Radial Artery Graft for Giant Common Carotid Artery Pseudoaneurysm After Carotid Artery Stenting.

BACKGROUND: We present a patient who underwent left superior temporal artery (STA)-to-right middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass using a radial artery (RA) graft with resection of a giant right cervical common carotid artery (CCA) pseudoaneurysm after carotid artery stenting (CAS) and discuss the treatment strategy and surgical procedure in detail. CASE DESCRIPTION: An 86-year-old male presented with sudden onset of altered consciousness and complete left hemiparesis. Magnetic resonance angiography and catheter angiography of the brain revealed occlusion of the right cervical ICA. Endovascular thrombectomy and stenting of the cervical segment of the ICA were performed. Thirty-two days after CAS, the patient developed a high fever and rapid swelling of the neck. Catheter angiography showed a giant right CCA pseudoaneurysm that had a fistula just proximal to the carotid stent, and the aneurysm extended to the neck entirely. Because of the expanding neck infection, stent placement long lesion, and lack of distal collateral flow on angiography, we performed aneurysm and stent removal and left STA-to-right MCA bypass using an RA graft. The harvested RA graft was anastomosed side to end to both the M2 segment of the right MCA and the left STA. Bypass patency was confirmed before neck exposure. The pseudoaneurysm and proximal portion area of the stent were resected. The patient recovered well postoperatively, and follow-up catheter angiography showed patency of the bypass. CONCLUSIONS: Left STA-RA-right MCA bypass with aneurysm resection is a good treatment option for giant CCA pseudoaneurysms that occur after CAS.

Incision of the anterior petroclinoidal fold during clipping for securing the proximal space of an internal carotid artery-posterior communicating artery aneurysm: a technical note.

Surgical clipping of an internal carotid artery (ICA)-posterior communicating artery (ICPC) aneurysm is often difficult in cases involving limited space to insert a clip at the proximal aneurysm neck hidden by the tent. In such cases, we perform incision of the anterior petroclinoidal fold to secure the proximal space for clip insertion. Between April 2013 and March 2018, we treated 89 ICPC aneurysm cases by clipping. Incision of the anterior petroclinoidal fold was performed in 15 of the 89 cases (16.8%). Fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can indicate the locations of the aneurysm and tent and can help assess the need for tent incision. We widely dissected the distal sylvian fissure and sufficiently exposed around the aneurysmal space. We coagulated and cut the anterior petroclinoidal fold supra between the ICA and proximal neck of the aneurysm using a low-power bipolar system and needles or micro-scissors with care to avoid injury around structures such as the ICA, aneurysm, and oculomotor nerve. When using this strategy, we often select the Yasargil FT717 clip that has a curve along the skull base because of easy insertion. All cases showed complete aneurysm exclusion on three-dimensional computed tomography angiography, and there was no cerebral infarction, neurological deficit (such as hemiparesis), or oculomotor nerve palsy. Therefore, our strategy of incision of the anterior petroclinoidal fold during clipping for securing the proximal space of an ICA aneurysm is effective and safe.

Bilateral suboccipital approach for a giant vertebral artery aneurysm.

Giant thrombosed aneurysms of the vertebral artery (VA) are difficult to treat. Moreover, marked tortuosity of the parent VA complicates determination of the surgical approach. We report the case of a 71-year-old male patient who presented with gait disturbance. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a giant thrombosed aneurysm of approximately 4cm in diameter located in the ventral region and to the right of the medulla oblongata. Computed tomography angiography showed that the right VA had extreme tortuosity, and that the VA union was in contact with the left 7th and 8th cranial nerves. Given that the aneurysm was thrombosed and causing a mass effect, we sought to trap it. In this case, because of the tortuous VA, intravascular team considered intravascular therapy to be too difficult. We made a question mark-shaped skin incision and used a wide bilateral suboccipital approach. The VA proximal to the aneurysm was occluded with an aneurysm clip using an approach from the right of the brainstem, while the VA distal to the aneurysm was occluded using a lateral suboccipital approach. When the VA and basilar artery are atherosclerotic and extremely tortuous, the distal and proximal aspects of the aneurysm can exist on both sides of the midline. In difficult cases such as that reported here, in which a giant VA aneurysm exceeded the midline of the anterior surface of the medulla, we believe that it is useful to employ a bilateral approach from both sides of the brainstem.

A 17-year-old girl with Klippel-Weber syndrome complicated with a pulmonary thromboembolism and RV thrombus.

A 17-year-old girl with multiple areas of skin hemangiomas that had been present since birth was referred to our institution complaining of sudden onset of dyspnea. Enhanced CT demonstrated a pulmonary thromboembolism and transthoracic echocardiogram showed a thrombus-like echo in the right ventricle. CT further revealed thrombi in the inferior vena cava (IVC) and peripheral vein. The thrombi, especially those in the RV, were highly life-threatening; therefore, immediate thrombectomy was performed and an IVC filter was placed. Because no major complications occurred, the patient was discharged 34 days after admission. In such young women, carefully using anticoagulation therapy and planning pregnancy are recommended.