Endovascular treatment of ruptured proximal PICA aneurysms: a single-center 5-years experience.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) like other intracranial arteries is prone to aneurysm formation. Aneurysms usually arise from the vertebral artery (VA) - PICA junction and the proximal segment of the PICA. The use of endovascular treatment as an alternative treatment to surgery has been increasing. We present our last 5 years' experience in treating the ruptured proximal PICA aneurysms. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of records of all patients with ruptured VA-PICA junction aneurysms treated at our referral center between July 2008 and July 2013 was performed. Over the last 5 years, we came across 17 patients who had aneurysms of proximal PICA or VA-PICA junction out of which 13 patients underwent endovascular treatment for ruptured saccular VA-PICA junction aneurysms and were the focus of this research. Follow-up studies ranged from 6 months to 3 years. RESULTS: All the patients presented with an acute intracranial hemorrhage on NCCT. All the aneurysms were at VA-PICA junction with partial or complete incorporation of PICA origin in the sac. Endovascular treatment of all the 13 aneurysm was successful in the first attempt. Aneurysms were treated with balloon assisted coiling either by placing the balloon across the VA-PICA junction (n = 3) or in the vertebral artery proper (n = 9). Stent assisted coiling VA-PICA was performed in one aneurysm (n = 1). There was no intra-procedural rupture of the aneurysms. CONCLUSION: Endovascular therapy of ruptured proximal PICA aneurysms is possible and safe with the use of adjuvant devices and should be considered as first line treatment.

Cost analysis and benefits of opt-out HIV testing at a tertiary care centre in northern India.

Currently, in India, the National AIDS Control Organization does not recommend HIV screening for all patients attending health care facilities. The objective of study was to evaluate cost and benefits of opt-out HIV testing at a tertiary care hospital from India. This is a retrospective cohort study of patients who had undergone HIV testing. The cost for HIV testing and cost per HIV-infected patient were determined. A total of 6512 patients (66.4% men and 905 patients younger than 14 years) with mean (SD) age of 30.3 (20.7) years were tested for HIV infection during the study period. Overall, 137 (2.1%) patients tested positive for HIV infection. Total cost for performing HIV tests during study period was Indian Rupees (INR) 649,319 (US dollar [USD] 11805.8). The estimated cost per person tested was INR 99.71 (USD1.8) and cost per HIV-infected patient identified and referred to the antiretroviral therapy centre was INR 4739.55 (USD86.2). We determined a 2.1% period prevalence estimate for HIV infection. Based on cost per HIV-infected patient identified and referred to the antiretroviral therapy centre and the burden of HIV infection, it may be cost effective to perform routine opt-out screening for HIV infection in all patients attending health care facilities in developing countries like India.

Endovascular treatment of a mycotic intracavernous carotid artery aneurysm using a stent graft.

Intracavernous carotid artery mycotic aneurysms are rare and management is determined by clinical presentation. We describe the first documented proximal intracranial mycotic aneurysm treated by a balloon expandable Aneugraft PCS covered stent. An 11-year-old female child presented with acute onset fever, headache, chemosis followed by diplopia, right-sided ptosis with ophthalmoplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral cavernous sinus thrombosis. Subsequent work-up included serial computed tomographic arteriography and digital subtraction angiography which revealed a progressively enlarging intracavernous carotid aneurysm. An Aneugraft PCS covered stent was successfully deployed endovascularly, and complete exclusion of the aneurysm was achieved while maintaining the patency of the parent artery. The use of covered stents in intracranial vasculature can be an effective and safe treatment modality for exclusion of the mycotic aneurysm in selected cases.

Relevance of opt-out screening for HIV in emergency and pre-surgery patients in a tertiary care center in Northern India: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: A preliminary opt-out screening study for HIV was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in India according to Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines. A total of 876 cases were screened for HIV during August 2007 to December 2007 using tests approved by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO). RESULTS: Data indicates that the prevalence of HIV in emergency and pre-surgical setting was 21 per thousand at the tertiary care center. Positivity rate in the pediatric population was 20.9 per thousand while in adults it was 21.4 per thousand. Most patients were totally unsuspected. Nearly 40000 patients seek admission annually to the emergency department alone. Thus nearly 700 to 800 patients may be missed every year if one does not resort to such a practice. CONCLUSION: Since India has the second largest number of HIV cases in the world, opt-out screening program and testing in an emergency setting, as recommended by CDC, is extremely relevant. Logistics of implementation of this policy need to be worked out at a national level.

Bcl2 and ROS1 expression in human meningiomas: an analysis with respect to histological subtype.

Tumors of the central nervous system account for approximately 9% of all primary neoplasm in humans, while tumors of covering elements, the meninges, account for 13-19% and constitute the second largest group of brain tumors. These are known to exhibit a variety of chromosomal abnormalities besides change in the expression level of certain oncogenes. Among oncogenes, bcl2, an anti-apoptotic factor and ROS1 that encodes a protein with a structure similar to the epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin receptor and has a tyrosine kinase activity, have been shown to be associated with many malignant tumors. In the present study we have analysed the expression of bcl2 using immuno-histochemistry and ROS1 expression by reverse-transcription coupled with polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) of the transcript using primers specific for the intra-cellular domain and then tried to correlate the findings with the subtype of the meningioma defined on the basis of histology. Out of the six bcl2 positive cases in our study, there were three transitional tumors, two fibroblastic and one recurrent meningioma subtype. bcl2 seemed to be more consistently expressed in the cytoplasm of spindle cell component of meningiomas. Thirteen meningiothelial meningiomas did not show any staining for bcl2. ROS1 gene expression could be detected in 4 tumors all of those were Grade-I meningothelial meningiomas. One of the malignant meningioma included in the study was clearly negative for bcl2 as well as ROS1. Thus bcl2 and ROS1 oncogene expression in meningiomas are not concurrent and neither can be ascribed to any histologic subtype or grade of tumor.

Far lateral approach for foramen magnum lesions.

Twelve patients with lesions in the anterior or anterolateral regions of foramen magnum were treated through the far lateral approach. The patients presented with neck pain, dysesthesia, quadriparesis, numbness, respiratory distress, and spastic contractures. Most lesions were meningiomas and neurofibromas, with one patient each with a posterior inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm, neurenteric cyst, and chordoma. All mass lesions were excised totally and the aneurysm was clipped. Three patients had severe respiratory problems preoperatively and two of them died. The other patients made a satisfactory neurological recovery. It was not found necessary to resect the condyle or mobilize the vertebral artery in any of the patients.