Search

Balloon-assisted Guglielmi detachable coiling (BAGDC) is a new technical option developed to allow endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms. Aim of the following work is to report a single center experience of BADGC of aneurysms with assessment of its efficacy and safety. BAGDC of wide-necked aneurysms (SNR close to 1) was retrospectively evaluated in 37 patients (28 females, nine males, mean age: 56.6 yrs, range: 27–81 yrs) who underwent the procedure between january 1999 and january 2002 for a total of 45 procedures on 41 aneurysms. Twenty-nine patients presented with SAH from an acutely ruptured aneurysm. In two patients BAGDC failed whereas 35 patients successfully underwent BADGC (39 aneurysms). Twenty-nine patients (31 aneurysms) were available for angiographic follow-up (mean: 10 mo, range: 3–24 mo). At the last angiographic follow-up 29/33 aneurysms (87%) resulted stable and occluded (22 aneurysms with dense and seven with loose packing of the sac and the neck), two aneurysms showed regrowth, one aneurysm showed a neck remnant and another one a sac and neck remnant. Complications directly related to the procedure occurred in five patients (three perforations, one thromboembolism, one femoral AV) with a mortality and morbility rate of 2.7 and 5.4 respectively. BAGDC is a promising adjunct to treatment of wide-necked aneurysms broadening the spectrum of indications for endovascular treament of challenging aneurysms.

This paper reports a case of local thrombolytic therapy followed by stenting of the petrous carotid in a young woman with recurrent transient ischemic attacks from spontaneous dissection. A total of four overlapping balloon-expandable stents were delivered in two different sessions one month apart. The procedure resulted in a potentially efficacious treatment for the prevention or reduction of cerebral damages from ischemia. At follow-up three months later the patient was symptom free and DSA revealed a delayed proximal small pseudoaneurysm and a carotid-cavernous fistula. At one year follow-up the patient was still symptom-free with unmodified findings at cerebral angiography.

Reports of cerebral transluminal angioplasty and stenting in patients with vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke are scanty. Herein we report on the use of “monorail” coronary balloon angioplasty and stent balloon mounted catheters in two patients with acute vertebrobasilar ischemic stroke, focussing on the differences and possible advantages of the “monorail” technique in comparison with the “over-the-wire” technique. In both patients, the clinical picture was characterized by progressive brainstem symptoms followed by acute loss of consciousness related to an atherothrombotic occlusion and subocclusion of the dominant intracranial vertebral artery, respectively. In one patient, superselective thrombolytic therapy and balloon angioplasty resulted in a dissection flap at the vertebrobasilar junction. The latter was treated by successful deployment of a coronary stent. In the other patient, the subocclusive lesion was directly treated by angioplasty and stenting without thrombolytic therapy. The clinical outcome was poor for one patient (“locked in” syndrome) while the other had a complete clinical recovery. In acute atherothrombotic vertebrobasilar stroke transluminal cerebral angioplasty and stenting may be successfully performed allowing vessel recanalization.

The authors report the observation of a patient with a Spetzler-Martin grade 3, symptomatic, sulcal cerebral arteriovenous malformation (cAVM) of the left precuneus that after partial, uncomplicated, endovascular embolisation disappeared at 4, 6 and 12 months follow-up. Discussion focuses on the angioarchitectural remodelling of the cAVM over time according to the latest concepts on AVM development and evolution.

To investigate whether the observed association of leukoaraiosis with intracerebral hemorrhage is direct or mediated by risk factors, we compared 116 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage confirmed by computed tomography and 155 controls without intracerebral hemorrhage, evaluating the prevalence of leukoaraiosis and vascular risk factors. Leukoaraiosis was observed in 21 (18%) of the 116 patients and in 12 (8%) of the 155 controls (p less than 0.01). Only two (6%) of the 31 patients with lobar hemorrhage had leukoaraiosis on computed tomograms, compared with 17 (24%) of the 71 patients with basal ganglionic hemorrhage (p less than 0.05). Leukoaraiosis was significantly correlated with intracerebral hemorrhage after controlling for age and sex by using multiple logistic regression analysis, while the correlation disappeared after controlling for hypertension. Our results indicate that leukoaraiosis is not an independent risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage.