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Background: Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular disorder characterized by progressive steno-occlusive changes in the internal carotid arteries, leading to an abnormal vascular network. Hypertension is prevalent among MMD patients, raising concerns about its impact on disease outcomes. This study aims to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of MMD patients with and without hypertension., Methods: We conducted a multicenter, retrospective study involving 598 MMD patients who underwent surgical revascularization across 13 academic institutions in North America. Patients were categorized into hypertensive (n=292) and non-hypertensive (n=306) cohorts. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to adjust for baseline differences., Results: The mean age was higher in the hypertension group (46 years vs. 36.8 years, p < 0.001). Hypertensive patients had higher rates of diabetes mellitus (45.2% vs. 10.7%, p < 0.001) and smoking (48.8% vs. 27.1%, p < 0.001). Symptomatic stroke rates were higher in the hypertension group (16% vs. 7.1%; OR: 2.48; 95% CI: 1.39-4.40, p = 0.002) before matching. After PSM, there were no significant differences in symptomatic stroke rates (11.1% vs. 7.7%; OR: 1.5; CI: 0.64-3.47, p = 0.34), perioperative strokes (6.2% vs. 2.1%; OR 3.13; 95% CI: 0.83-11.82, p = 0.09), or good functional outcomes at discharge (93% vs. 92.3%; OR 1.1; 95% CI: 0.45-2.69, p = 0.82)., Conclusion: No significant differences in symptomatic stroke rates, perioperative strokes, or functional outcomes were observed between hypertensive and non-hypertensive Moyamoya patients. Appropriate management can lead to similar outcomes in both groups. Further prospective studies are required to validate these findings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: A combination of intravenous (IVT) or intra-arterial (IAT) thrombolysis with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for acute ischemic stroke due to large vessel occlusion (AIS-LVO) has been investigated. However, there is limited data on patients who receive both IVT and IAT compared with IVT alone before MT., Methods: STAR data from 2013 to 2023 was utilized. We performed propensity score matching between the two groups. The primary outcomes were symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score 0-2. Secondary outcomes included successful recanalization (modified treatment in cerebral infarction (mTICI) ≥2B, ≥2C), early neurological improvement, any intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), and 90-day mortality., Results: A total of 2454 AIS-LVO patients were included. Propensity matching yielded 190 well-matched patients in each group. No significant differences were observed between the groups in either ICH or sICH (odds ratio (OR): 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51-1.24, P=0.37; OR: 0.60, 95% CI 0.29 to 1.24, P=0.21, respectively). Rates of successful recanalization and early neurological improvement (ENI) were significantly lower in MT+IVT + IAT. mRS 0-1 and mortality were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the MT+IVT + IAT group demonstrated superior rates of good functional outcomes (90-day mRS 0-1) compared with patients in the MT+IVT group who had mTICI ≤2B, (OR: 2.18, 95% CI 1.05 to 3.99, P=0.04)., Conclusion: The combined use of IAT and IVT thrombolysis in AIS-LVO patients undergoing MT is safe. Although the MT+IVT+ IAT group demonstrated lower rates of recanalization and early neurological improvement, long-term functional outcomes were favorable in this group suggesting a potential delayed benefit of IAT., Competing Interests: Competing interests: HM received a lecture fee from Daiichi-Sankyo and Stryker and consulting services fees from B Braun. ILM: speakers' honoraria from Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb. RMS: research is supported by the NREF, Joe Niekro Foundation, Brain Aneurysm Foundation, Bee Foundation, Department of Health Biomedical Research Grant (21K02AWD-007000) and by National Institute of Health (R01NS111119-01A1) and (UL1TR002736, KL2TR002737) through the Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute, from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences and the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH. RMS has an unrestricted research grant from Medtronic and Balt and has consulting and teaching agreements with Penumbra, Abbott, Medtronic, Balt, InNeuroCo, Cerenovus, Naglreiter, Tonbridge, Von Medical, and Optimize Vascular. MNP: Grants from the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) for the DISTAL trial (33IC30198783) and TECNO trial (32003B204977), Grant from Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung for the DISTAL trial. Unrestricted Grants for the DISTAL trial from Stryker Neurovascular Inc., Phenox GmbH, Penumbra Inc., and Rapid Medical Inc., Sponsor-PI SPINNERS trial (Funded by a Siemens Healthineers AG Grant), Research agreement with Siemens Healthineers AG, Local PI for the ASSIST, EXCELLENT, TENSION, COATING, SURF, and ESCAPE-NEXT trials. Speaker fees: Stryker Neurovascular Inc., Medtronic Inc., Penumbra Inc., Acandis GmbH, Phenox GmbH, Siemens Healthineers AG. ES: consults for Medtronic, Microvention, Rapid Medical. SY: received lecture fees from Stryker, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, Kaneka Medics. HC: Consultant for Medtronic and Microvention. JAG: Georgia Research Alliance, Emory Medical Care Foundation, Neurosurgery Catalyst, Consultant: Cognition, Imperative Care. DGR: Consultant for Penumbra, Balt, Microvention, Phenox. OT: Consulting Agreements: Viz.AI, Inc., Penumbra, Inc, Balt, Inc, Stryker Inc, Imperative Inc. Proctor: Microvention Inc, Medtronic Inc. Educational/Research Grants: Q’apel Inc, Steinberg Foundation. CM: Consultant for Stryker, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, and Silk Road Medical. Speaker for Penumbra and Silk Road Medical. Contact PI for NIH Grant R21NS128641. MSP: Consultant for Medtronic. MRL: Unrestricted educational grants from Medtronic and Stryker; consulting agreement with Medtronic, Aeaean Advisers and Metis Innovative; equity interest in Proprio, Stroke Diagnostics, Apertur, Stereotaxis, Fluid Biomed, and Hyperion Surgical; editorial board of Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery; Data safety monitoring board of Arsenal Medical. WB: Holds equity in Nested Knowledge, Superior Medical Editors, Piraeus Medical, Sonoris Medical, and MIVI Neurovascular. He receives royalties from Medtronic and Balloon Guide Catheter Technology. He receives consulting fees from Medtronic, Stryker, Imperative Care, Microvention, MIVI Neurovascular, Cerenovus, Asahi, and Balt. He serves in a leadership or fiduciary role for MIVI Neurovascular, Marblehead Medical LLC, Interventional Neuroradiology (Editor in Chief), Piraeus Medical, and WFITN. RW: Consultant for Medtronic, Stryker, and Synaptive Medical. PN: Consultant for Penumbra, Medtronic, Stryker, Cerenovus, and Balt. PK: Grants from the NIH (1U18EB029353-01) and unrestricted educational grants from Medtronic and Siemens. Consultant for Imperative Care and Stryker Neurovascular. Stock ownership in Vena Medical. RDL: PI for Imperative Trial; Research grants from Siemens Healthineers and Kaneka medical. Consultant for Cerenovus, Stryker Neurovascular and Sim & Cure. Minor equity interest Vastrax, Borvo medical, Synchron, Endostream, Von Vascular, Radical catheters, and Precision Recovery Inc. SAC: Consultant and proctor for Medtronic and Microvention. ME: Consultant for Viz.ai and Imperative care. Investments in Galaxy Therapeutics. DJA: Consultant for MicroVention, Stryker, and Cerenovus. RG: Consultant for Balt Neurovascular, Cerenovus, Medtronic Neurovascular, Rapid Medical, and Stryker Neurovascular. AMS: Consultant for Penumbra, Terumo, RapidAI, Cerenovus. AA: Consultant for Cerenovus. SSE, RAK, BM, CMC, MMS, AO, NLN, JI, PJ, JTK, SQW, AR, AA, JM, IF, AP, FS, JO, RC, MM, ED, NG: none., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Disclaimer: In an effort to expedite the publication of articles, AJHP is posting manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time., Purpose: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a rare but life-threatening clinical event for pediatric patients. Cerebral vasospasm is a common complication of SAH that often leads to poor outcomes. This case report describes the use of dual intraventricular (IVT) vasodilators in a pediatric patient., Summary: An 11-year-old male presented with traumatic diffuse SAH and cranial vasospasm. Despite treatment with IVT nicardipine, intravenous (IV) milrinone by continuous infusion, enteral nimodipine, and intraarterial verapamil and milrinone given during digital subtraction angiography, transcranial Doppler (TCD) mean velocities continued to rise. IVT milrinone was then added to IVT nicardipine and IV milrinone. The combination of IVT nicardipine, IV milrinone, and rescue therapy with IVT milrinone was continued for a total of 7 days. TCD mean velocities decreased into the mild to moderate range within 2 days of the patient receiving this combined regimen and remained globally low thereafter., Conclusion: This case illustrates the potential benefit of using dual IVT vasodilators to improve outcomes for pediatric patients with refractory cerebral vasospasm., (© American Society of Health-System Pharmacists 2024. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: With transradial access (TRA) being more progressively used in neuroendovascular procedures, we compared TRA with transfemoral access (TFA) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH)., Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing MMAE for cSDH at 14 North American centers (2018-23) were included. TRA and TFA groups were compared using propensity score matching (PSM) controlling for: age, sex, concurrent surgery, previous surgery, hematoma thickness and side, midline shift, and pretreatment antithrombotics. The primary outcome was access site and overall complications, and procedure duration; secondary endpoints were surgical rescue, radiographic improvement, and technical success and length of stay., Results: 872 patients (median age 73 years, 72.9% men) underwent 1070 MMAE procedures (54% TFA vs 46% TRA). Access site hematoma occurred in three TFA cases (0.5%; none required operative intervention) versus 0% in TRA (P=0.23), and radial-to-femoral conversion occurred in 1% of TRA cases. TRA was more used in right sided cSDH (58.4% vs 44.8%; P<0.001). Particle embolics were significantly higher in TFA while Onyx was higher in TRA (P<0.001). Following PSM, 150 matched pairs were generated. Particles were more utilized in the TFA group (53% vs 29.7%) and Onyx was more utilized in the TRA group (56.1% vs 31.5%) (P=0.001). Procedural duration was longer in the TRA group (median 68.5 min (IQR 43.1-95) vs 59 (42-84); P=0.038), and radiographic success was higher in the TFA group (87.3% vs 77.4%; P=0.036). No differences were noted in surgical rescue (8.4% vs 10.1%, P=0.35) or technical failures (2.4% vs 2%; P=0.67) between TFA and TRA. Sensitivity analysis in the standalone MMAE retained all associations but differences in procedural duration., Conclusions: In this study, TRA offered comparable outcomes to TFA in MMAE for cSDH in terms of access related and overall complications, technical feasibility, and functional outcomes. Procedural duration was slightly longer in the TRA group, and radiographic success was higher in the TFA group, with no differences in surgical rescue rates., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Carotid cavernous fistulae (CCFs) are arteriovenous shunts involving the cavernous sinus. CCFs are defined as direct or indirect. Direct CCFs are treated by deconstructive or reconstructive techniques depending on whether the affected internal carotid artery is required to perfuse the ipsilateral cerebral hemisphere, as determined by a balloon test occlusion. Indirect CCFs, or dural fistulae of the cavernous sinus wall, are most often treated with transvenous embolization. Stereotactic radiosurgery is reserved for cases of indirect CCFs that are not completely obliterated by embolization. Overall, cure rates are high with relatively low complication rates., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose. No extramural funding was used in the production of this submission., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) is emerging as a safe and effective standalone intervention for non-acute subdural hematomas (NASHs); however, the risk of hematoma recurrence after MMAE in coagulopathic patients is unclear. To characterize the impact of coagulopathy on treatment outcomes, we analyzed a multi-institutional database of patients who underwent standalone MMAE as treatment for NASH. We classified 537 patients who underwent MMAE as a standalone intervention between 2019 and 2023 by coagulopathy status. Coagulopathy was defined as use of anticoagulation/antiplatelet agents or pre-operative thrombocytopenia (platelets <100,000/μL). Demographics, pre-procedural characteristics, in-hospital course, and patient outcomes were collected. Thrombocytopenia, aspirin use, antiplatelet agent use, and anticoagulant use were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses to identify any characteristics associated with the need for rescue surgical intervention, mortality, adverse events, and modified Rankin Scale score at 90-day follow-up. Propensity score-matched cohorts by coagulopathy status with matching covariates adjusting for risk factors implicated in surgical recurrence were evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Minimal differences in pre-operative characteristics between patients with and those without coagulopathy were observed. On unmatched and matched analyses, patients with coagulopathy had higher rates of requiring subsequent surgery than those without (unmatched: 9.9% vs. 4.3%; matched: 12.6% vs. 4.6%; both p  < 0.05). On matched multivariable analysis, patients with coagulopathy had an increased odds ratio (OR) of requiring surgical rescue (OR 3.95; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.68-9.30; p  < 0.01). Antiplatelet agent use (ticagrelor, prasugrel, or clopidogrel) was also predictive of surgical rescue (OR 4.38; 95% CI 1.51-12.72; p  = 0.01), and patients with thrombocytopenia had significantly increased odds of in-hospital mortality (OR 5.16; 95% CI 2.38-11.20; p  < 0.01). There were no differences in follow-up radiographic and other clinical outcomes in patients with and those without coagulopathy. Patients with coagulopathy undergoing standalone MMAE for treatment of NASH may have greater risk of requiring surgical rescue (particularly in patients using antiplatelet agents), and in-hospital mortality (in thrombocytopenic patients).

Aneurysmal recurrence after successful flow-diversion embolization is exceptionally rare. The rarity of recurrence has called into question the yield of interval surveillance imaging. Here we report the case of a recurrent intracranial aneurysm despite complete angiographic resolution after flow-diversion therapy with a Pipeline embolization device (PED). Given the absence of poor wall apposition, endoleak, and device migration, how this aneurysm recurred remains unclear, particularly given the recurrence was at a timepoint at which complete reendothelialization of the device would be expected. The patient ultimately underwent interval treatment with a second device placed across the neck of the aneurysm. Although rare, reports of aneurysmal recurrences support the use of interval non-invasive imaging surveillance to ensure successful embolization in this patient population., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Background and Objectives: The choice of anesthesia type (general anesthesia [GA] vs nongeneral anesthesia [non-GA]) in middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) procedures for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH) differs between institutions and left to care team discretion given lack of standard guidelines. We compare the outcomes of GA vs non-GA in MMAE., Methods: Consecutive patients receiving MMAE for cSDH at 14 North American centers (2018-2023) were included. Clinical, cSDH characteristics, and technical/clinical outcomes were compared between the GA/non-GA groups. Using propensity score matching (PSM), patients were matched controlling for age, baseline modified Rankin Scale, concurrent/prior surgery, hematoma thickness/midline shift, and baseline antiplatelet/anticoagulation. The primary end points included surgical rescue and radiographic success rates (≥50% reduction in maximum hematoma thickness with minimum 2 weeks of imaging). Secondary end points included technical feasibility, procedural complications, and functional outcomes., Results: Seven hundred seventy-eight patients (median age 73 years, 73.2% male patients) underwent 956 MMAE procedures, 667 (70.4%) were non-GA and 280 were GA (29.6%). After running 1:3 PSM algorithm, this resulted in 153 and 296 in the GA and non-GA groups, respectively. There were no baseline/procedural differences between the groups except radial access more significantly used in the non-GA group (P = .001). There was no difference between the groups in procedural technical feasibility, complications rate, length of stay, surgical rescue rates, or favorable functional outcome at the last follow-up. Subsequent 1:1 sensitivity PSM retained the same results. Bilateral MMAE procedures were more performed under non-GA group (75.8% vs 67.2%; P = .01); no differences were noted in clinical/radiographic outcomes between bilateral vs unilateral MMAE, except for longer procedure duration in the bilateral group (median 73 minutes [IQR 48.3-100] vs 54 minutes [39-75]; P < .0001). Another PSM analysis comparing GA vs non-GA in patients undergoing stand-alone MMAE retained similar associations., Conclusion: We found no significant differences in radiological improvement/clinical outcomes between GA and non-GA for MMAE., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2024. All rights reserved.)

Background: Moyamoya is a chronic occlusive cerebrovascular disease of unknown etiology causing neovascularization of the lenticulostriate collaterals at the base of the brain. Although revascularization surgery is the most effective treatment for moyamoya, there is still no consensus on the best surgical treatment modality as different studies provide different outcomes., Objective: In this large case series, we compare the outcomes of direct (DR) and indirect revascularisation (IR) and compare our results to the literature in order to reflect on the best revascularization modality for moyamoya., Methods: We conducted a multicenter retrospective study in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational studies in Epidemiology guidelines of moyamoya affected hemispheres treated with DR and IR surgeries across 13 academic institutions predominantly in North America. All patients who underwent surgical revascularization of their moyamoya-affected hemispheres were included in the study. The primary outcome of the study was the rate of symptomatic strokes., Results: The rates of symptomatic strokes across 515 disease-affected hemispheres were comparable between the two cohorts (11.6% in the DR cohort vs 9.6% in the IR cohort, OR 1.238 (95% CI 0.651 to 2.354), p=0.514). The rate of total perioperative strokes was slightly higher in the DR cohort (6.1% for DR vs 2.0% for IR, OR 3.129 (95% CI 0.991 to 9.875), p=0.052). The rate of total follow-up strokes was slightly higher in the IR cohort (8.1% vs 6.6%, OR 0.799 (95% CI 0.374 to 1.709) p=0.563)., Conclusion: Since both modalities showed comparable rates of overall total strokes, both modalities of revascularization can be performed depending on the patient's risk assessment., Competing Interests: Competing interests: Please refer to ICJME forms., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background and Objectives: Cerebrovascular injury (CVI) after civilian gunshot wound to the head (GSWH) likely contributes to poor outcomes, but little supporting evidence exists. The purpose of this study was to determine whether intracranial CVI from GSWH and secondary vascular insult (stroke or rehemorrhage) were associated with poor outcomes in a large civilian population., Methods: This was a single-institution, retrospective cohort study on patients admitted between January 2014 and July 2022 at a large, metropolitan, level-1 trauma center. Multivariate regression models and propensity score matching were used., Results: A total of 512 civilian patients presented with GSWH, and a cohort of 172 (33.5%) met inclusion criteria, with 143 (83.1%) males and a mean (SD) age of 34.3 (±14.2) years. The incidence of intracranial CVI was 50.6% (87/172 patients), and that of secondary vascular insult was 32.2% (28/172 patients). Bifrontal trajectories (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 13.11; 95% CI 2.45-70.25; P = .003) and the number of lobes traversed by the projectile (aOR 3.18; CI 1.77-5.71; P < .001) were associated with increased odds of resultant CVI. Patients with CVI suffered higher rate of mortality (34% vs 20%; odds ratio [OR] 2.1; CI 0.78-5.85; P = .015) and were less likely to achieve a good functional outcome with a Glasgow Outcome Score of 4-5 (34% vs 68%; OR 0.24; CI 0.1-0.6; P = .004) at follow-up. Furthermore, patients with CVI and resultant secondary vascular insult had even worse functional outcomes (Glasgow Outcome Score 4-5, 16.7% vs 39.0%; aOR 0.012; CI 0.001-0.169, P = .001)., Conclusion: Intracranial CVI from GSWH and associated secondary vascular insult are associated with poor outcomes. Given the high prevalence and potentially reversible nature of these secondary injuries, early screening with vascular imaging and treatment of underlying CVI may prove to be critical to improve outcomes by reducing stroke and rehemorrhage incidence., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2023. All rights reserved.)

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) remains the standard of care for acute large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. However, the safety and efficacy of repeat thrombectomy (rEVT) in recurrent LVO remains unclear. This study uses a large real-world patient cohort to study technical and clinical outcomes after rEVT., Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study including patients who underwent thrombectomy between January 2013 and December 2022. Data were included from 21 comprehensive stroke centers globally through the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR). Patients undergoing single EVT or rEVT within 30 days of LVO stroke were included in the study. Propensity score matching was used to compare patients undergoing single EVT versus rEVT., Results: Out of a total of 7387 patients who underwent thrombectomy for LVO stroke, 90 (1.2%) patients underwent rEVT for the same vascular territory within 30 days. The median (IQR) time to re-occlusion was 2 (1-7) days. Compared with a matched cohort of patients undergoing a single EVT procedure, patients undergoing rEVT had a comparable rate of good functional outcome and mortality rate, but a higher rate of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). There was a significant reduction in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of patients who underwent rEVT at discharge compared with baseline (-4.8±11.4; P=0.006). The rate of successful recanalization was similar in the single thrombectomy and rEVT groups (78% vs 80%, P=0.171) and between index and rEVT performed on the same patient (79% vs 80%; P=0.593)., Conclusion: Short-interval rEVT is associated with an improvement in the NIHSS score following large vessel re-occlusion. Compared with single thrombectomy, there was a higher rate of sICH with rEVT, but without a significant impact on rates of functional independence or mortality., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AS is a consultant for Stryker, Penumbra, Terumo, and RapidAI. PJ is a consultant for Balt, Cerus endovascular, Microvention, and Medtronic. SQW is on the AANS board of directors, and AHA associate editor. JM is a consultant for Stryker. RDL received research funding from Hypervention, Kaneka Medical, Siemens, and SNIS Foundation, is a consultant for Stryker, Imperative Care, Cerenovus, and Asahi Intec, is a shareholder in Synchron, Endostream, Q’Apel and Spartan Micro, and is on the JNIS editoral board. PK is a consultant for Stryker, Imperative Care, and Microvention and is on the JNIS editorial board. AJP is a consultant for Stryker and Depuy Synthes. ASA received research funding from Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, and Siemens, is a consultant for Arsenal, Balt, Johnson, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, and Stryker, and is a shareholder in Azimuth, Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Mentice, Neurogami, Neuros, Scientia, Serenity, Synchron, Tulavi, Vastrax, VizAI. MSP served on a data monitoring board for Medtronic. CM is a consultant for Silk Road, Penumbra, Microvention, and Stryker. MRL received research funding from Stryker and Medtronic, is a consultant for Medtronic, adviser consultant for Aeaean, and innovative adviser for Metis, received travel support from Penumbra, is on the JNIS editorial board, is a shareholder in Hyperion Surgical, Propia, Synchron, Cerebrotech, Fluid Biomed, and Sterotaxis, and received equipment, material, drugs, medical writing, gifts and/or other services from Stryker and Medtronic. SIT is a consultant for Medtronic and Microvention and received payments for expert testimony. GP is a consultant for Stryker Corporation. KMF is on the JNIS editorial board. JAG received research funding from Georgia Research Alliance, Emory Medical Care Foundation, Department of Defense, Neurosurgery Catalyst and is a shareholder in NTI and Cognition. All other authors have no personal, financial, or institutional disclosures., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Cavernous malformations (CMs) are clusters of thin-walled sinusoidal vessels without well-defined walls. Though they can occur anywhere in the neuroaxis, cranial nerve (CN) CMs are rare., Method: We report a 47-year-old male with gradual CN III palsy. Initial imaging showed no significant findings, but a follow-up MRI revealed a growing lesion along CN III. Intraoperative findings confirmed a CN III CM. Diagnosing and treating CN III CM are complex. Radiological findings lack specificity, requiring consideration of various diagnoses for patients with isolated CN III palsy and abnormal radiological findings., Conclusion: Surgery is the gold standard, aiming for complete lesion removal while minimizing neurological complications., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Austria, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are a rare sequel of systemic infection and occur most commonly in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). Despite the increasing use of non-invasive screening angiography in patients with IE, the incidence remains low, yielding limited data on the management of IIAs in pediatric populations. We performed a pooled analysis of all published series of pediatric patients with IIAs to study the disease landscape including presentation, management, and outcomes., Methods: Data included in this study were pooled from published literature on IIAs between 1960 and 2023. Abstracts were selected for full review to include only manuscripts reporting at least one case of pediatric IIA (age 0-18 years)., Results: A total of 145 pediatric patients with 178 IIAs were included. Patients presented with rupture in 68% of cases, of which 36% had intraparenchymal hemorrhage and 39% had subarachnoid hemorrhage. Using multivariate logistic regression, independent predictors of rupture were posterior location (aOR 10, P=0.041) and history of IE (aOR 7.2, P=0.001). Primary medical management was successful in 82% of cases with unruptured aneurysms while, in those with ruptured IIAs, medical management was successful in 26% of cases. The 90-day mortality rate was 28%. Using multivariate logistic regression, ruptured IIAs (aOR 5.4, P<0.01) and failure of medical management (aOR 11.1, P<0.05) were independent predictors of 90-day mortality., Conclusion: Pediatric IIAs remain a rare complication of systemic or localized CNS infection in the pediatric population. Medical management of unruptured aneurysms is highly successful, while ruptured aneurysms have a remarkably high rate of failure of medical management and should be treated by early surgical or endovascular intervention when feasible., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The safety and efficacy of bridging therapy with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with large core infarct has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety outcomes between patients who received IVT+MT and those treated with MT alone., Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the Stroke Thrombectomy Aneurysm Registry (STAR). Patients with Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) ≤5 treated with MT were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups based on pre-treatment IVT (IVT, no IVT). Propensity score matched analysis were used to compare outcomes between groups., Results: A total of 398 patients were included; 113 pairs were generated using propensity score matching analyses. Baseline characteristics were well balanced in the matched cohort. The rate of any intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) was similar between groups in both the full cohort (41.4% vs 42.3%, P=0.85) and matched cohort (38.55% vs 42.1%, P=0.593). Similarly, the rate of significant ICH was similar between the groups (full cohort: 13.1% vs 16.9%, P=0.306; matched cohort: 15.6% vs 18.95, P=0.52). There was no difference in favorable outcome (90-day modified Rankin Scale 0-2) or successful reperfusion between groups. In an adjusted analysis, IVT was not associated with any of the outcomes., Conclusion: Pretreatment IVT was not associated with an increased risk of hemorrhage in patients with large core infarct treated with MT. Future studies are needed to assess the safety and efficacy of bridging therapy in patients with large core infarct., Competing Interests: Competing interests: MRL: Grants from the NIH (R01NS105692, R01NS088072, U24NS100654, UL1TR002319, R25NS079200) and the American Heart Association (18CDA34110295). Unrestricted educational grants from Medtronic, Stryker and Philips Volcano. Consultant for Medtronic. Minor equity/ownership interest in Proprio, Cerebrotech, Synchron. Adviser to Metis Innovative. AMS: Research support from Penumbra, Stryker, Medtronic, and Siemens. Consultant for Penumbra, Stryker, Terumo, and Arsenal. RMS: Grants from the NREF, Joe Niekro Foundation, Brain Aneurysm Foundation, Bee Foundation, the NIH (R01NS111119-01A1, UL1TR002736, KL2TR002737), the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, and Medtronic. Consultant for Penumbra, Abbott, Medtronic, InNeuroCo and Cerenovus. JRM is on the editorial board of JNIS., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) has emerged as a promising therapy for chronic subdural hematomas (cSDHs). The efficacy of standalone MMAE compared with MMAE with concurrent surgery is largely unknown., Methods: cSDH patients who underwent successful MMAE from 14 high volume centers with at least 30 days of follow-up were included. Clinical and radiographic variables were recorded and used to perform propensity score matching (PSM) of patients treated with standalone MMAE or MMAE with concurrent surgery. Multivariable logistic regression models were used for additional covariate adjustments. The primary outcome was recurrence requiring surgical rescue, and the secondary outcome was radiographic failure defined as <50% reduction of cSDH thickness., Results: 722 MMAE procedures in 588 cSDH patients were identified. After PSM, 230 MMAE procedures remained (115 in each group). Median age was 73 years, 22.6% of patients were receiving anticoagulation medication, and 47.9% had no preoperative functional disability. Median midline shift was 4 mm and cSDH thickness was 16 mm, representing modestly sized cSDHs. Standalone MMAE and MMAE with surgery resulted in similar rates of surgical rescue (7.8% vs 13.0%, respectively, P=0.28; adjusted OR (aOR 0.73 (95% CI 0.20 to 2.40), P=0.60) and radiographic failure (15.5% vs 13.7%, respectively, P=0.84; aOR 1.08 (95% CI 0.37 to 2.19), P=0.88) with a median follow-up duration of 105 days. These results were similar across subgroup analyses and follow-up durations., Conclusions: Standalone MMAE led to similar and durable clinical and radiographic outcomes as MMAE combined with surgery in select patients with moderately sized cSDHs and mild clinical disease., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AMS: grants or contracts from Penumbra, Microvention, Medtronic, and Stryker; consulting fees from Penumbra, Terumo, and Rapid AI; co-founder of the STAR collaboration; stock or stock options in Avail Medical. AHS: grants or contracts from NIH and Brain Aneurysm Foundation; consulting fees from Amnis Therapeutics, Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Boston Scientific, Canon Medical Systems USA, Cardinal Health 200, Cerebrotech Medical Systems, Cerenovus, Cordis, Corindus, Endostream Medical, Hyperfine Operations, Imperative Care, InspireMD, Integra, IRRAS AB, Medtronic, MicroVention, Minnetronix Neuro, Peijia Medical, Penumbra, Piraeus Medical, Q’Apel Medical, Rapid Medical, Serenity Medical, Silk Road Medical, StimMed, Stryker Neurovascular, VasSol, and Viz.ai; patents planned, issued, or pending for patent No US 11,464,528 B2; stock or stock options in Adona Medical, Bend IT Technologies, BlinkTBI, Borvo Medical, Cerebrotech Medical Systems, Code Zero Medical, Cognition Medical, Collavidence, CVAID, E8, Endostream Medical, Galaxy Therapeutics, Hyperion Surgical, Imperative Care, InspireMD, Instylla, Launch NY, Neurolutions, NeuroRadial Technologies (sold to Medtronic in 2021), Neurovascular Diagnostics, Peijia Medical, PerFlow Medical, Piraeus Medical, Q’Apel Medical, QAS.ai, Radical Catheter Technologies, Rebound Therapeutics (purchased in 2019 by Integra Lifesciences), Rist Neurovascular (purchased in 2020 by Medtronic), Sense Diagnostics, Serenity Medical, Silk Road Medical, Sim & Cure, Spinnaker Medical, StimMed, Synchron, Tulavi Therapeutics, Vastrax, Viseon, Whisper Medical, and Willow Medtech; national PI/steering committees for Cerenovus (EXCELLENT and ARISE II trial), Medtronic (SWIFT-PRIME, VANTAGE, EMBOLISE, and SWIFT DIRECT trials), MicroVention (FRED trial and CONFIDENCE study), MUSC (POSITIVE trial), Penumbra (3D Separator trial, COMPASS trial, INVEST trial, MIVI neuroscience EVAQ trial), Rapid Medical (SUCCESS trial), and InspireMD (C-GUARDIANS IDE Pivotal trial).TGJ: consulting fees from Stryker, Silk Road Medical, Blockade Medical, FreeOx Biomedical, Route 92, Neurotrauma Science, Viz.ai, Corindus, Anaconda, Medtronic, Contego, Methinks DAWN, AURORA, and Stryker Neurovascular. RG: consulting fees from Medtronic, Stryker, Cerenovus, Balt, and Rapid Medical. MRL: grants or contracts from NIH, The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation, Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery, and Congress of Neurosurgeons; consulting fees from Metis Innovative and Aeaean Advisers; support for attending meetings and/or travel from Penumbra; participated on the DSMB of Arsenal Medical; serves on the editorial boards of Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery and Frontiers in Surgery; equity interest in Hyperion Surgical, Proprio, Apertur, Cerebrotech, Synchron, Fluid Biomed, and Stereotaxis; unrestricted educational grants from Medtronic and Stryker. CSO: DSMB for Medtronic (EMBOLISE) and Contour. BAG: consultant for Medtronic, Stryker, and Microvention. PK: grants or contracts from NIH, Siemens, Medtronic, and Joe Niekro Foundation; consulting fees from Stryker Neurovascular and Imperative Care; editorial board of Journal of NeuroInterventional Surgery; stock or stock options in Vena Medical., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) has become the mainstay treatment for large vessel occlusion, with favorable safety and efficacy profile. However, the safety and efficacy of EVT in concurrent multi-territory occlusions (MTVOs) remains unclear., Objective: To investigate the prevalence, clinical and technical outcomes of concurrent EVT for MTVOs., Methods: Data were included from the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR) with 32 stroke centers for EVT performed to treat bilateral anterior or concurrent anterior and posterior circulation occlusions between 2017 and 2021. Patients with MTVO were identified, and propensity score matching was used to compare this group with patients with occlusion in a single arterial territory., Results: Of a total of 7723 patients who underwent EVT for acute ischemic stroke, 54 (0.7%) underwent EVT for MTVOs (mean age 69±12.5; female 50%). 28% had bilateral and 72% had anterior and posterior circulations occlusions. The rate of successful recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b/3), complications, modified Rankin score at 90 days, and mortality was not significantly different between the matched cohorts. Multivariate analysis confirmed that MTVOs were not associated with poor functional outcome, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, or longer procedure time., Conclusion: Compared with EVT for single vessel occlusions, EVT in appropriately selected patients with MTVOs has a similar efficacy and safety profile., Competing Interests: Competing interests: SAK: Grant funding-Stryker. PJ: Consultant - Balt, Cerus, Microvention, Medtronic. SQW: Board of directors - AANS; associate editor - S:VIN journal. M-NP: Honoraria - Stryker, Medtronic, Penumbra, Acandis, Phenox, Siemens Healthineers; research support - Swiss National Science Foundation, Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung, Stryker, Phenox, Medtronic, Rapid, Penumbra, Siemens Healthineers. ASA: Consultant for Arsenal, Balt, Johnson and Johnson, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, Stryker; research support from Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, and Siemens; shareholder - Azimuth, Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Mentice, Neurogami, Neuros, Scientia, Serenity, Synchron, Tulavi, Vastrax, VizAI. AJP: Consultant - Depuy Synthes, Stryker. JM: consultant - Stryker. CM: Consultant-Silk Road, Penumbra, Microvention, Cerevasc, Stryker; speaker-Silk Road, Penumbra. MSP: DSMB-Medtronic. MRL: Educational grant - Stryker, Medtronic; consultant - Medtronic, Aeaean Advisers; travel Support - Penumbra; editorial board, JNIS; stock - Hyperion Surgical, Proprio, Synchron, Cerebrotech, Fluid Biomed, Stereotaxis; advisor - Metis Innovative. AMS: Consultant - Stryker, Penumbra, Terumo, RapidAI. JAG: Grant support- Georgia Research Alliance, Department of Defense, Emory Medical Care Foundation, Neurosurgery Catalyst; Stock - NTI, Cognition. STAR: funded by Penumbra, Medtronic, Stryker., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To evaluate the effect of procedure time on thrombectomy outcomes in different subpopulations of patients undergoing endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), given the recently expanded indications for EVT., Methods: This multicenter study included patients undergoing EVT for acute ischemic stroke at 35 centers globally. Procedure time was defined as time from groin puncture to successful recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score ≥2b) or abortion of procedure. Patients were stratified based on stroke location, use of IV tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score, age group, and onset-to-groin time. Primary outcome was the 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score, with scores 0-2 designating good outcome. Secondary outcome was postprocedural symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH). Multivariate analyses were performed using generalized linear models to study the impact of procedure time on outcomes in each subpopulation., Results: Among 8961 patients included in the study, a longer procedure time was associated with higher odds of poor outcome (mRS score 3-6), with 10% increase in odds for each 10 min increment. When procedure time exceeded the 'golden hour', poor outcome was twice as likely. The golden hour effect was consistent in patients with anterior and posterior circulation strokes, proximal or distal occlusions, in patients with large core infarcts, with or without IV tPA treatment, and across age groups. Procedures exceeding 1 hour were associated with a 40% higher sICH rate. Posterior circulation strokes, delayed presentation, and old age were the variables most sensitive to procedure time., Conclusions: In this work we demonstrate the universality of the golden hour effect, in which procedures lasting more than 1 hour are associated with worse clinical outcomes and higher rates of sICH across different subpopulations of patients undergoing EVT., Competing Interests: Competing interests: CMC: Consultant-Silk Road, Penumbra, Microvention, Cerevasc, Stryker, Speaker-Silk Road, Penumbra; AMS: Consultant- Stryker, Penumbra, Terumo, RapidAI; PJ: Consultant-Balt, Cerus, Microvention, Medtronic; M-NP: Honoraria - Stryker, Medtronic, Penumbra, Acandis, Phenox, Siemens Healthineers, Research Support-Swiss National Science Foundation, Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung, Stryker, Phenox, Medtronic, Rapid, Penumbra, Siemens Healthineer; RDL: Research funding: Hyprevention, Kaneka Medical, Siemens Healthineers, SNIS foundation; Consultant: Stryker Neurovascular, imperative care, Cerenovus, Asahi Intec; Stock: synchron, endostream, Q’Apel, spartan micro; PK: Consultant: Stryker, Microvention, Imperative Care; AJP: Consultant: Stryker, Depuy Synthes; ASA: Research grants: Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra and Siemens; Consultant: Arsenal, Balt, Johnson and Johnson, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, Stryker; Shareholder: Azimuth, Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Mentice, Neurogami, Neuros, Scientia, Serenity, Synchron, Tulavi, Vastrax, VizAI; MRL: Research grants: Stryker, Medtronic; Consultant: Medtronic, Aeaean Advisers; Shareholder: Hyperion Surgical, Proprio, Synchron, Cerebrotech, Fluid Biomed, Stereotaxis; SIT: Consultant: Microvention, Medtronic; JAG: Grant support- Georgia Research Alliance, Department of Defense, Emory Medical Care Foundation, Neurosurgery Catalyst, Stock- NTI, Cognition, AA: Research grants: NIH, AHA, Department of VA., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) is the standard-of-care for proximal large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke. Data on technical and clinical outcomes in distal vessel occlusions (DVOs) remain limited., Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients undergoing EVT for stroke at 32 international centers. Patients were divided into LVOs (internal carotid artery/M1/vertebrobasilar), medium vessel occlusions (M2/A1/P1) and isolated DVOs (M3/M4/A2/A3/P2/P3) and categorized by thrombectomy technique. Primary outcome was a good functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale ≤2) at 90 days. Secondary outcomes included recanalization, procedure-time, thrombectomy attempts, hemorrhage, and mortality. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate the impact of technical variables. Propensity score matching was used to compare outcome in patients with DVO treated with aspiration versus stent retriever RESULTS: We included 7477 patients including 213 DVOs. Distal location did not independently predict good functional outcome at 90 days compared with proximal (p=0.467). In distal occlusions, successful recanalization was an independent predictor of good outcome (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 5.11, p<0.05) irrespective of technique. Younger age, bridging therapy, and lower admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were also predictors of good outcome. Procedure time ≤1 hour or ≤3 thrombectomy attempts were independent predictors of good outcomes in DVOs irrespective of technique (aOR 4.5 and 2.3, respectively, p<0.05). There were no differences in outcomes in a DVO matched cohort of aspiration versus stent retriever. Rates of hemorrhage and good outcome showed an exponential relationship to procedural metrics, and were more dependent on time in the aspiration group and attempts in the stent retriever group., Conclusions: Outcomes following EVT for DVO are comparable to LVO with similar results between techniques. Techniques may exhibit different futility metrics; stent retriever thrombectomy was influenced by attempts whereas aspiration was more dependent on procedure time., Competing Interests: Competing interests: AMA: None, RMC: None, SAK: Grant Funding-Stryker; PJ: Consultant-Balt, Cerus, Microvention, Medtronic. M-NP Honoraria - Stryker, Medtronic, Penumbra, Acandis, Phenox, Siemens Healthineers, Research Support-Swiss National Science Foundation, Bangerter-Rhyner Stiftung, Stryker, Phenox, Medtronic, Rapid, Penumbra, Siemens Healthineers; RMS: None; ASA: Consultant for Arsenal, Balt, Johnson and Johnson, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, Stryker, Research support from Balt, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra and Siemens, Shareholder-Azimuth, Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Mentice, Neurogami, Neuros, Scientia, Serenity, Synchron, Tulavi, Vastrax, VizAI; KMF: Editorial Board-JNIS; RDL: Consultant-Stryker, Imperative Care, Cerenovus, Asahi Intec, Research Funding-Hypervention, Kaneka, Siemens Healthineers, SNIS Foundation, Equity-Synchron, Endostream, Q’Apel, Spartan Micro, Editorial Board-JNIS; PK: Consultant- Stryker, Imperative Care, Microvention, Grant Support-NIH, Editorial-Board JNIS; TD: None; AR: None; RJC: None; IM: None; NG: None; SQW: Board of Directors-AANS, Associate Editor- S:VIN Journal; CMC: None; JM: PI on trials funded by- Stryker Neurovascular, Microvention, and Penumbra, Consultant-Cerebrotech, Viseon, Endostream, Vastrax, RIST, Synchron, Viz.ai, Perflow, CVAid, Stockholder-Cerebrotech, Imperative Care, Endostream, Viseon, BlinkTBI, Myra Medical, Serenity, Vastrax, NTI, RIST, Viz.ai, Synchron, Radical, and Truvic; Editorial Board-JNIS; SIT: Consultant- Microvention, Medtronic; BMH: None; LD: None; HS: None; CSO: Grant Support- Bee Foundation, Brain Aneurysm Foundation, DSMB- Medtronic; RWC: Consultant/Proctor: Medtronic, Microvention; JMa: consultant-Stryker; IF: None; MRL: Educational Grant-Stryker, Medtronic, Consultant-Medtronic, Aeaean Advisers, Travel Support-Penumbra, Editorial Board, JNIS, Stock- Hyperion Surgical, Proprio, Synchron, Cerebrotech, Fluid Biomed, Stereotaxis, Advisor-Metis Innovative; J-tK: None; MSP: DSMB-Medtronic; BG: None; AJP: Consultant-Depuy Synthes, Stryker, CM: Consultant-Silk Road, Penumbra, Microvention, Cerevasc, Stryker, Speaker-Silk Road, Penumbra; JAG: Grant Support- Georgia Research Alliance, Department of Defense, Emory Medical Care Foundation, Neurosurgery Catalyst, Stock- NTI, Cognition; AMS: Consultant- Stryker, Penumbra, Terumo, RapidAI; STAR: funded by Penumbra, Medtronic, Stryker., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

In genetic studies of cerebrovascular diseases, the optimal vessels to use as controls remain unclear. Our goal is to compare the transcriptomic profiles among 3 different types of control vessels: superficial temporal artery (STA), middle cerebral arteries (MCA), and arteries from the circle of Willis obtained from autopsies (AU). We examined the transcriptomic profiles of STA, MCA, and AU using RNAseq. We also investigated the effects of using these control groups on the results of the comparisons between aneurysms and the control arteries. Our study showed that when comparing pathological cerebral arteries to control groups, all control groups presented similar responses in the activation of immunological processes, the regulation of intracellular signaling pathways, and extracellular matrix productions, despite their intrinsic biological differences. When compared to STA, AU exhibited upregulation of stress and apoptosis genes, whereas MCA showed upregulation of genes associated with tRNA/rRNA processing. Moreover, our results suggest that the matched case-control study design, which involves control STA samples collected from the same subjects of matched aneurysm samples in our study, can improve the identification of non-inherited disease-associated genes. Given the challenges associated with obtaining fresh intracranial arteries from healthy individuals, our study suggests that using MCA, AU, or paired STA samples as controls are feasible strategies for future large-scale studies investigating cerebral vasculopathies. However, the intrinsic differences of each type of control should be taken into consideration when interpreting the results. With the limitations of each control type, it may be most optimal to use multiple tissues as controls., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Intraosseous dural arteriovenous fistulas (IODAVFs) are rare DAVFs that communicate with marrow. Given their infrequency, common nomenclature is nonexistent. Patients may present with benign symptoms, such as tinnitus, or venous hypertension symptoms including hemorrhage depending on the venous outflow pattern., Objective: To describe all available cases of IODAVF in the literature, in addition to our cases, to better define presentation, and treatment outcomes. To advance a classification system to develop common language for these lesions for clinicians and researchers., Methods: Neurointerventional procedure logs at 2 high-volume neurovascular centers were reviewed for all cases of IODAVFs, as was the English-based literature available in PubMed. The angioarchitecture, symptoms, management, and demographics were reviewed and summarized., Results: Four institutional cases were identified, 2 of which had shunting within the marrow (clival or petrous), with venous drainage toward the heart. One case involved the dorsum sella with drainage into the superior petrosal sinus with reflux into the anterior and posterior spinal venous plexuses, and one involved the left petroclival junction, resulting in communication with the cavernous sinus with retrograde drainage into the superior ophthalmic veins. Two patients were managed by observation, one was treated with radiosurgery and one with microsurgical skeletonization. Twenty additional cases from the literature are summarized., Conclusion: IODAVFs of the cerebrocranial vasculature may present incidentally, with tinnitus, or with symptoms related to mass effect or venous hypertension. We propose a classification which accounts for drainage patterns. Further study is needed for these rare lesions., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2023. All rights reserved.)

Background Knowledge regarding predictors of clinical and radiographic failures of middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization (MMAE) treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is limited. Purpose To identify predictors of MMAE treatment failure for CSDH. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, consecutive patients who underwent MMAE for CSDH from February 2018 to April 2022 at 13 U.S. centers were included. Clinical failure was defined as hematoma reaccumulation and/or neurologic deterioration requiring rescue surgery. Radiographic failure was defined as a maximal hematoma thickness reduction less than 50% at last imaging (minimum 2 weeks of head CT follow-up). Multivariable logistic regression models were constructed to identify independent failure predictors, controlling for age, sex, concurrent surgical evacuation, midline shift, hematoma thickness, and pretreatment baseline antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy. Results Overall, 530 patients (mean age, 71.9 years ± 12.8 [SD]; 386 men; 106 with bilateral lesions) underwent 636 MMAE procedures. At presentation, the median CSDH thickness was 15 mm and 31.3% (166 of 530) and 21.7% (115 of 530) of patients were receiving antiplatelet and anticoagulation medications, respectively. Clinical failure occurred in 36 of 530 patients (6.8%, over a median follow-up of 4.1 months) and radiographic failure occurred in 26.3% (137 of 522) of procedures. At multivariable analysis, independent predictors of clinical failure were pretreatment anticoagulation therapy (odds ratio [OR], 3.23; P = .007) and an MMA diameter less than 1.5 mm (OR, 2.52; P = .027), while liquid embolic agents were associated with nonfailure (OR, 0.32; P = .011). For radiographic failure, female sex (OR, 0.36; P = .001), concurrent surgical evacuation (OR, 0.43; P = .009), and a longer imaging follow-up time were associated with nonfailure. Conversely, MMA diameter less than 1.5 mm (OR, 1.7; P = .044), midline shift (OR, 1.1; P = .02), and superselective MMA catheterization (without targeting the main MMA trunk) (OR, 2; P = .029) were associated with radiographic failure. Sensitivity analyses retained these associations. Conclusion Multiple independent predictors of failure of MMAE treatment for chronic subdural hematomas were identified, with small diameter (<1.5 mm) being the only factor independently associated with both clinical and radiographic failures. © RSNA, 2023 Supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Chaudhary and Gemmete in this issue.

Active extravasation into the upper aerodigestive tract is a dramatic and potentially life-threatening complication in patients with head and neck cancers. It prompts presentation to the emergency room and subsequent urgent imaging to identify the source of hemorrhage. Imaging of these patients may be complicated by treatment-altered anatomy, posing a challenge to the emergency radiologist who needs to rapidly identify the presence of active hemorrhage and the potential source vessel. This retrospective review summarizes the clinical and imaging findings of 6 oropharyngeal and oral cavity squamous cell cancer (SCC) patients with active upper aerodigestive tract hemorrhage. Most patients had advanced stage disease and prior radiation therapy. All CECT or CTA exams on presentation demonstrated the "dot-in-sludge" sign of active extravasation, as demonstrated by a "dot" of avidly enhancing extravasated contrast material layered against a background "sludge" of non-enhancing debris in the lumen of the upper aerodigestive tract. Common sources of hemorrhage included the lingual, facial, and superior thyroidal arteries. Familiarity with these findings will help radiologists increase their accuracy and confidence in interpreting these urgent, complex examinations., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: By 2030, nonacute subdural hematomas (NASHs) will likely be the most common cranial neurosurgery pathology. Treatment with surgical evacuation may be necessary, but the recurrence rate after surgery is as high as 30%. Minimally invasive middle meningeal artery embolization (MMAE) during the perioperative period has been posited as an adjunctive treatment to decrease the potential for recurrence after surgical evacuation. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of concurrent MMAE in a multi-institutional cohort., Methods: Data from 145 patients (median age 73 years) with NASH who underwent surgical evacuation and MMAE in the perioperative period were retrospectively collected from 15 institutions. The primary outcome was the rate of recurrence requiring repeat surgical intervention. We collected clinical, treatment, and radiographic data at initial presentation, after evacuation, and at 90-day follow-up. Outcomes data were also collected., Results: Preoperatively, the median hematoma width was 18 mm, and subdural membranes were present on imaging in 87.3% of patients. At 90-day follow-up, median NASH width was 6 mm, and 51.4% of patients had at least a 50% decrease of NASH size on imaging. Eight percent of treated NASHs had recurrence that required additional surgical intervention. Of patients with a modified Rankin Scale score at last follow-up, 87.2% had the same or improved mRS score. The total all-cause mortality was 6.0%., Conclusion: This study provides evidence from a multi-institutional cohort that performing MMAE in the perioperative period as an adjunct to surgical evacuation is a safe and effective means to reduce recurrence in patients with NASHs.

Background: Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are rare complications of infective endocarditis (IE). Data on management and long-term outcomes remain limited., Objective: To retrospectively study long-term outcomes of IIAs in patients treated medically or surgically., Methods: Adult cases of IE and/or IIAs admitted to Emory or Grady Healthcare Systems between May 2015 and May 2020 were reviewed for demographic, clinical, and radiographic variables for up to 2 years. Primary outcome measure was 2-year survival., Results: Among 1714 cases of IE, intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in 322 patients and IIAs in 17 patients. The presence of IIAs in IE was associated with higher odds of disposition to hospice/death (odds ratio = 6.9). Including non-IE patients, 24 patients had 38 IIAs mainly involving the distal middle cerebral artery and 16 were ruptured on admission. IIAs were predominantly treated with antibiotics as the primary approach. Open microsurgery was the primary approach for 5 aneurysms and was used as salvage in 7 IIAs. Endovascular management was the primary approach for 2 IIAs and used as salvage for 5 IIAs with antibiotic failure. Medical management had high rate of treatment failure (15/31) which predominantly occurred within 2 weeks of onset. The 2-year survival in this cohort was 70% (17/24)., Conclusion: IIAs are rare complications of IE with a poor prognosis. Patients treated with antibiotics have higher risk of treatment failure requiring salvage surgical or endovascular intervention. Medical treatment failure occurred mostly within 2 weeks of onset and had a negative prognostic value emphasizing the need for close follow-up and early surgical or endovascular management., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2022. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The objectives were to characterize the liver kidney microsome (LKM) antibody profile of a 14-month-old girl with autoimmune hepatitis and analyze the laboratory prevalence of LKM positivity., Design and Methods: This is retrospective analysis of the LKM antibody immunofluorescence tests performed by the Immunology Laboratory of Johns Hopkins Hospital from September 8, 2020 to July 31, 2022. LKM positive sera were also tested by an ELISA for LKM1 antibodies, which recognize the cytochrome P450 2D6 antigen. In silico analysis of 2D6 mRNA expression across anatomical sites was performed using Bgee and GTEx Portal databases., Results: Of the total of 1598 patients (893 F, 705 M, ages 0.8-94 years) tested for LKM antibodies, 3 were positive, yielding a 0.2% period prevalence. The clinical diagnosis was autoimmune hepatitis in the index case, acute viral hepatitis in a 3-yo male, and hepatocellular carcinoma in a 54-yo male. LKM antibodies yielded the classical homogenous staining pattern in the liver cytosol and proximal kidney tubular cells. The first two patients were also positive for LKM1 antibodies, whereas the third was negative. 2D6 mRNA was expressed highly in the liver, moderately in the duodenum, and minimally in other tissues., Conclusions: Overall, LKM antibodies are rare. They contribute to establish a diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis, although they are also found in other liver diseases. The cytochrome P450 2D6 is one of the antigens recognized by LKM antibodies, but other antigens are likely targeted considering that 2D6 is minimally expressed in the kidney and yet LKM antibodies bind to kidney tubuli., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Endovascular thrombectomy(EVT) is the standard of care for large vessel occlusion(LVO) stroke. Data on technical and clinical outcome in proximal medium vessel occlusions(pMeVOs) comparing frontline techniques remain limited., Methods: We report an international multicenter retrospective study of patients undergoing EVT for stroke at 32 centers between 2015-2021. Patients were divided into LVOs(ICA/M1/Vertebrobasilar) or pMeVOs(M2/A1/P1) and categorized by thrombectomy technique. Primary outcome was 90-day good functional outcome(mRS ≤ 2). Multivariate logistic regressions were used to evaluate the impact of technical variables on clinical outcomes. Propensity score matching was used to compare outcome in patients with pMeVO treated with aspiration versus stent-retriever., Results: In the cohort of 5977 LVO and 1287 pMeVO patients, pMeVO did not independently predict good-outcome(p  =  0.55). In pMeVO patients, successful recanalization irrespective of frontline technique(aOR = 3.2,p < 0.05), procedure time ≤ 1-h(aOR = 2.2,p < 0.05), and thrombectomy attempts ≤ 4(aOR =  2.8,p < 0.05) were independent predictors of good-outcomes.In a propensity-matched cohort of aspiration versus stent-retriever pMeVO patients, there was no difference in good-outcomes. The rates of hemorrhage were higher(9%vs.4%,p < 0.01) and procedure time longer(51-min vs. 33-min,p < 0.01) with stent-retriever, while the number of attempts was higher with aspiration(2.5vs.2,p < 0.01). Rates of hemorrhage and good-outcome showed an exponential relationship to procedural metrics, and were more dependent on time in the aspiration group compared to attempts in the stent-retriever group., Conclusions: Clinical outcomes following EVT for pMeVO are comparable to those in LVOs. The golden hour or 3-pass rules in LVO thrombectomy still apply to pMeVO thrombectomy. Different techniques may exhibit different futility metrics; SR thrombectomy was more influenced by attempts whereas aspiration was more dependent on procedure time.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) associated ischemic stroke is associated with worse functional outcomes, less effective recanalization, and increased rates of hemorrhagic complications after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Conversely, AF is not associated with hemorrhagic complications or functional outcomes in patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy (MT). This differential effect of MT and IVT in AF associated stroke raises the question of whether bridging thrombolysis increases hemorrhagic complications in AF patients undergoing MT., Methods: This international cohort study of 22 comprehensive stroke centers analyzed patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing MT between June 1, 2015 and December 31, 2020. Patients were divided into four groups based on comorbid AF and IVT exposure. Baseline patient characteristics, complications, and outcomes were reported and compared., Results: 6461 patients underwent MT for LVO. 2311 (35.8%) patients had comorbid AF. In non-AF patients, bridging therapy improved the odds of good 90 day functional outcomes (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.29, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.60, p=0.025) and did not increase hemorrhagic complications. In AF patients, bridging therapy led to significant increases in symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage and parenchymal hematoma type 2 (aOR 1.66, 1.07 to 2.57, p=0.024) without any benefit in 90 day functional outcomes. Similar findings were noted in a separate propensity score analysis., Conclusion: In this large thrombectomy registry, AF patients exposed to IVT before MT had increased hemorrhagic complications without improved functional outcomes, in contrast with non-AF patients. Prospective trials are warranted to assess whether AF patients represent a subgroup of LVO patients who may benefit from a direct to thrombectomy approach at thrombectomy capable centers., Competing Interests: Competing interests: RMS: consulting and teaching agreements with Penumbra, Abbott, Medtronic, InNeuroCo, and Cerenovus. MNP: travel grants/honoraria from Phenox, Stryker, and Siemens. ASA: consultant for Balt, Johnson and Johnson, Leica, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, and Stryker; research support for Cerenovus, Microvention, Penumbra, and Siemens; and shareholder of Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Marblehead, Neurogami, Serenity, Synchron, Triad Medical, and Vascular Simulations. LE: consultant for Balt, Cerenovuc, Medtronic, MicroVention, Penumbra, Sequent, and Stryker; and research support for Siemens. PJ: consultant for Medtronics and Microvention. AMS: consultant for Penumbra, Microvention, and Pulsar Vascular; and travel grants/honoraria from Penumbra, Pulsar Vascular, Microvention, and Stryker. KMF, JM, PK, and RDL are on the editorial board of Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: Overlapping surgery, in which one attending surgeon manages two overlapping operating rooms (ORs) and is present for all the critical portions of each procedure, is an important policy that improves healthcare access for patients and case volumes for surgeons and surgical trainees. Despite several studies demonstrating the safety and efficacy of overlapping neurosurgical operations, the practice of overlapping surgery remains controversial. To date, there are no studies that have investigated long-term complication rates of overlapping functional and stereotactic neurosurgical procedures. The primary objective of this study was to investigate the 1-year complication rates and OR times for nonoverlapping versus overlapping functional procedures. The secondary objective was to gain insight into what types of complications are the most prevalent and test for differences between groups., Methods: Seven hundred eighty-three functional neurosurgical cases were divided into two cohorts, nonoverlapping (n = 342) and overlapping (n = 441). The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scale score was used to compare the preoperative risk for both cohorts. A complication was defined as any surgically related reason that required readmission, reoperation, or an unplanned emergency department or clinic visit that required intervention. Complications were subdivided into infectious and noninfectious. Chi-square tests, independent-samples t-tests, and uni- and multivariable logistic regressions were used to determine significance., Results: There were no significant differences in mean ASA scale score (2.7 ± 0.6 for both groups, p = 0.997) or overall complication rates (8.8% nonoverlapping vs 9.8% overlapping, p = 0.641) between the two cohorts. Infections accounted for the highest percentage of complications in both cohorts (46.6% vs 41.8%, p = 0.686). There were no statistically significant differences between mean in-room OR time (187.5 ± 141.7 minutes vs 197.1 ± 153.0 minutes, p = 0.373) or mean open-to-close time (112.2 ± 107.9 minutes vs 121.0 ± 123.1 minutes, p = 0.300) between nonoverlapping and overlapping cases., Conclusions: There was no increased risk of 1-year complications or increased OR time for overlapping functional and stereotactic neurosurgical procedures compared with nonoverlapping procedures.

Background: The early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic led to significant healthcare avoidance, perhaps explaining some of the excess reported deaths that exceeded known infections. The impact of the early COVID-19 era on aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) care remains unclear., Objective: To determine the impact of the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic on latency to presentation, neurological complications, and clinical outcomes after aSAH., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study from March 2, 2012, to June 30, 2021, of all patients with aSAH admitted to our center. The early COVID-19 era was defined as March 2, 2020, through June 30, 2020. The pre-COVID-19 era was defined as the same interval in 2012 to 2019., Results: Among 499 patients with aSAH, 37 presented in the early COVID-19 era. Compared with the pre-COVID-19 era patients, patients presenting during this early phase of the pandemic were more likely to delay presentation after ictus (median, interquartile range; 1 [0-4] vs 0 [0-1] days, respectively, P < .001). Radiographic-delayed cerebral ischemia (29.7% vs 10.2%, P < .001) was more common in the early COVID-19 era. In adjusted analyses, presentation in the early COVID-19 era was independently associated with increased inhospital death or hospice disposition (adjusted odds ratio 3.29 [1.02-10.65], P = .046). Both latency and adverse outcomes returned to baseline in 2021., Conclusion: aSAH in the early COVID-19 era was associated with delayed presentation, neurological complications, and worse outcomes at our center. These data highlight how healthcare avoidance may have increased morbidity and mortality in non-COVID-19-related neurosurgical disease., (Copyright © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2022. All rights reserved.)

Background: The cerebral angiography result is negative for an underlying vascular lesion in 15-20% of patients with nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Patients with angiogram-negative SAH include those with perimesencephalic SAH and diffuse SAH. Consensus suggests that perimesencephalic SAH confers a more favorable prognosis than diffuse SAH. Limited data exist to contextualize the clinical course and prognosis of diffuse SAH in relation to aneurysmal SAH in terms of critical care complications, neurologic complications, and functional outcomes. Here we compare the clinical course and functional outcomes of patients with perimesencephalic SAH, diffuse SAH, and aneurysmal SAH to better characterize the prognostic implications of each SAH subtype., Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study that included all patients with nontraumatic SAH admitted to a tertiary care referral center between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2017. Bleed patterns were radiographically adjudicated, and patients were assigned to three groups: perimesencephalic SAH, diffuse SAH, and aneurysmal SAH. Patient demographics, complications, and clinical outcomes were reported and compared., Results: Eighty-six patients with perimesencephalic SAH, 174 with diffuse SAH, and 998 with aneurysmal SAH presented during the study period. Patients with aneurysmal SAH were significantly more likely to be female, White, and active smokers. There were no significant differences between patients with diffuse SAH and perimesencephalic SAH patterns. Critical care complications were compared across all three groups, with significant between-group differences in hypotension and shock (3.5% vs. 16.1% vs. 38.4% for perimesencephalic SAH vs. diffuse SAH vs. aneurysmal SAH, respectively; p < 0.01) and endotracheal intubation (0% vs. 26.4% vs. 48.8% for perimesencephalic SAH vs. diffuse SAH vs. aneurysmal SAH, respectively; p < 0.01). Similar trends were noted with long-term supportive care with tracheostomy and gastrostomy tubes and length of stay. Cerebrospinal fluid diversion was increasingly required across bleed types (9.3% vs. 54.6% vs. 76.3% for perimesencephalic SAH vs. diffuse SAH vs. aneurysmal SAH, respectively, p < 0.001). Vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia were comparable between perimesencephalic SAH and diffuse SAH but significantly lower than aneurysmal SAH. Patients with diffuse SAH had intermediate functional outcomes, with significant rates of nonhome discharge (23.0%) and poor functional status on discharge (26.4%), significantly higher than patients with perimesencephalic SAH and lower than patients with aneurysmal SAH. Diffuse SAH similarly conferred an intermediate rate of good functional outcomes at 1-6 months post discharge (92.3% vs. 78.6% vs. 47.3% for perimesencephalic SAH vs. diffuse SAH vs. aneurysmal SAH, respectively; p < 0.016)., Conclusions: We confirm the consensus data that perimesencephalic SAH is associated with a more benign clinical course but demonstrate that diffuse SAH confers an intermediate prognosis, more malignant than perimesencephalic SAH but not as morbid as aneurysmal SAH. These results highlight the significant morbidity associated with diffuse SAH and emphasize need for vigilance in the acute care of these patients. These patients will likely benefit from continued high-acuity observation and potential support to avert significant risk of morbidity and neurologic compromise., (© 2021. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature and Neurocritical Care Society.)

While most intracranial aneurysms (IAs) remain asymptomatic over a patient's lifetime, those that rupture can cause devastating outcomes. The increased usage and quality of neuroimaging has increased detection of unruptured IAs and driven an increase in surveillance and treatment of these lesions. Standard practice is to treat incidentally discovered unruptured IAs that confer high rupture risk as well as ruptured IAs to prevent rehemorrhage. IAs are increasingly treated with coil embolization instead of microsurgical clipping; more recently, flow diversion and intrasaccular flow disruption have further expanded the versatility and utility of endovascular IA treatment. Imaging is increasingly used for posttreatment IA follow-up in the endovascular era. While cerebral angiography remains the standard for IA characterization and treatment planning, advances in CT and CT angiography and MR angiography have improved the diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive imaging for initial diagnosis and surveillance. IA features including size, dome-to-neck ratio, location, and orientation allow rupture risk stratification and determination of optimal treatment strategy and timing. The radiologist should be familiar with the imaging appearance of common IA treatment devices and the expected imaging findings following treatment. In distinction to clipping and coil embolization, flow diversion and intrasaccular flow disruption induce progressive aneurysm obliteration over months to years. Careful assessment of the device; the treated IA; adjacent brain, bone, meninges; and involved extracranial and intracranial vasculature is crucial at posttreatment follow-up imaging to confirm aneurysm obliteration and identify short-term and long-term posttreatment complications. An invited commentary by Chatterjee is available online. Online supplemental material and the slide presentation from the RSNA Annual Meeting are available for this article. © RSNA, 2022.

Background Vasospasm is a treatable cause of deterioration following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral computed tomography perfusion mean transit times have been proposed as a predictor of vasospasm but suffer from well-known technical limitations. We evaluated fully automated, thresholded time-to-maxima of the tissue residue function ( T max ) for determination of vasospasm following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Methods and Results Retrospective analysis of 540 arterial segments from 36 encounters in 31 consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage undergoing computed tomography angiography (CTA), computed tomography perfusion, and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) within 24 hours. T max at 4, 6, 8, and 10 s was generated using RAPID (iSchemaView Inc., Menlo Park, CA). Dual-reader CTA and computed tomography perfusion interpretations were compared for patients with and without vasospasm on DSA (DSA+ and DSA-). Logistic regression models were developed using CTA and T max as input predictors and DSA vasospasm as outcome in adjusted and unadjusted models. Imaging studies from all 31 subjects (mean age 47.3±11.1, 77% female, 65% with single aneurysm with mean size of 6.0±2.9 mm) were included. Vasospasm was identified in 42 segments on DSA and 59 segments on CTA, with significant associations across individual vessel segments ( P <0.001). In adjusted analyses, DSA vasospasm was associated with CTA (odds ratio [OR], 2.43; 95% CI, 0.94-6.32; P =0.068) as well as territory-specific T max >6 seconds delays (OR, 3.57; 95% CI, 1.36-9.35; P =0.009). Sensitivity/specificity for DSA vasospasm was 31%/91% for CTA, 26%/89% for T max >6 seconds, and 12%/99% for CTA+ T max >6 seconds. Conclusions CTA and T max offer high specificity for presence of vasospasm; their utility, even in combination, as screening tests is, however, limited by poor sensitivity.

Importance: Limited data are available about the outcomes of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for real-world patients with stroke presenting with a large core infarct., Objective: To investigate the safety and effectiveness of MT for patients with large vessel occlusion and an Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) of 2 to 5., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR), which combines the prospectively maintained databases of 28 thrombectomy-capable stroke centers in the US, Europe, and Asia. The study included 2345 patients presenting with an occlusion in the internal carotid artery or M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2020. Patients were followed up for 90 days after intervention. The ASPECTS is a 10-point scoring system based on the extent of early ischemic changes on the baseline noncontrasted computed tomography scan, with a score of 10 indicating normal and a score of 0 indicating ischemic changes in all of the regions included in the score., Exposure: All patients underwent MT in one of the included centers., Main Outcomes and Measures: A multivariable regression model was used to assess factors associated with a favorable 90-day outcome (modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2), including interaction terms between an ASPECTS of 2 to 5 and receiving MT in the extended window (6-24 hours from symptom onset)., Results: A total of 2345 patients who underwent MT were included (1175 women [50.1%]; median age, 72 years [IQR, 60-80 years]; 2132 patients [90.9%] had an ASPECTS of ≥6, and 213 patients [9.1%] had an ASPECTS of 2-5). At 90 days, 47 of the 213 patients (22.1%) with an ASPECTS of 2 to 5 had a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 to 2 (25.6% [45 of 176] of patients who underwent successful recanalization [modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Ischemia score ≥2B] vs 5.4% [2 of 37] of patients who underwent unsuccessful recanalization; P = .007). Having a low ASPECTS (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.38-0.85; P = .002) and presenting in the extended window (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55-0.88; P = .001) were associated with worse 90-day outcome after controlling for potential confounders, without significant interaction between these 2 factors (P = .64)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study, more than 1 in 5 patients presenting with an ASPECTS of 2 to 5 achieved 90-day functional independence after MT. A favorable outcome was nearly 5 times more likely for patients with low ASPECTS who had successful recanalization. The association of a low ASPECTS with 90-day outcomes did not differ for patients presenting in the early vs extended MT window.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) associated ischemic stroke has worse functional outcomes, less effective recanalization, and increased rates of hemorrhagic complications after intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). Limited data exist about the effect of AF on procedural and clinical outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy (MT)., Objective: To determine whether recanalization efficacy, procedural speed, and clinical outcomes differ in AF associated stroke treated with MT., Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR) from January 2015 to December 2018 and identified 4169 patients who underwent MT for an anterior circulation stroke, 1517 (36.4 %) of whom had comorbid AF. Prospectively defined baseline characteristics, procedural outcomes, and clinical outcomes were reported and compared., Results: AF predicted faster procedural times, fewer passes, and higher rates of first pass success on multivariate analysis (p<0.01). AF had no effect on intracranial hemorrhage (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.43 to 1.12) or 90-day functional outcomes (aOR 1.17, 95% CI 0.91 to 1.50) after MT, although patients with AF were less likely to receive IVT (46% vs 54%, p<0.0001)., Conclusions: In patients treated with MT, comorbid AF is associated with faster procedural time, fewer passes, and increased rates of first pass success without increased risk of intracranial hemorrhage or worse functional outcomes. These results are in contrast to the increased hemorrhage rates and worse functional outcomes observed in AF associated stroke treated with supportive care and or IVT. These data suggest that MT negates the AF penalty in ischemic stroke., Competing Interests: Competing interests: RMS: consulting and teaching agreements with Penumbra, Abbott, Medtronic, InNeuroCo, and Cerenovus. MNP: travel grants/honoraria–Phenox, Stryker, Siemens. ASA: consultant–Balt, Johnson and Johnson, Leica, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, and Stryker; research support–Cerenovus, Microvention, Penumbra, and Siemens; and shareholder–Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Marblehead, Neurogami, Serenity, Synchron, Triad Medical, Vascular Simulations. PJ: consultant-Medtronics, Microvention. AMS: consultant–Penumbra, Microvention, and Pulsar Vascular; travel grants/honoraria–Penumbra, Pulsar Vascular, Microvention, Stryker. AR: consulting agreement with Stryker, Cerenovus, and Microvention., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The proportion of intracranial aneurysms treated by microsurgical clip ligation has drastically decreased in the endovascular era. However, some aneurysms cannot be treated by current endovascular techniques. Therefore, trainees and young vascular neurosurgeons must develop and maintain microsurgical skills to safely treat aneurysms that require surgery. Ruptured, basilar artery apex, blister-type aneurysms are particularly treacherous and require a high degree of skill to safely manage them surgically. In this video, 2 companion cases are exhibited to demonstrate the nuances of the subtemporal, skull base, approach to the basilar apex region. In each case, the patient consented to surgery and anonymized recording. The subtemporal approach is favored over the trans-sylvian for posteriorly directed basilar apex region aneurysms as the former affords a complete view of the relevant anatomy. Points for consideration include variations on the standard subtemporal approach, use of retractors vs lumbar drainage to mobilize the temporal lobe, and splitting the tentorium vs a suture-retraction technique for visualization of the basilar artery apex region. Techniques for successful navigation of intraoperative rupture are demonstrated. As the number of intracranial aneurysms treated by microsurgery continues to ebb, high-quality educational videos that supplement surgeon experience will become increasingly critical to ensure that a cohort of capable microvascular neurosurgeons is prepared to tackle challenging, but manageable aneurysms, such as the blister-type basilar apex variety. Video (c) Emory University School of Medicine, 2021. Used with permission., (© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2021.)

Background: The Woven EndoBridge (WEB) device was granted premarket approval in the United States following results of the Woven EndoBridge Intrasaccular Therapy (WEB-IT) study. WEB-IT reported excellent adequate angiographic occlusion of treated aneurysms with a high safety profile. These results were achieved, however, in the context of a prospective study with strict inclusion criteria and rigorous training support., Objective: To review early as-practiced clinical experience with the WEB device in the United States., Methods: Retrospective review across 6 institutions identified 91 patients undergoing 92 treatment sessions for WEB device placement in treatment of 91 intracranial aneurysms. Details regarding demographics, aneurysm characteristics, treatment considerations, clinical outcomes, and aneurysm occlusion were obtained and analyzed in a multicenter database. Angiograms from the index procedure and follow-up studies were reviewed by a blinded and independent adjudicator., Results: The middle cerebral, anterior communicating, and basilar artery complexes were the commonly treated locations. Eight patients presented with ruptured aneurysms. A mean of 1.2 devices were introduced per case. Technical failure without deployment of a WEB device occurred in 2% (2/92) of sessions. Complete aneurysm occlusion for patients with imaging follow-up was 49% (mean follow-up of 8 mo). Four aneurysms were retreated. 90% of patients had modified Rankin Scale ≤ 2 at last clinical follow-up with no mortalities., Conclusion: Immediate postmarket experience with the WEB device, newly introduced at American centers, confirms safe procedural use, but long-term efficacy remains unclear. Early challenges include accurate sizing and device selection., (© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2021.)

Background: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is the standard of care for the treatment of proximal anterior circulation large vessel occlusions. However, little is known about its efficacy and safety in the treatment of distal intracranial occlusions., Methods: This is a multicenter retrospective study of patients treated with MT at 15 comprehensive centers between January 2015 and December 2018. The study cohort was divided into 2 groups based on the location of occlusion (proximal vs. distal). Distal occlusion was defined as occlusion of M3 segment of the middle cerebral artery, any segment of the anterior cerebral artery, or any segment of the posterior cerebral artery. Only isolated distal occlusion was included. Good outcome was defined as 90-day modified Rankin scale score 0-2., Results: A total of 4710 patients were included in this study, of whom 189 (4%) had MT for distal occlusions. Compared with the proximal occlusion group, distal occlusion group had a higher rate of good outcome (45% vs. 36%; P = 0.03) and a lower rate of successful reperfusion (78% vs. 84%; P = 0.04). However, the differences did not retain significance in adjusted models. Otherwise there was no difference in the rate of hemorrhagic complications, mortality, or procedure-related complications between the 2 groups. Successful reperfusion, age, and admission stroke severity emerged as predictors of good functional outcome in the distal occlusion group., Conclusions: Thrombectomies of distal vessels achieve high rate of successful reperfusion with similar safety profile to those in more proximal locations., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare gel (Hydrasys 2 from Sebia) and capillary (Capillarys III Tera, Sebia) electrophoresis for the characterization of human serum proteins., Design and Methods: 304 sera tested by gel electrophoresis during 8 routine laboratory days were concurrently tested by capillary electrophoresis. Gels were read by an experienced medical technologist while capillary profiles by a Sebia representative and the same technologist. Most sera (214 of 304, 70%) were also analyzed by immunofixation electrophoresis, used here as the gold standard to calculate sensitivity and specificity of the gel and capillary systems., Results: Gel and capillary estimated the concentration of albumin, gamma region, and M-spikes nearly perfectly, and that of beta, alpha-2, and alpha-1 regions with excellent correlation. The two systems classified concordantly 268 of 304 sera (88% agreement) as having no, one, or two M-spikes, but differed in the remaining 36 sera (12%). Gel electrophoresis correctly identified M-spikes in 82 of 112 sera that were shown to have monoclonal band(s) by immunofixation (73% sensitivity), and correctly did not reveal M-spikes in 97 of the 102 sera that had no immunofixation bands (95% specificity). Capillary achieved slightly higher sensitivity (85 of 112, 76%) and slightly lower specificity (94 of 102, 92%), but the two areas under the ROC curves were nearly identical at 0.84., Conclusions: Gel and capillary electrophoresis systems perform similarly to estimate the concentration of serum protein fractions and detect M-spikes., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest of any sort., (© 2021 The Author(s).)

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected stroke care globally. In this study, we aim to evaluate the impact of the current pandemic on racial disparities among stroke patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy (MT)., Methods: We used the prospectively collected data in the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry from 12 thrombectomy-capable stroke centers in the US and Europe. We included acute stroke patients who underwent MT between January 2017 and May 2020. We compared baseline features, vascular risk factors, location of occlusion, procedural metrics, complications, and discharge outcomes between patients presenting before (before February 2020) and those who presented during the pandemic (February to May 2020)., Results: We identified 2083 stroke patients: of those 235 (11.3%) underwent MT during the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared with pre-pandemic, stroke patients who received MT during the pandemic had longer procedure duration (44 vs 38 min, P=0.006), longer length of hospitalization (6 vs 4 days, P<0.001), and higher in-hospital mortality (18.7% vs 11%, P<0.001). Importantly, there was a lower number of African American patients undergoing MT during the COVID-19 pandemic (609 (32.9%) vs 56 (23.8%); P=0.004)., Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the care process for stroke patients receiving MT globally. There is a significant decline in the number of African American patients receiving MT, which mandates further investigation., Competing Interests: Competing interests: PJ: consultant-Medtronics, Microvention. RMS: consulting and teaching agreements with Penumbra, Abbott, Medtronic, InNeuroCo, and Cerenovus. ASA: consultant–Balt, Johnson and Johnson, Leica, Medtronic, Microvention, Penumbra, Scientia, Siemens, and Stryker; research support–Cerenovus, Microvention, Penumbra, and Siemens; and shareholder–Bendit, Cerebrotech, Endostream, Magneto, Marblehead, Neurogami, Serenity, Synchron, Triad Medical, Vascular Simulations. AR: consulting agreement with Stryker, Cerenovus, and Microvention. MNP: travel grants/honoraria–Phenox, Stryker, Siemens. AMS: consultant–Penumbra, Microvention, and Pulsar Vascular; travel grants/honoraria–Penumbra, Pulsar Vascular, Microvention, Stryker., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: We report a multicenter experience using endovascular embolization as the first line approach for treatment of anterior cranial fossa (ACF) dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF)., Methods: All patients with DAVFs located in the anterior cranial fossa who were treated with endovascular technique as a first line approach were included. Demographics, clinical presentation, angioarchitecture, strategy, complications, immediate angiographic, and follow-up results were included in the analysis., Results: Twenty-three patients met the inclusion criteria (18 male and 5 female). Age ranged from 14 to 79 years (mean 53 years). Twelve patients presented with hemorrhage. Twenty-eight endovascular procedures were performed. The overall immediate angiographic cure rate after endovascular treatment was 82.6% (19/23 patients). The angiographic cure rate of the transvenous strategy was significantly superior to the transarterial strategy (p ≤ 0.001). There was 1 complication in 28 total procedures (3.6%). Angiographic follow-up was available in 21 out of the 23 patients with a mean of 25 months (range 2 to 108 months). In these 21 patients, the DAVF was completely cured in 20 (95%). At last follow-up, all patients had a modified Rankin scale (mRS) 0 to 2., Conclusion: Our experience suggests that endovascular treatment for ACF DAVFs has an acceptable safety profile with high rates of complete occlusion, particularly with transvenous approach. Whenever possible, transvenous approach should be preferred over transarterial approach as first line strategy.

Background: Middle meningeal artery (MMA) embolization has emerged as a promising treatment for chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH)., Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of MMA embolization., Methods: Consecutive patients who underwent MMA embolization for cSDH (primary treatment or recurrence after conventional surgery) at 15 centers were included. Clinical details and follow-up were collected prospectively. Primary clinical and radiographic outcomes were the proportion of patients requiring additional surgical treatment within 90 d after index treatment and proportion with > 50% cSDH thickness reduction on follow-up computed tomography imaging within 90 d. National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin Scale were also clinical outcomes., Results: A total of 138 patients were included (mean age: 69.8, 29% female). A total of 15 patients underwent bilateral interventions for 154 total embolizations (66.7% primary treatment). At presentation, 30.4% and 23.9% of patients were on antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy, respectively. Median admission cSDH thickness was 14 mm. A total of 46.1% of embolizations were performed under general anesthesia, and 97.4% of procedures were successfully completed. A total of 70.2% of embolizations used particles, and 25.3% used liquid embolics with no significant outcome difference between embolization materials (P > .05). On last follow-up (mean 94.9 d), median cSDH thickness was 4 mm (71% median thickness reduction). A total of 70.8% of patients had >50% improvement on imaging (31.9% improved clinically), and 9 patients (6.5%) required further cSDH treatment. There were 16 complications with 9 (6.5%) because of continued hematoma expansion. Mortality rate was 4.4%, mostly unrelated to the index procedure but because of underlying comorbidities., Conclusion: MMA embolization may provide a safe and efficacious minimally invasive alternative to conventional surgical techniques., (Copyright © 2020 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.)

Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Many brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) derive dural blood supply, while 10%-15% of dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) have pial arterial input. To differentiate between the two is critical, as treatment of these entities is diametrically opposed. To treat dAVFs, the draining vein(s) is disconnected from feeding arteries, which portends hemorrhagic complications for AVMs. The authors present an operative video of a subtle cerebellar AVM initially treated as a dAVF by attempted embolization through dural vessels. The lesion was subsequently microsurgically extirpated. The authors show a comparison case of an AVM mistaken for a dAVF and transvenous embolization that resulted in a fatal hemorrhage. The video can be found here: https://youtu.be/eDeiMrGoE0Q., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this publication., (© 2021 The Authors.)

Background: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many centers altered stroke triage protocols for the protection of their providers. However, the effect of workflow changes on stroke patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has not been systematically studied., Methods: A prospective international study was launched at the initiation of the COVID-19 pandemic. All included centers participated in the Stroke Thrombectomy and Aneurysm Registry (STAR) and Endovascular Neurosurgery Research Group (ENRG). Data was collected during the peak months of the COVID-19 surge at each site. Collected data included patient and disease characteristics. A generalized linear model with logit link function was used to estimate the effect of general anesthesia (GA) on in-hospital mortality and discharge outcome controlling for confounders., Results: 458 patients and 28 centers were included from North America, South America, and Europe. Five centers were in high-COVID burden counties (HCC) in which 9/104 (8.7%) of patients were positive for COVID-19 compared with 4/354 (1.1%) in low-COVID burden counties (LCC) (P<0.001). 241 patients underwent pre-procedure GA. Compared with patients treated awake, GA patients had longer door to reperfusion time (138 vs 100 min, P=<0.001). On multivariate analysis, GA was associated with higher probability of in-hospital mortality (RR 1.871, P=0.029) and lower probability of functional independence at discharge (RR 0.53, P=0.015)., Conclusion: We observed a low rate of COVID-19 infection among stroke patients undergoing MT in LCC. Overall, more than half of the patients underwent intubation prior to MT, leading to prolonged door to reperfusion time, higher in-hospital mortality, and lower likelihood of functional independence at discharge., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The clinical utility of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies remains undefined., Objective: To determine the clinical validity and utility of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies., Design: Case-control study., Setting: First month of testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by using a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) on nasopharyngeal swabs at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland (11 066 persons)., Participants: Of the 11 066 tested persons, 115 (1%) were hospitalized adults investigated for COVID-19. Clinical record review was performed to classify them into a COVID-19 case group ( n  = 60) or a non-COVID-19 control group ( n  = 55). The laboratory control groups comprised 513 persons not tested by NAAT: 160 healthy laboratory employees, 101 persons positive for IgG antibodies against Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen, 215 positive for thyroperoxidase antibody, and 37 positive for rheumatoid factor., Measurements: Serum IgG and IgA antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein were detected by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: Sensitivity and specificity of the SARS-CoV-2 IgG assay were 0.976 (95% CI, 0.928 to 0.995) and 0.988 (CI, 0.974 to 0.995), respectively, when performed 14 days or later after symptom onset, but sensitivity decreased at earlier time points. Immunoglobulin G developed rapidly and was sustained at high levels throughout follow-up (up to 58 days). Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 predicted the odds of developing acute respiratory distress syndrome, which increased by 62% (CI, 48% to 81%; P  < 0.001) for every 2-fold increase in IgG. Of 11 066 NAAT-tested patients, 457 were repeatedly NAAT-negative, and serum samples were obtained for 18 such patients (6 COVID-19 case patients and 12 non-COVID-19 control patients). Antibodies were present in 5 of 6 case patients and none of the 12 control patients ( P  = 0.001)., Limitations: The study was retrospective and performed at a single center; the sample was small; follow-up was limited; and selection bias may have occurred., Conclusion: Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 demonstrate infection when measured at least 14 days after symptom onset, are associated with clinical severity, and provide valuable diagnostic support in patients who test negative by NAAT but remain clinically suspicious for COVID-19., Primary Funding Source: Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Background: Ruptured aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery (VA) or posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) are challenging to treat as they are often dissecting aneurysms necessitating direct sacrifice of the diseased segment, which is thought to carry high morbidity due to brainstem and cerebellar stroke. However, relatively few studies evaluating outcomes following VA or proximal PICA sacrifice exist. We sought to determine the efficacy and outcomes of endovascular VA/PICA sacrifice., Methods: A retrospective series of ruptured VA/PICA aneurysms treated by endovascular sacrifice of the VA (including the PICA origin) or proximal PICA is reviewed. Collected data included demographic, radiologic, clinical, and disability information., Results: Twenty-one patients were identified. Median age was 57 years (IQR 11); 15 were female. The Hunt and Hess grade was mostly 3 and 4 (18/21). Seven cases (33%) involved VA-V4 at the PICA take-off, and 14 cases (67%) involved the PICA exclusively. For VA pathology, V4 was sacrificed in all cases, while for PICA pathology, sacrificed segments included anterior medullary (4/14), lateral medullary (7/14), and tonsillomedullary (3/14) segments. Four patients went to hospice (19%). Twelve patients (57%) had evidence of stroke on follow-up imaging: cerebellar (8), medullary (1), and both (3). One patient required suboccipital decompression for brainstem compression. No aneurysm re-rupture occurred. Median discharge modified Rankin Scale score was 2.0 (IQR 2), which decreased to 1.0 (IQR 1) at median follow-up of 6.5 months (IQR 23)., Conclusions: Endovascular sacrifice of V4 or PICA aneurysms may carry less morbidity than previously thought, and is a viable alternative for poor surgical candidates or those with good collateral perfusion., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)