courses were further assessed. Four hundred and sixty-six patients with a mean observational period of 36.9 ± 58.8 months were included; 56.7% of patients presented with acute onset, of whom 77.3% experienced spontaneous recovery. Age of onset older than 28 years, initial modified Aminoff and Logue scale of >3, mid-thoracic lesions and non-ventral lesions were independent predictors of failure for spontaneous recovery. The annual risk of general, acute and gradual clinical deterioration after onset was 30.7%, 9.9% and 17.7%, respectively. Risk of deterioration was highest in the early period after initial onset. Acute onset was the only independent risk factor [hazard ratio 1.957 (95% confidence interval, CI 1.324-2.894); P = 0.0008] of acute deterioration and gradual onset was the strongest predictor [hazard ratio 2.350 (95% CI 1.711-3.229); P < 0.0001] of the gradual deterioration among all the stratifying factors. After invasive treatment, complete obliteration was achieved in 37.9% of patients (138 of 364) and improved or stable clinical status was noted in 80.8% of patients. Forty-two patients (11.5%) experienced permanent complications. Overall post-treatment deterioration rate was 8.4%/year, and 5.3%/year if permanent complications were excluded. The natural history of symptomatic spinal cord arteriovenous shunts is poor, especially in the early period after onset, and early intervention is thus recommended. Initial onset pattern significantly affects the natural history of the lesion, which prompts a differentiated treatment strategy.

Prevalence of and risk factors for anxiety and depression in Chinese patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms treated by endovascular intervention.

BACKGROUND: Studies on anxiety and depression in unruptured intracranial aneurysm (UIA) patients after treatment via endovascular intervention are rare and controversial. We aimed to explore the prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese patients with UIAs treated by endovascular intervention and to identify which factors contribute to the development of these symptoms. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study on anxiety and depression in patients who underwent endovascular treatment for UIAs using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The demographic, clinical and radiological data for all patients were retrospectively collected from the aneurysm database and medical records. Moreover, we utilized data from a large sample of 200 UIA patients and multivariate logistic regression analysis to investigate the risk factors for anxiety and depression in these patients. Candidate variables with P values less than 0.20 in univariate analysis were included in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Two hundred patients returned completed questionnaires in this study. Of these 200 patients, 34 (17.0%) suffered from anxiety and 31 (15.5%) suffered from depression 30.67 ± 8.6 months after being discharged. The multivariate analysis results indicated that shorter sleep times were statistically significantly associated with depression (OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.14 ~ 2.29, P = 0.007, Adjusted P = 0.02). . CONCLUSION: The prevalences of anxiety and depression in UIA patients treated by endovascular intervention were 17.0 and 15.5%, respectively. Shorter sleep times were significantly associated with depression. Our findings provide evidence for the clinical and psychological management of these patients.

[Research on the emission spectrum of NO molecule's γ-band system by corona discharge].

The optical emission spectrum of the gamma-band system of NO molecule, A2 sigma+ --> X2 pi(r), has been analyzed and calculated based on the energy structure of NO molecule' doublet states. By employing the theory of diatomic molecular Spectra, some key parameters of equations for the radiative transition intensity were evaluated theoretically, including the potentials of the doublet states of NO molecule's upper and lower energy levels, the electronic transition moments calculated by using r-centroid approximation method, and the Einstein coefficient of different vibrational and rotational levels. The simulated spectrum of the gamma-band system was calculated as a function of different vibrational and rotational temperature. Compared to the theoretical spectroscopy, the measured results were achieved from corona discharge experiments of NO and N2. The vibrational and rotational temperatures were determined approximately by fitting the measured spectral intensities with the calculated ones.

Wrap-Clipping for Patients with Ruptured Blood Blister-Like Aneurysms of the Internal Carotid Artery: Case Series and Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBAs) of the internal carotid artery (ICA) are challenging to treat. We assessed the clinical and radiologic outcomes in patients with ruptured BBAs of the ICA treated with wrap-clipping. METHODS: From November 2016 to January 2020, the clinical and radiologic data of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) caused by ICA BBAs who underwent wrap-clipping were retrospectively analyzed. The clinical outcomes were evaluated according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Radiologic follow-up examinations included digital subtraction angiography (DSA), computed tomography angiography (CTA), and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). RESULTS: Seven patients were enrolled in this study. All BBAs were wrap-clipped successfully, including two BBAs that exhibited intraoperative bleeding and required balloon-assistance during surgery. All patients had favorable clinical outcomes during follow-up. Among the six patients who completed the radiologic follow-up visit, one patient presented ICA occlusion at the 6-month DSA follow-up, but no neurologic dysfunction was noted. We did not observe the progression of ICA stenosis in other patients. CONCLUSION: All BBAs in this study were wrap-clipped successfully and completely occluded. Wrap-clipping is effective for BBAs of the ICA and has favorable clinical outcomes. A multicenter study with a large sample size and a longer radiologic follow-up is necessary.

A clinical retrospective study of percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy without guide wire for critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to introduce a novel tracheostomy method, the non-guide-wire percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (NGPDT) technique, and evaluate its effectiveness for critically ill patients undergoing neurosurgery under special conditions. METHODS: The clinical data of 48 critically ill patients who underwent NGPDT under special conditions with controlled steps were analyzed retrospectively. The patients' demographic, preoperative state of illness, and diagnosis data were collected. Moreover, their intraoperative and postoperative variables were accessed, e.g., operation times, bleeding, saturation of pulse oxygen (SPO2), and early and late complications related to NGPDT. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 47.7 ± 13.7 years. The mean GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) was 8.1 ± 2.9, and the mean BMI (Body Mass Index) was 25.2 ± 5.6. There were 38 patients with an endotracheal tube. The mean duration of onset to NGPDT was 4.0 ± 1.3 days. The mean operation time was 4.2 ± 1.9 min. There were 41 patients with mild intraoperative bleeding, 5 with moderate bleeding, and 2 with severe bleeding as well as 46 with mild postoperative bleeding and 2 with moderate bleeding. Additionally, 41 patients required complete extubation after NGPDT. The mean duration of incision healing was 4.8 ± 3.1 days. There was 1 patient with a decrease of SPO2 ≥ 10%. Three patients presented with a transient violent cough at the primary tracheostomy stage; however, no patients suffered from pneumothorax, subcutaneous emphysema, false passage, or surgery-related death during this procedure. CONCLUSION: Overall, NGPDT with controlled steps is a fast, safe, and microinvasive procedure. It mildly stimulates the trachea with a low rate of complications.

Using the modified Delphi method to research the influencing factors of long-term health-related quality of life in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms after endovascular treatment.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to use the modified Delphi method to identify the influencing factors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) after endovascular treatment. METHODS: A modified Delphi method to obtain expert consensus on the content of potential influencing factors of HRQoL in patients with UIAs treated by endovascular intervention was employed. The research team consists of three neuroradiologists and one epidemiologist from Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University. They randomly selected 21 well-known experts in cerebrovascular disease diagnosis and treatment as participating experts. The importance of the indicator is based on the 5-Likert scale. The standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), mean ( x ¯ ), and minimum and maximum scores of each indicator were calculated. The consistency was described by Kendall coefficient of concordance with a p value < 0.05 indicating that the expert consistency was high. RESULT: Twenty-one and 18 questionnaires were responded in 2 rounds, with effective response rates of 85.7% and 100.0%, respectively. The average authoritative coefficient (Cr) of all 21 experts was 0.88, familiarity with the indicators (Cs) was 0.82, and the judgment basis of the indicators (Ca) was 0.94. Eventually, the x ¯ values of arterial puncture hematoma, hyperlipidemia, gender, marital status, and hospitalization for other diseases were lower than 3.5; CV for marital status and gender was higher than 0.35. The Kendall coefficient of concordance in the first round was 0.19 (p < 0.001), and the second round was 0.15 (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, the factors affecting the recovery of HRQoL after endovascular treatment in patients with UIAs were analyzed by the modified Delphi method, which provided a valuable evidence for the clinical management and daily life guidance for UIAs patients.

Microsurgical and Endovascular Treatment Outcomes in Pericallosal Artery Aneurysms: A Single Center Retrospective Analysis.

AIM: To summarize the clinical outcomes, follow-up results and to discuss the optimal therapeutic strategy for pericallosal artery aneurysms (PAAs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 2013 to May 2017, the charts of 49 patients with PAAs, representing 2.43% of 2,018 consecutive patients with intracranial aneurysms (IAs) were reviewed. The clinical and radiological data of these patients were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: There were no technical failures in the clipping group, but one patient in the coiling group presented rebleeding during the operation, resulting in a poor prognosis. Although the difference was not significant, the coiling group had a better complete recovery rate than the clipping group [overall: coiling, n=20 (87.0%) vs clipping, n=11 (68.8%), p=0.33; unruptured PAAs: coiling, n=12 (92.3%) vs clipping, n=5 (83.3%); ruptured PAAs: coiling, n=8 (80%) vs clipping, n=6 (60%), p=0.63]. One patient in the coiling group exhibited recurrence. No patients experienced rebleeding during the follow-up period in either group. CONCLUSION: In our study, both endovascular coiling and microsurgery were technically feasible and achieved favorable clinical outcomes in patients with PAAs. Longer radiological follow-up is necessary. Patients should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team prior to determining the optimal treatment modality.

Morphological Characteristics of Pericallosal Artery Aneurysms and Their High Propensity for Rupture.

BACKGROUND: Compared with intracranial aneurysms (IAs) at other locations, pericallosal artery aneurysms (PAAs) have demonstrated an extremely high risk of rupture. However, owing to their rarity, our understanding of their morphological characteristics has been limited, and whether the morphological characteristics of PAAs contribute to this high rupture risk has remained unexplored. In the present study, we aimed to provide a detailed description of the morphological characteristics of PAAs and investigate the association between its morphology and rupture risk compared with anterior circulation IAs at other locations. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with 45 PAAs and 348 patients with 392 anterior circulation IAs at other locations were recruited. The clinical and radiological data for these patients were retrospectively reviewed. The differences in the morphological parameters, including the aneurysm diameter, neck width, height, width, parent artery diameter, inflow angle, aspect ratio (AR), size ratio (SR), and aneurysm diameter/width ratio, between PAAs and other IA groups were compared. RESULTS: Of the 45 PAAs, 22 (48.9%) had ruptured. The proportion of ruptured aneurysms was greater for PAAs than for anterior circulation IAs at other locations. For both ruptured and unruptured anterior circulation IAs, PAAs had the highest AR and SR among all IA groups and had the largest inflow angle. CONCLUSION: The morphological characteristics of PAAs are unique. Compared with other anterior circulation IAs, PAAs have significantly increased ARs, SRs, and inflow angles, which, ultimately, promote their high propensity toward rupture.

Synergistic removal of nitrogen monoxide by non-thermal plasma and catalyst simultaneously.

An experimental system of De-NO with plasma-catalyst(Cu zeolite) was established to investigate the differences between De-NO with plasma-catalyst and De-NO only with plasma, to provide the instruction for selecting appropriate catalyst and operating condition. The characteristics of De-NO with plasma and De-NO with plasma-catalyst were investigated comparatively by experiments. The experimental results show that De-NO with plasma-catalyst has high NO removal rate; Cu zeolite is an effective catalyst which can promote NO removal rate in plasma remarkably; De-NO with plasma-catalyst should be operated at low temperature and the temperature has opposite effects on the function of catalyst and plasma; water vapor and O2 can increase the NO removal rate.

[Combined injection of pingyangmycin & dexamethasone for the treatment of maxillofacial and cervical venous malformations].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effect of combined injection of pingyangmycin (PYM) & dexame thasone (DXM) for the treatment of maxillofacial and cervical venous malformations. METHODS: From August 1995 to October 2008, 116 cases with maxillofacial and cervical venous malformations were retrospectively analyzed. The injection dilute was made with PYM 8 mg, DXM 10 mg and 2% lidocaine 2.0 ml (PYM 2 mg/ml). The PYM diluent 1.0-4.0 ml (including the PYM 2-8 mg) was injected into the tumor according to the patients age, tumor size and location. For children, PYM 2-4 mg was injected for one treatment. The needle should be inserted into tumor perpendicularly or from the edge of tumor. After withdrawing blood, the drug was injected into the tumor slowly. The injection could be repeated every 7-10 days. The clinical signs were recorded; ultrasonography and chest X-ray were performed to evaluate the therapeutic effect. RESULTS: 1-5 treatments of injection were performed in the 116 patients. The tumor shrinked and disappeared after treatment with PYM 2-40 mg and DXM 5-50 mg. The patients were followed up for 3-5 years with no occurrence and complication. CONCLUSIONS: It's safe, effective and practical to treat maxillofacial and cervical venous malformations by combined injection of PYM and DXM. The cosmetic appearance and function can be preserved at the most.