Multiple mycotic aneurysms with infective endocarditis: A case report.

Mycotic aneurysms are sometimes seen in patients with infective endocarditis. We report a case of infective endocarditis with multiple mycotic aneurysms. Although antibiotics were effective, mycotic aneurysms appeared in the cerebral, hepatic, and gastroepiploic arteries. A 55-year-old man presented with mitral valve endocarditis due to Streptococcus oralis. Surgical treatment was deferred because of cerebral hemorrhage. After antibiotic initiation, his fever and C-reactive protein levels declined, and blood culture was negative. However, he experienced repeated cerebral hemorrhage and the number of cerebral mycotic aneurysms increased. Additionally, his spleen ruptured and the number of mycotic aneurysms in the hepatic and gastroepiploic arteries increased. After embolization for mycotic aneurysm and mitral valve replacement, no mycotic aneurysms appeared. Regardless of whether laboratory data improve or not, multiple mycotic aneurysms sometimes appear, and cardiac surgery for infection control should be considered in the early phase.

Endovascular Treatment for Ruptured Proximal Anterior Cerebral Artery Dissecting Aneurysm: A Case Series.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage due to the A1 segment of an anterior cerebral artery dissecting aneurysm is rare. Therefore, a standard treatment has not been established. Though several case reports of direct surgery exist, there are few reports on endovascular treatment. This is the first study to describe five patients who underwent endovascular treatment for ruptured A1 dissecting aneurysms. Between January 2001 and December 2022 in our affiliated centers, five cases of SAH-onset A1 dissecting aneurysms were treated with endovascular treatment. We describe in detail two representative cases, briefly summarize the other three, and analyze their complications and outcomes. In the five cases, four were female. Four were in their 50s, and one was in her 80s. The WFNS grades were as follows: three were 2, one was 4, and one was 5. No re-ruptures or symptomatic complications were observed. The modified Rankin Scale scores at the time of discharge were as follows; one was 0, one was 1, two were 2, and one was 5. One in five patients needed retreatment after endovascular trapping because of recanalization. Endovascular treatment may be an effective and viable treatment option for ruptured A1 dissecting aneurysms. Further studies are needed to collect detailed data on complications and outcomes.

A Case of Cerebral Hyperperfusion Syndrome during Treatment of Transient Cerebral Vasospasm Following Carotid Artery Stenting.

Objective: We report a case in which transient cerebral vasospasm after carotid artery stenting (CAS) was effectively treated using arterial and intravenous infusion of fasudil hydrochloride, but cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (CHS) developed during subsequent treatment. Case Presentation: The patient was a 79-year-old man who underwent right CAS to treat symptomatic right carotid artery stenosis. After the procedure, the patient developed left paresis and unilateral spatial neglect. The following day, he developed diffuse cerebral vasospasm in the right middle cerebral artery that improved immediately upon arterial infusion of fasudil hydrochloride. Intravenous infusion of fasudil hydrochloride was then started, but CHS with epileptic seizures developed after 1 day of treatment. After 23 days of medical treatment, the condition of the patient improved to mild hemiparesis. Conclusion: The present case suggests that transient cerebral vasospasm after CAS may turn into CHS during treatment and that continuous monitoring for cerebral perfusion is important.

Internal Trapping of an Acutely Ruptured Dissecting Aneurysm of a Dominant Vertebral Artery Following Balloon Test Occlusion: A Case Report.

Objective: To report a case of an acutely ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) with a hypoplastic contralateral vertebral artery (VA) successfully treated with internal trapping following the estimation of the collateral flow from anterior circulation. Case Presentation: A 46-year-old woman was diagnosed with subarachnoid hemorrhage and acute hydrocephalus. Ventriculostomy was performed under general anesthesia. CTA revealed a left VADA distal to the origin of the left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). The right VA was hypoplastic, and the right posterior communicating artery (Pcom) was fetal type. We performed balloon test occlusion (BTO) of the VA proximal to the origin of the left PICA and estimated sufficient collateral blood flow via the right Pcom and basilar artery (BA) to the anterior spinal artery (ASA) and the left PICA. Internal trapping of the left VADA was then performed. The angiograms after internal trapping revealed collateral flow from the right Pcom to the BA, and the hypoplastic right VA perfused the proximal BA and ASA. She recovered without any neurological deficits following antiplatelet therapy and vasospasm treatment. She was followed up for 6 years without any neurological events occurring. Conclusion: When BTO indicates sufficient collateral flow, internal trapping could be a useful treatment for acutely ruptured VADAs on the dominant side, given a complete understanding of the angioarchitecture and the risk of vasospasm due to subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Proposal of Treatment Strategies for Bilateral Chronic Subdural Hematoma Based on Laterality of Treated Hematoma.

BACKGROUND: Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a disorder that is commonly seen in routine neurosurgery. Although risk factors for recurrence have been studied, the findings are inconsistent. Furthermore, bilateral CSDHs are operated unilaterally or bilaterally depending on symptoms or hematoma volume. Although there are cases in which hematomas on nonoperated side in unilaterally operated bilateral CSDHs requiring for additional operation, little have been studied on the effect of the surgical selection. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for recurrence in operated hematomas and additional operation in nonoperated hematomas and improve surgical strategy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who underwent surgery in our facility for bilateral CSDHs between January 2011 and December 2016. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to examine the relationship between recurrence or requirement for additional operation and clinical and radiological variables. RESULTS: Recurrence was observed significantly more frequent for operated hematomas when hematoma type was separated type as reported previously. In unilaterally operated bilateral CSDHs, there were 22 hematomas on nonoperated side, and five hematomas required an additional operation after the first hospitalization. Increased volume of hematoma on the nonoperated side was the risk factors for additional operation (P = 0.022). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve revealed that requirement for additional operation significantly increased when hematoma volume enlarged to approximately 44 cm3 or greater 1 day after operation. CONCLUSIONS: In unilaterally operated bilateral CSDHs, when hematoma volume on nonoperated side increased 1 day after the last operation, additional operation in the early stage is considerable to prevent re-hospitalization and deterioration of activities of daily living.

ATRX status correlates with 11 C-methionine uptake in WHO grade II and III gliomas with IDH1 mutations.

Recent studies on gliomas have shown frequent alterations in the alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation syndrome X-linked gene (ATRX). This study was designed to determine whether ATRX status correlates with uptake of 11C-methionine in WHO grades II and III gliomas. Sixty-two patients underwent 11C-methionine positron emission tomography scans prior to histological diagnosis. The tumor-to-normal ratio (T/N) of 11C-methionine uptake was calculated by dividing the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) for the tumor by the mean SUV of the normal brain. After surgery, tumor samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry for ATRX and IDH1-R132H followed by IDH1/2 sequencing. Twenty-seven of the sixty-two patients were found to have the IDH mutation. Nine of the twenty-seven gliomas harboring IDH mutations exhibited loss of nuclear ATRX expression, which is accompanied with an astrocytic tumor lineage and a poor prognosis. The mean T/N ratio in tumors with loss of nuclear ATRX expression was 2.20 ± 0.53, i.e., significantly lower than that of tumors with ATRX retention (3.28 ± 1.32, p = 0.0171, U test). Our study showed ATRX status to correlate with the T/N ratio and the outcomes of WHO grade II and III glioma patients with the IDH1 mutation. Our data provide new information on the biology and imaging characteristics of gliomas.

Extended orbital exenteration for sinonasal malignancy with orbital apex extension: surgical technique and clinical analysis.

OBJECT: The majority of sinonasal malignancies present with advanced disease, and cure rates are generally poor. Surgical extirpation remains the mainstay of treatment. In cases of sinonasal malignancy with orbital apex extension, gross-total tumor resection requires orbital exenteration and bony skull base resection around the orbital apex to provide sufficient margins. In this retrospective study, the authors describe their surgical strategy in and technique for orbital exenteration with orbital apex resection in patients at Tokyo Medical and Dental University who had sinonasal malignancy with orbital apex extension. They also analyzed the clinical features of and the results in these patients. METHODS: Between February 2001 and August 2012 at the authors' institution, sinonasal malignancy with orbital apex extension was treated using craniofacial tumor resection with orbital exenteration including skull base bone around the orbital apex. The authors describe this technique and analyze the surgical indications, extent of resection, primary tumor location, outcome, pathological findings, and neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapies of the patients who underwent the technique. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 12 men and 3 women with a mean age of 47.7 years (range 14-79 years). The longest postoperative follow-up was 9.5 years, and the shortest was 0.67 year (mean 3.0 years). Tumor originated at the ethmoid sinus in 6 patients (40%), maxillary sinus in 5 (33%), nasal cavity in 2 (13%), and orbital cavity and maxillary bone in 1 patient each (7%). Histological analysis of tumor specimens revealed squamous cell carcinoma in 9 patients (60%), rhabdomyosarcoma in 2 (13%), and small cell carcinoma, mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma, and Ewing sarcoma in 1 patient each (7%). Two patients experienced recurrences at 1 and 5 months after treatment; these patients died at 5 and 10 months after surgery, respectively. Estimated 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 86.7%, and estimated 5-year overall survival (OS) was 86.2%; there was no perioperative mortality. None of the patients had new neurological deficits as a result of the surgery, but 5 patients suffered infectious complications from the graft transplanted into the cavity after resection. There were no other perioperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: These authors are the first to describe a technique for extended orbital exenteration with orbital apex skull base resection. The technique provided sufficient margins for gross-total resection of the sinonasal malignancy with orbital apex extension. The estimated 5-year OS and RFS rates were high, and the perioperative complication rate was acceptably low, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of this technique.

Expansion of CD133-positive glioma cells in recurrent de novo glioblastomas after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

OBJECT: Recent evidence suggests that a glioma stem cell subpopulation may determine the biological behavior of tumors, including resistance to therapy. To investigate this hypothesis, the authors examined varying grades of gliomas for stem cell marker expressions and histopathological changes between primary and recurrent tumors. METHODS: Tumor samples were collected during surgery from 70 patients with varying grades of gliomas (Grade II in 12 patients, Grade III in 16, and Grade IV in 42) prior to any adjuvant treatment. The samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry for MIB-1, factor VIII, GFAP, and stem cell markers (CD133 and nestin). Histopathological changes were compared between primary and recurrent tumors in 31 patients after radiation treatment and chemotherapy, including high-dose irradiation with additional stereotactic radiosurgery. RESULTS: CD133 expression on glioma cells was confined to de novo glioblastomas but was not observed in lower-grade gliomas. In de novo glioblastomas, the mean percentage of CD133-positive glioma cells in sections obtained at recurrence was 12.2% ± 10.3%, which was significantly higher than that obtained at the primary surgery (1.08% ± 1.78%). CD133 and Ki 67 dual-positive glioma cells were significantly increased in recurrent de novo glioblastomas as compared with those in primary tumors (14.5% ± 6.67% vs 2.16% ± 2.60%, respectively). In contrast, secondary glioblastomas rarely expressed CD133 antigen even after malignant progression following radiotherapy and chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: The authors' results indicate that CD133-positive glioma stem cells could survive, change to a proliferative cancer stem cell phenotype, and cause recurrence in cases with de novo glioblastomas after radiotherapy and chemotherapy.