VIsion Salvage Using Intra-Ophthalmic Arterial Alteplase Combine with Nimodipine in Central Retinal Artery Occlusion (VISION).

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy and safety of selective intra-ophthalmic arterial combined nimodipine and alteplase infusion in patients with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO). Design: Non-randomized, prospective interventional study. Methods: All patients with CRAO who presented at our institute within 24 hours from CRAO onset from August 2020 to July 2022 were included. Intra-arterial nimodipine and alteplase were given selectively into the ophthalmic artery. Visual acuity was recorded during and after the procedure. Change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) 1 month post-treatment, relative to baseline, was set as the primary outcome measure. Significant improvement in vision and adverse events are reported as secondary outcomes. Patients: Nine patients with non-arteritic CRAO were enrolled. Results: A total of nine patients with CRAO underwent selective intra-ophthalmic arterial nimodipine and alteplase injection. Overall, BCVA had statistically significantly improved by 0.78 logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) at 1 month compared with baseline (95% confidence interval: (-1.24, -0.31), p-value = 0.001). Seven (77.8%) patients had significant visual improvement (≥0.3 logMAR) at 1-month post-treatment. There were minor adverse events during administration of the nimodipine, including chemosis and headache, which resolved after the discontinuation of nimodipine. There were also asymptomatic thromboembolic events in 2 patients (22.2%) after the intervention procedure, without any morbidity or mortality. Conclusion: The use of selective intra-ophthalmic arterial combined nimodipine and alteplase was efficacious in improving BCVA at 1 month for patients with non-arteritic CRAO presenting between 24 hours from onset, with minor adverse events but no serious adverse events.

Spinal Extramedullary Arteriovenous Fistulas: A 15-Year Endovascular Treatment Experience in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Thailand.

BACKGROUND: Spinal arteriovenous shunts are rare diseases. Different classifications have been proposed, but the most widely used are those classified by locations. Different locations (i.e., intramedullary and extramedullary) have different treatment outcomes and different posttreatment angiographical results. Our study presents the 15-year endovascular treatment outcomes of patients who had spinal extramedullary arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs) at Ramathibodi Hospital, which is a tertiary care hospital in Thailand. METHODS: A retrospective medical record and imaging review of all patients with spinal extramedullary AVFs, which were confirmed by a diagnostic spinal angiogram in our institute from January 2006 to December 2020, were performed. The angiographic complete obliteration rate in the first session of endovascular treatment, clinical outcomes of the patients, and complications of the procedures for all eligible patients were analyzed. RESULTS: Sixty-eight eligible patients were included in the study. The most common diagnosis was spinal dural AVF (45.6%). The most common presenting symptoms were weakness, numbness, and bowel-bladder involvement (70.6%, 67.6%, and 57.4%, respectively). Ninety-four percent had spinal cord edema in preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. All patients had pial venous reflux. Sixty-four patients (94.1%) received endovascular treatment as the first option. The complete obliteration rate in the first session of endovascular treatment was 75% and was high in all subgroups except for the perimedullary AVF group. The overall intraoperative complication of endovascular treatment was 9.4%. Follow-up imaging showed no residual AVF in 50 patients (87.7%). Most of the patients (57.4%) had improvement of neurological functions at 3- to 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Treatment results of spinal extramedullary AVFs were good in terms of angiographic aspects and clinical outcomes. This may have resulted from the locations of the AVFs, which mostly did not involve the spinal cord arterial supply, with the exception of perimedullary AVFs. Although perimedullary AVF is difficult to treat, it can be cured by careful catherization and embolization.

Successful endovascular treatment of pediatric basilar infectious (mycotic) aneurysm: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Intracranial infectious aneurysms are rarely reported in children; in particular, they are very rare in infants. They are mostly related to infective endocarditis and are usually located in the anterior cerebral vasculature. A ruptured intracranial infectious aneurysm is a catastrophic event associated with high morbidity and mortality rates. CASE REPORT: An 8-month-old female infant presented with a prolonged fever without any organ-specific symptoms. Two weeks after admission, she had a high-grade fever with drowsiness; the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination indicated meningitis. Despite treatments with empiric antibiotic and antiviral agents, both her condition and the repeated CSF profiles worsened. The ineffective medications were promptly changed to susceptible antibiotic after the CSF culture showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Three days after the diagnosis of meningitis, the patient suddenly developed seizures and alteration of consciousness. The computerized tomography and angiography (CT and CTA) of the brain demonstrated a diffuse subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and a lobulated fusiform aneurysm at the proximal basilar artery, suggestive of a ruptured basilar infectious aneurysm. Endovascular treatment was planned and a transarterial occlusion of the vertebrobasilar junction was performed in order to disrupt inflow of the aneurysm. After endovascular intervention, her clinical symptoms gradually improved and the patient was discharged after completing a 4-week course of antibiotics. At the 6-week follow-up, she was doing well without neurological deficit. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of a ruptured basilar infectious aneurysm in an infant secondary to Pseudomonas meningitis, successfully treated with parent artery occlusion.

Pregnancy in biliary atresia after kasai operation complicated by portal hypertension.

Hepatic portoenterostomy or Kasai operation has been widely accepted as the standard therapy for biliary atresia. Recently, more female patients have grown up and reached adulthood; therefore, pregnancy in women with biliary atresia is sometimes inevitable. The authors report a 17-year-old woman with biliary atresia post Kasai operation at 3 months of age. After the operation, she became jaundice-free but developed portal hypertension with abnormal liver function. She had several episodes of esophageal variceal bleeding and was treated by beta-blocker and endoscopic sclerotherapy. Since then, she was lost to follow up for nearly 2 years. She came back again with 12 weeks of gestation with no symptoms of gastrointestinal bleeding for antenatal care. At 32 weeks of gestation, she presented with severe hematemesis from variceal bleeding and had thrombocytopenia from hypersplenism. She was treated with somatostatin analogue, fluid and blood component replacement and other supportive treatments. Cesarean section was performed when she was stable at 33 weeks of gestation. After the operation, her clinical status was improved and had no other complications. Her baby experienced complications of prematurity but improved after treatment. Pregnancy may affect the natural course of portal hypertension and worsen the clinical outcome. Pregnancy should be avoided in patients with portal hypertension, however it is not contraindicated. Pregnancy in biliary atresia patients needs intensive prenatal care.