Prediction of Permanent Shunt Dependency in Patients with Intraventricular Hemorrhage: Outcomes of Early External Ventricular Drainage Weaning Protocol.

BACKGROUND: Hydrocephalus remains a common sequela of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) despite adequate drainage of the hematoma, including endoscopic surgery, intraventricular fibrinolysis, and external ventricular drainage (EVD). Moreover, the appropriate timing for conversion from EVD to ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the predictors of shunt dependency in patients with IVH based on the early EVD weaning protocol in our institution. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients who were diagnosed with primary IVH and secondary IVH from spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage during the period 2018-2021. Predictors associated with shunt dependency were identified using a logistic regression model. The cutoff point of each variable was selected by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Furthermore, shunt complications were reported as a safety measure of our early EVD weaning protocol. RESULTS: The analysis included 106 patients. After IVH treatment, 15 (14%) patients required ventriculoperitoneal shunt, whereas 91 (86%) patients were shunt-free. The diameter of posttreatment temporal horn and the degree of IVH reduction were the significant predictors of shunt dependency. Moreover, patients with IVH reduction of >45% and temporal horn diameter of <9 mm had a lower probability of shunt dependency. Shunt failure was found in 2 (13.3%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that a large temporal horn diameter and a lower degree of IVH removal were predictors of shunt dependency in patients with IVH. In addition, early conversion from EVD to ventriculoperitoneal shunt is safe and feasible.

Treatment outcomes between endoscopic surgery and conventional craniotomy for spontaneous supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage: a randomized controlled trial.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has been repeatedly evaluated in patients with ICH as a promising procedure for improved survival and functional outcome. Among MIS techniques, endoscopic surgery (ES) has shown superior efficacy for ICH removal due to rapid clot evacuation and immediate bleeding control. However, the results of ES are still uncertain due to insufficient data. In this study, participants with spontaneous supratentorial ICH who were indicated for surgery were randomly assigned (1:1) to undergo ES or conventional craniotomy (CC) between March 2019 and June 2022. The primary outcome was a difference in favorable modified Rankin Scale (mRS) outcome (0 to 3) at 180-day follow-up evaluated by blind assessors. There were 188 participants, 95 in the ES group and 93 in the CC group, who completed the trial. At 180-day follow-up, 46 (48.4%) participants in the ES group achieved favorable outcomes, compared to 33 (35.5%) in the CC group (risk difference [RD] 12.9, 95% CI - 1.1-27.0, p = 0.07). After covariate adjustment, the difference was slightly higher and significant (adjusted RD 17.3, 95% CI [4.6-30.0], p = 0.01). Moreover, the ES group had less operative duration and less intraoperative blood loss than the CC group. Clot evacuation rate and complications were similar between the two groups. Subgroup analyses showed a potential benefit of ES in age < 60 years, time to surgery ≥ 6 h, and deep ICH. This study showed that ES was safe and effective in ICH removal and provided a better functional outcome compared to CC.

Outcomes of Combined Endoscopic Surgery and Fibrinolytic Treatment Protocol for Intraventricular Hemorrhage: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Intraventricular fibrinolysis (IVF) and endoscopic surgery (ES) are the new promising treatment strategies to enhance the rate of hematoma clearance, which might improve functional outcome. This study investigated and compared the outcomes among these interventions. METHODS: A randomized (1:1) double-blinded trial was carried out between August 2018 and December 2021. The intervention and control groups comprised patients receiving IVF and/or ES and external ventricular drainage (EVD), respectively. All participants had experienced primary or secondary intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) from spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage with obstructive hydrocephalus complications. The primary outcome was modified Rankin Scale score 180 days post treatment. Interim assessments were planned for every 50 participants enrolled to ensure safety and efficacy. RESULTS: After enrollment of 110 participants (55 participants in each group), there was a difference in 30-day mortality (2 [3.6%] vs. 13 [32.7%] in the EVD group, P = 0.002), reaching the predetermined boundaries for termination of the trial. We demonstrated a better favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-3) at 180 days in the intervention group, compared with the control group (35 [63.6%] vs. 24 [43.6%], P = 0.04). Participants in the intervention group experienced a higher IVH removal rate (91% [9.0] vs. 69.5% [38.0], P < 0.01) and had lower shunt conversion (1 [1.8%] vs. 16 [29.3%], P < 0.01). Treatment complications were comparable between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that combined ES and IVF is safe and effective for the treatment of IVH. In addition, it concluded that aggressive but safe procedures used to remove IVH could improve clinical outcome in patients with IVH.

A rare case of ruptured anterior cerebral artery infected aneurysm with angioinvasion secondary to disseminated Nocardia otitidiscaviarum: A case report and literature review.

Background: The cases of ruptured infected aneurysms secondary to disseminated nocardiosis are exceptionally rare. Therefore, there is no guideline for investigation or optimal treatment. Case Description: A 51-year-old man with immunocompromised status was first presented with pneumonia and cerebral infarction, where the infected aneurysm was ruptured thereafter. Intraoperative findings revealed left anterior cerebral artery thrombosis and occlusion with evidence of angioinvasion along with pus discharge which was later identified with Nocardia otitidiscaviarum. Our case was the first to report on the angioinvasive nature of cerebral nocardiosis, which occurs concurrently with a ruptured infected aneurysm and an unusual presentation that made the diagnosis and treatment challenging. Conclusion: Cerebral nocardiosis may cause ruptured infected aneurysms in patients with risk factors, especially for immunocompromised hosts. Furthermore, Nocardia can present with severe cerebral manifestation due to angioinvasion causing cerebral infarction accompanied by a ruptured infected aneurysm.

Comparison of Minimally Invasive and Pterional Craniotomies for Ruptured Anterior Circulation Aneurysms: A Propensity Score Matched Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive craniotomy (MIC) for ruptured aneurysm remains a debatable issue because of unclear information regarding its safety and efficacy compared with standard approaches. Here, we compared the outcomes between MIC and pterional craniotomy (PTC) for the treatment of ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms. METHODS: A database of patients with ruptured anterior circulation aneurysm who were treated with surgical clipping was reviewed. With the use of propensity score matching to balance the baseline characteristics of MIC and PTC groups, outcomes of the 2 groups were compared. Clinical predictors of favorable outcomes (modified Rankin scale score 0-2) were evaluated by using uni- and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: A total of 102 matched pairs were identified. MIC resulted in a significantly shorter operative time (2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 4.2 ± 0.7 hours; P = 0.004) and hospital stay (14.2 ± 5.9 vs. 19.2 ± 9.1 days; P < 0.001), respectively. Both MIC and PTC had similar mortality and complication rates except for the incidences of intracranial hemorrhage (2% vs. 9.8%; P = 0.039) and brain injury (9.8% vs. 27.5%; P = 0.036), respectively. Use of MIC instead of standard surgery and lower World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade and absence of hydrocephalus were significant predictors of favorable outcome at 1 month, whereas higher WFNS grade and higher Fisher grade were significantly associated with a poor outcome at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of ruptured anterior circulation aneurysms, MIC was comparable with PTC and presented additional advantage in terms of earlier recovery. Therefore, MIC can be considered an alternative surgical treatment in this setting.