Strategy of carotid artery stenting as first-line treatment and carotid endarterectomy for carotid artery stenosis: A single-center experience.

Background: The main surgical options for stenosis of the carotid artery are carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS). The number of CAS procedures performed in Japan greatly exceeds that of CEA procedures. In this study, we used data from a single center to examine CAS and CEA for carotid artery stenosis. Methods: The subjects were patients with carotid artery stenosis who underwent CAS or CEA between January 2012 and May 2020. CAS was the first-choice treatment. CEA was used in cases with vulnerable plaques, a relatively low risk of general anesthesia, and no anatomical features disadvantageous for endarterectomy. Results: A total of 140 cases (102 CAS and 38 CEA) were examined. There were more elderly patients in the CAS group. The CEA group had a higher rate of vulnerable plaques and only one case with an unfavorable anatomy for CEA. Major adverse events (stroke) occurred in two CAS cases. In multivariate logistic analysis, postoperative ischemic lesions were independently associated with age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.13, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01-1.26, P = 0.026) and vulnerable plaque (OR = 5.54, 95% CI: 1.48-20.70, P = 0.011) in the CAS group, but not in the CEA group. Conclusion: The results reflect the treatment algorithm at our hospital, indicating that triage is accurate. Thus, it is beneficial to assign cases based primarily on plaque vulnerability and anatomical risk for CEA, and to not hesitate to perform CEA simply because of old age. CAS as first-line treatment and CEA are effective and safe, which reflect the treatment situation in Japan.

Klebsiella invasive liver abscess syndrome presenting with a central nervous system manifestation secondary to latent cholecystitis: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Brain abscess is a life-threatening event. Moreover, when Klebsiella pneumoniae is the cause, rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment are required. Klebsiella invasive liver abscess syndrome, a bloodstream metastatic infection of potentially aggressive nature, has been recognized to cause infection in the central nervous system, and concern for Klebsiella liver abscess syndrome is increasing globally. CASE PRESENTATION: A 73-year-old Japanese woman was admitted to the institution complaining of aggravated dysarthria and weakness in the right upper extremities with onset 5 days earlier. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a brain abscess in the left basal ganglia, and abdominal computed tomography revealed a liver abscess in liver segment 7. The patient's dysarthria symptoms became increasingly worse over the next few days, so surgical drainage via frontotemporal craniotomy was performed on admission day 3, and subsequent culture from the brain abscess showed growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae. On admission day 9, percutaneous transhepatic drainage of the liver segment 7 abscess was undertaken. The pus culture also showed growth of Klebsiella pneumoniae, thus associating the liver abscess with the brain abscess. Following long-term conservative treatment with antibiotics and abscess drainage, the liver abscess disappeared. However, the patient continuously presented with right upper quadrant pain, and abdominal computed tomography showed swelling of the gallbladder. Consequently, percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage was initially administered, and the bile culture was also positive for Klebsiella pneumoniae. For radical treatment, a laparoscopic cholecystectomy was performed on admission day 99. The postoperative period was complicated by an intraabdominal abscess; however, conservative therapy was successful. She was subsequently discharged, and 12-month follow-up revealed no further sequelae. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a rare case of Klebsiella liver abscess syndrome, which first presented with a central nervous system manifestation. Our patient was successfully treated via an early surgical intervention and subsequent antibiotic therapy. Although surgical drainage remains the cornerstone treatment for brain abscess, when a brain abscess is found, and there is a high index of suspicion for the existence of a liver abscess, Klebsiella liver abscess syndrome should be considered as a possible diagnosis.

A Case of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage with Middle Cerebral Artery Aplasia at 30 Weeks of Pregnancy.

Objective: We report a case of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) that occurred at 30 weeks of pregnancy and was treated by coil embolization in a woman with middle cerebral artery (MCA) aplasia. Case Presentation: A 40-year-old woman who was 30 weeks pregnant presented to the emergency department with a half-day history of headache and nausea. She had sudden onset headache and her symptom did not improve. There was no neurological deficit. Head CT at the referring hospital revealed SAH. The fetal state was stable. There was no sign of threatened premature delivery. Head MRA revealed aplasia of the left MCA and aneurysm with a daughter sac at the A1 segment of the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Head DSA revealed that the A1 aneurysm with a daughter sac arose from the anomalous collateral artery leading to a plexiform network. The diagnosis was SAH due to rupture of an A1 aneurysm. Performance of less invasive coil embolization seemed to be possible and was carried out under general anesthesia. The operation was completed after placing one coil and confirming that most of the aneurysmal dome was embolized, including the daughter sac. There was no cerebral vasospasm and no obvious neurological deficit. Antiplatelet drugs were only required for 10 days after the operation. Pregnancy was stable and the patient delivered a baby by cesarean section at 38 weeks of pregnancy. Conclusion: A rare case of aneurysmal SAH in a pregnant woman with MCA aplasia was successfully treated by endovascular surgery.

Strategies to prevent positioning-related complications associated with the lateral suboccipital approach.

The lateral positioning used for the lateral suboccipital surgical approach is associated with various pathophysiologic complications. Strategies to avoid complications including an excessive load on the cervical vertebra and countermeasures against pressure ulcer development are needed. We retrospectively investigated positioning-related complications in 71 patients with cerebellopontine angle lesions undergoing surgery in our department between January 2003 and December 2010 using the lateral suboccipital approach. One patient postoperatively developed rhabdomyolysis, and another presented with transient peroneal nerve palsy on the unaffected side. Stage I and II pressure ulcers were noted in 22 and 12 patients, respectively, although neither stage III nor more severe pressure ulcers occurred. No patients experienced cervical vertebra and spinal cord impairments, brachial plexus palsy, or ulnar nerve palsy associated with rotation and flexion of the neck. Strategies to prevent positioning-related complications, associated with lateral positioning for the lateral suboccipital surgical approach, include the following: atraumatic fixation of the neck focusing on jugular venous perfusion and airway pressure, trunk rotation, and sufficient relief of weightbearing and protection of nerves including the peripheral nerves of all four extremities.

A surgical case of cerebral hemorrhage in a patient with factor XI deficiency.

A 63-year-old man suddenly presented with right hemiplegia and was taken to our hospital. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed subcortical hemorrhage of the left parietal lobe. He had no medical history except hypertension; thus, it initially appeared to be a typical hypertensive hemorrhage. However, blood analysis showed an abnormally elevated activated partial thromboplastin time. One hour after admission, his Glasgow Coma Scale fell from 14 to 11. We performed an echo-guided stereotaxic removal of the hematoma. He improved immediately and was diagnosed with congenital factor XI (FXI) deficiency a few days after surgery. FXI deficiency, described as hemophilic syndrome C, rarely manifests as spontaneous bleeding, but surgical intervention has been known to manifest as bleeding. This case highlights the importance of evaluation of coagulopathies in patients with intracerebral hemorrhage before surgery, and, in cases wherein blood analysis results suggest coexisting coagulation disorders, less invasive surgical methods would likely lead to good outcomes.