Multidisciplinary Approach for the Management of a Case With Craniofacial Penetrating Injury Compressing the Internal Carotid Artery.

A craniofacial penetrating injury can be severe when a foreign object reaches the skull base, causing an intracranial hemorrhage or a pseudoaneurysm. We report a case of sharp craniofacial injury in which a thin wooden rod moved from the orbit to the internal carotid artery. With a multidisciplinary team consisting of neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, and otolaryngologists, the foreign body was safely removed, and the patient healed without complications or sequelae. Careful risk management is necessary when treating a case of craniofacial penetrating injury because the depth of the foreign body cannot be determined from the external appearance, making it challenging to decide on the severity of the damage from the injury.

An Institutional Experience and Literature Review on Iatrogenic Major Vascular Injury in Neurosurgery: Proposal of a Management Algorithm.

Background: Major vessel injury is among the most dreaded complications of any neurosurgical procedure. Once intraoperatively tamponaded, it can present in the form of pseudoaneurysm, dissecting aneurysm or complete occlusion of vessel. These injuries are often associated with very high morbidity and mortality. The literature available on this topic is limited and our understanding remains limited. Objective: In this article, we present our surgical experience with iatrogenic aneurysms and present a review of literature. Methods and Material: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all patients with major vessel injury during surgery from a prospectively maintained database from January 2012 to February 2020. Results: A total of 15 patients developed iatrogenic aneurysms following a major vessel injury during various neurosurgical procedures. The most common vessel injured was vertebral artery (n = 9) in craniovertebral junction (CVJ) anomalies and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) followed by internal carotid artery injury (n = 5) in sellar and parasellar pathologies. One patient developed basilar artery injury during endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). Eight patients had pseudoaneurysm and seven had dissecting aneurysm with or without complete thrombosis of the involved artery. A total of two patients died after vascular injury and remaining thirteen patients survived and discharged. Conclusions: The adage "prevention is better than cure" applies most aptly in such cases. Any major vessel injury should be followed by immediate angiography and subsequent early management. The endovascular management is more favorable as these aneurysms are difficult to clip due to the absence of a neck and fragile wall.

Managing complications of endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery in pituitary adenomas.

INTRODUCTION: Over the last two decades there has been a gradual shift from the traditional microscopic approach toward the use of endoscopic endonasal approach for resection of pituitary adenomas. Multiple medical and surgical complications can occur following endoscopic transsphenoidal resection of adenomas. AREAS COVERED: We discuss the evolution of the surgical practice from the use of the 'microscope' to the 'endoscope' in the resection of pituitary adenomas. We present a comprehensive review of the medical and surgical complications following surgery with particular emphasis on both the prevention and management of electrolyte disturbance, cerebrospinal fluid leak and the rare but dreaded complication of internal carotid injury (ICA). We also searched the PubMed database to identify relevant literature between 1984 and 2019. EXPERT OPINION: Use of endoscope compared with microscope may be associated with better preservation of pituitary gland function with similar extent of resection. Overall medical and surgical complications can be safely managed in high volume centers in association with endocrinologists and skull base trained otolaryngologists. Understanding of anatomico-technical nuances and meticulous surgical technique are important toward preventing ICA injury. Ongoing surgical and technical developments coupled with imaging advances will likely lead to better future outcomes for patients with functioning and nonfunctioning adenomas.

Nasopharyngeal muscle patch for the management of internal carotid artery injury in endoscopic endonasal surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Injury to the internal carotid artery (ICA) is the most critical complication of endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. Packing with a crushed muscle graft at the injury site has been an effective management technique to control bleeding without ICA sacrifice. Obtaining the muscle graft has typically required access to another surgical site, however. To address this concern, the authors investigated the application of an endonasally harvested longus capitis muscle patch for the management of ICA injury. METHODS: One colored silicone-injected anatomical specimen was dissected to replicate the surgical access to the nasopharynx and the stepwise dissection of the longus capitis muscle in the nasopharynx. Two representative cases were selected to illustrate the application of the longus capitis muscle patch and the relevance of clinical considerations. RESULTS: A suitable muscle graft from the longus capitis muscle could be easily and quickly harvested during endoscopic endonasal skull base surgery. In the illustrative cases, the longus capitis muscle patch was successfully used for secondary prevention of pseudoaneurysm formation following primary bleeding control on the site of ICA injury. CONCLUSIONS: Nasopharyngeal harvest of a longus capitis muscle graft is a safe and practical method to manage ICA injury during endoscopic endonasal surgery.

Internal carotid artery injury in endoscopic endonasal surgery: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: Internal carotid artery (ICA) injury during endoscopic endonasal surgery (EES) is a known and feared complication of paranasal sinus and skull base procedures. These ICA injuries can result in stroke, cranial nerve palsies, and death. This review examines the setting of injury along with the treatment approaches, and patient outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review using PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE. METHODS: The databases were searched for articles reporting cases of ICA injury during EES. Variables analyzed included patient demographics, operative approach, preoperative diagnosis, setting of injury, repair method, imaging studies, patient outcomes, and follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-five articles with 50 cases were included in this review. The EES approach was used for skull base procedures in 34 cases and for inflammatory disease in 16 cases. The most commonly injured ICA segment was the cavernous (34 cases), followed by the ophthalmic (three cases). Injuries occurred more commonly on the left (1.3:1). Injury occurred in the setting of various steps during EES with instruments. Stereotactic image guidance was reported in two cases. Initial hemostasis was achieved with packing in 35 cases, endoscopic clip sacrifice in four cases, bipolar coagulation with the intent to seal defect in three cases, and bipolar coagulation with the intent to sacrifice the ICA in one case. Intraoperative or immediate postoperative angiography was reported in 27 cases. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of reported cases of ICA injury during EES remains low. Left-sided injuries to the cavernous segment of the ICA occurred more frequently than injuries on the right. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: NA Laryngoscope, 126:582-590, 2016.