Severe cerebellar hemorrhage following transverse sinus stenting for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

We report a severe adverse event occurring in the course of a cohort study (ISRCTN13784335) aimed at measuring the efficacy and safety of venous stenting in the treatment of patients with medically refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The patient was a 41-year-old woman who was not overweight, who presented with severe headache, grade 1 bilateral papilledema and transient tinnitus, refractory to medical treatment. Right transverse sinus stenting was successfully performed. Following surgery, the patient's state of consciousness decreased acutely with rapid and progressive loss of brainstem reflex. CT scan revealed acute cerebellar and intraventricular hemorrhage with obstructive hydrocephalus. Angioscan revealed normal venous sinus patency and cerebral MRI showed acute mesencephalic ischemia. Mechanical impairment of cerebellar venous drainage by the stent or venous perforation with the large guidewire used in this technique are two logical ways to explain the cerebellar hemorrhage seen in our patient. The risk of such a complication could probably be reduced using alternative tools and technique. However, given the low level of evidence around the safety of transverse sinus stenting in IIH, its formal assessment in clinical trials is required.

A direct comparison of onabotulinumtoxina (Botox) and IncobotulinumtoxinA (Xeomin) in the treatment of benign essential blepharospasm: a split-face technique.

BACKGROUND: Benign essential blepharospasm (BEB) is characterized by progressive involuntary contractions of the protractor muscles, sometimes leading to a debilitating closure of the lids. It is currently treated with the injection of botulinum neurotoxin A (BoNT/A). The purpose of this study was to compare 2 BoNT/A preparations (i.e., Xeomin and Botox) in the treatment of BEB. METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized, double-blinded split-face technique in 48 patients already treated by Botox for BEB. Patients received the same medication to either side of the face for 4 injections, and were then evaluated using subjective and objective measures. Blepharospasm Disability Index (BSDI) and Jankovic Rating Scale (JRS) were assessed using a repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired t test. Patient preference and objective comparison of residual orbicularis strength and spasm were compared using a multinomial logistic regression model, a repeated-measures ANOVA, and a paired t test. RESULTS: A paired t test showed no preference between Xeomin and Botox (P = 0.7205) and demonstrated a tendency toward not having a preference for either medication (P = 0.0301 vs Botox and P = 0.0039 vs Xeomin). The regression model showed no effect of time on patient preference (P = 0.4217). The ANOVA for BSDI scores did not reveal any difference between the 2 medications as compared with baseline (P = 0.8161), nor did it demonstrate an effect of time on BSDI scores (P = 0.6108). A paired t test found no difference between the 2 scores (P = 0.1909) at baseline. There was no difference in JRS scores for either medication when compared with baseline (P = 0.2314), nor was there an effect of time on such scores (P = 0.4951). There was also no difference between the 2 medications according to paired t test (P = 0.3224) at baseline. Baseline residual orbicularis strength was similar between the 2 medications (paired t test; P = 0.3228). ANOVA shows an effect of time on orbicularis strength (P = 0.0055), but no difference was seen at any of the 5 visits (P > 0.05). Baseline spasm scores were similar between Botox and Xeomin (paired Student t test; P = 0.3228). The ANOVA shows no difference between both medications at any point in time (P = 0.4408), and that time had no effect on the efficacy of either treatment (P = 0.3268). CONCLUSION: No difference between Xeomin and Botox was detected in either subjective or objective measures for the treatment of BEB.