Development of the Circle of Willis Score (COWS) to help guide decision making during acute tandem occlusion treatment: Preliminary analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute tandem occlusions (TOs) are challenging to treat. Although acute carotid stenting of the proximal lesion is well tolerated, there are certain situations when the practitioner may be wary of acute stenting (bleeding concerns). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to retrospectively study patients with tandem occlusions who had re-occlusion of the extracranial ICA and develop a Circle of Willis Score (COWS) to help predict which patients could forego acute stenting. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of TO patients with a persistent proximal occlusion following intervention (either expected or unexpected). Pre intervention CTA and intraoperative DSA were reviewed, and each patient was assigned a score 2 (complete COW), 1a (patent A1-Acomm-A1), 1p (patent Pcomm), or 0 (incomplete COW). Findings from the DSA took precedence over the CTA. Two cohorts were created, the complete COW cohort (COWS 2) versus the incomplete COW cohort (COWS 1a,1p, or 0). Angiographic outcomes were assessed using the mTICI score (2b-3) and clinical outcomes were assessed using discharge mRS (good outcome mRS 0-3). RESULTS: Of 68 TO cases, 12 had persistent proximal occlusions. There were 5/12 (42 %) patients in the complete COW cohort, and 7/12 (58 %) in the incomplete COW cohort (5/12 with scores of 1a/1p and 2/12 with a score of 0). In the complete COW cohort, there were 2 ICA-ICA and 3 ICA-MCA occlusions. In the incomplete COW cohort, there was one ICA-ICA occlusion and 6 ICA-MCA occlusions. LKW-puncture was shorter in the complete COW cohort (208 min vs. 464 min, p = 0.16). Successful reperfusion was higher in the complete COW cohort (100 % vs. 71 %). There was a trend toward better clinical outcomes in the complete COW cohort (80 % vs 29 %, p = 0.079). CONCLUSION: The COWS is a simple score that may help predict a successful clinical outcome without proximal revascularization when concerned about performing an acute carotid stent during TO treatment. Evaluation in larger TO cohort is warranted.

The effect of induced hypertension in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A narrative review.

Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) accounts for 2-5% of all strokes, and 10%-15% of aSAH patients will not survive until hospital admission. Induced hypertension (IH) is an emerging therapeutic option being used for the treatment of vasospasm in aSAH. For patients with cerebral vasospasm (CVS) consequent to SAH, IH is implemented to increase systolic blood pressure (SBP) in order to optimize cerebral blood flow (CBF) and prevent delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). Prophylactic use of IH has been associated with the development of vasospasm and cerebral ischemia in SAH patients. Various trials have defined several different parameters to help clinicians decide when to initiate IH in a SAH patient. However, there is insufficient evidence to recommend therapeutic IH in aSAH due to the possible serious complications like myocardial ischemia, development of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES), pulmonary edema, and even rupture of another unsecured aneurysm. This narrative review showed the favorable impact of IH therapy on aSAH patients; however, it is crucial to conduct further clinical and molecular experiments to shed more light on the effects of IH in aSAH.

Infratentorial retroclival and tentorial subdural hematoma from posterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture: A case report and systematic review of literature.

Background: The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the pathogenesis, clinical course, and prognosis of patients who suffer from aneurysm rupture, leading to subdural hematoma (SDH) of the infratentorial space without associated subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a literature review was conducted in PubMed and Scopus electronic databases for relevant published cases of aneurysmal SDH (AnSDH) of the infratentorial compartment without associated SAH. The presentation, treatment, clinical course, and outcome of identified cases are compiled. In addition, a patient suffering from an infratentorial SDH following aneurysm rupture is presented with an illustrative case. Results: Three articles were identified and met inclusion criteria. All cases occurred from ruptured posterior communicating artery aneurysms. All patients arrived with a Hunt and Hess classification of 2 or less. Only one case was managed with operative aneurysm clipping and hematoma evacuation while the other three cases were managed endovascularly. There were no reported postoperative complications, vasospasm, or seizures reported. All patients had a final Modified Rankin score of 3 or less at last reported follow-up. Conclusion: Infratentorial AnSDH without associated SAH is an etiology rarely reported in the literature. Here, we present a case report and systematic review demonstrating a relatively benign clinical course and outcome compared to report aneurysm rupture associated with SAH or mixed SAH and SDH. Moreover, there appear to be lower rates of vasospasm and improved outcomes in patients with isolated AnSDH compared to the literature aneurysmal SAH rates.

Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity during traumatic brain injury.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of disability, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. Some of the more common etiologies of TBI include closed head injury, penetrating head injury, or an explosive blast head injury. Neuronal damage in TBI is related to both primary injury (caused by mechanical forces), and secondary injury (caused by the subsequent tissue and cellular damages). Recently, it has been well established that Paroxysmal Sympathetic Hyperactivity (PSH), also known as "Sympathetic Storm", is one of the main causes of secondary neuronal injury in TBI patients. The clinical manifestations of PSH include recurrent episodes of sympathetic hyperactivity characterized by tachycardia, systolic hypertension, hyperthermia, tachypnea with hyperpnea, and frank diaphoresis. Given the diverse manifestations of PSH and its notable impact on the outcome of TBI patients, we have comprehensively reviewed the current evidence and discussed the pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, time of onset and duration of PSH during TBI. This article reviews the different types of head injuries that most commonly lead to PSH, possible approaches to manage and minimize PSH complications in TBI and the current prognosis and outcomes of PSH in TBI patients.

Surface Area of Decompressive Craniectomy Predicts Bone Flap Failure after Autologous Cranioplasty: A Radiographic Cohort Study.

Skull bone graft failure is a potential complication of autologous cranioplasty after decompressive craniectomy (DC). Our objective was to investigate the association of graft size with subsequent bone graft failure after autologous cranioplasty. This single-center retrospective cohort study included patients age ≥18 years who underwent primary autologous cranioplasty between 2010 and 2017. The primary outcome was bone flap failure requiring graft removal. Demographic, clinical, and radiographic factors were recorded; three-dimensional (3D) reconstructive imaging was used to perform accurate measurements. Univariate and multi-variate regression analysis were performed to identify risk factors for the primary outcome. Of the 131 patients who underwent primary autologous cranioplasty, 25 (19.0%) underwent removal of the graft after identification of bone flap necrosis on computed tomography (CT); 16 (64%) of these were culture positive. The mean surface area of craniectomy defect was 128.5 cm2 for patients with bone necrosis and 114.9 cm2 for those without bone necrosis. Linear regression analysis demonstrated that size of craniectomy defect was independently associated with subsequent bone flap failure; logistic regression analysis demonstrated a defect area >125 cm2 was independently associated with failure (odds ratio [OR] 3.29; confidence interval [CI]: 0.249-2.135). Patient- and operation-specific variables were not significant predictors of bone necrosis. Our results showed that increased size of antecedent DC is an independent risk factor for bone flap failure after autologous cranioplasty. Given these findings, clinicians should consider the increased potential of bone flap failure after autologous cranioplasty among patients whose initial DC was >125 cm2.