Preoperative embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations with silk sutures: analysis and clinical correlation of complications revealed on computerized tomography scanning

2000 ◽  
Vol 92 (6) ◽  
pp. 955-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joon K. Song ◽  
Joseph M. Eskridge ◽  
Eun-Chul Chung ◽  
Lindsey C. Blake ◽  
J. Paul Elliott ◽  
...  

Object. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence and clinical significance of complications related to preoperative embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) with silk sutures as documented on postprocedure computerized tomography (CT) scans.Methods. The CT scans were obtained within 12 to 24 hours after 221 (96%) of 230 consecutive embolizations in 70 patients. These CT scans were evaluated for the presence of ischemia, infarction, hemorrhage, or contrast agent extravasation. Adverse patient outcomes were determined after each embolization and were correlated with CT findings. New abnormalities demonstrated on CT scans were also correlated with the Spetzler—Martin AVM grade, degree of arteriovenous shunting, and location. New abnormalities, the majority of them infarcts, resulted from 29 (13%) of 221 embolization procedures. In 11 (38%) of 29 cases of new CT findings, patients were asymptomatic, including 10 with new infarcts on CT scans. New neurological deficits occurred in 20 (8.7%) of 230 total embolization procedures in 19 patients, including one death. Permanent deficits occurred in nine patients (3.9% per embolization procedure, 12.8% per patient). Of the patients with new neurological deficits, 18 (90%) of 20 embolization procedures resulted in new abnormalities on CT scans. Two patients with new transient neurological deficits had no new findings on CT scans. Spetzler—Martin grade, AVM location, degree of arteriovenous shunting, and higher numbers of procedures were not statistically associated with a higher incidence of abnormalities on CT scans or new permanent neurological deficits.Conclusions. Silk sutures are an effective and relatively safe embolic agent. After brain AVM embolization with silk sutures, new abnormalities were found on CT scans obtained in one of eight procedures. When a new CT finding occurred, the patient had roughly equal chances of having no new symptoms, having new transient neurological deficits, or having new permanent neurological deficits.

1986 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 706-709 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoko Nakasu ◽  
Jyoji Handa ◽  
Kazuyoshi Watanabe

✓ Two patients with benign intracerebral cysts are reported and a brief review of the literature is given. Although computerized tomography (CT) scanning is useful in detecting a variety of intracerebral cysts, the CT findings are not specific for any lesion. An exploratory operation with establishment of an adequate route of drainage and a histological examination of the cyst wall are mandatory in the management of patients with a progressive but benign lesion.


2004 ◽  
Vol 100 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher L. Taylor ◽  
Kim Dutton ◽  
George Rappard ◽  
G. Lee Pride ◽  
Robert Replogle ◽  
...  

Object. Preoperative embolization is viewed by the authors as a useful adjunct in the surgical management of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). This study was performed to determine the rate of significant complication in patients undergoing this procedure. Methods. Demographic, anatomical, and procedure data were collected prospectively. The treating physician reported complications. In addition, a review of medical records including procedure reports, operative reports, and discharge summaries was performed. Univariate statistical analysis was performed to determine if any of the variables was predictive of a poor outcome of embolization (death or permanent neurological deficit). Endovascular procedures for embolization were performed 339 times in 201 patients during an 11-year period. Female patients comprised 53.7% of the study group and 85.6% of the AVMs were supratentorial. Embolization was performed using polyvinyl alcohol particles, N-butyl cyanoacrylate, detachable coils, and/or the liquid polymer Onyx. Analyzed by procedure, a poor result of embolization occurred in 7.7%. Analyzed by patient, 11% died or had a permanent neurological deficit as a result of the embolization. None of the demographic, anatomical, or procedure variables identified were predictive of a poor outcome. Conclusions. Preoperative embolization may gradually reduce flow to an AVM, reduce intraoperative blood loss, and reduce operative time. The risks of this procedure, however, are not insignificant and must be considered in planning treatment for patients with AVMs.


1995 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 832-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshihiro Yamamoto ◽  
Robert J. Coffey ◽  
Douglas A. Nichols ◽  
Edward G. Shaw

✓ During the authors' initial 4-year experience with radiosurgery using the Leksell cobalt-60 gamma unit, they treated 121 patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The radiosurgical dose to the margin of the nidus was 20 Gy for lesions less than 2.0 cm in diameter (volume ≤ 4.2 cm3); 18 Gy for malformations 2.1 to 3.0 cm in diameter (volume 4.2–14.1 cm3); and 16 Gy for malformations greater than 3.0 cm (volume > 14.1 cm3). Fifty-one patients underwent follow-up angiography between 1 and 3 years after treatment, and complete obliteration of the nidus was confirmed in 38 (74.5%) of these patients. Thirty-two (74.4%) of 43 AVMs with volumes of 10 cm3 or less and six (75%) of eight larger AVMs (volume 11–30 cm3) showed complete obliteration. Analysis of the time course of AVM nidus shrinkage and obliteration showed that most of the radiosurgically induced effect had occurred by 36 months after treatment. Retrospective analysis of the dose plans for 10 AVMs that were not obliterated by 36 months after gamma knife radiosurgery at the authors' institution (eight cases) or elsewhere (two cases) revealed that six AVMs had not been covered completely by the prescribed isodose. Six (5%) of the 121 patients developed neurological deficits as a direct result of radiosurgical treatment. The authors infer from these data that malformations up to 30 cm3 in volume (approximately 4.0 cm in average diameter) can be treated effectively with an acceptably low complication rate using a radiosurgical dose of 16 Gy to the margin of the nidus. The obliteration rate for the larger malformations that were treated with a dose of 16 to 18 Gy appears to be similar to that for smaller ones treated with 18 to 20 Gy. As more experience accrues using radiosurgery to treat AVMs, patient selection criteria and the variables associated with successful obliteration of the nidus should become more clearly defined.


1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 995-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takehide Onuma ◽  
Yasuko Shimosegawa ◽  
Motonobu Kameyama ◽  
Hiroaki Arai ◽  
Kiyoshi Ishii

✓ The authors have treated five cases of severe head trauma in children in which abnormally high density along gyri, “gyral high density,” was seen on plain computerized tomography (CT) scans in the subacute stage of the injury. The prognosis in all cases was poor, with either severe disability or a vegetative state as the outcome due to significant brain atrophy following gyral high density. This pathology was classified into three clinical stages: 1) acute stage, cerebral ischemia in which there is diffuse low density of the cerebrum on CT scans (most marked on the 3rd and 4th days); 2) subacute stage, hemorrhagic infarction showing gyral high density on plain CT scans (between 1 and 4 weeks); and 3) chronic stage, brain atrophy (beginning 4 weeks after the trauma). In their consecutive series of head-injured patients (516 children, 1459 adults), the authors did not find gyral high density on CT scan in adults. This is probably due to the fact that adults who suffer the severe head trauma associated with diffuse brain swelling or diffuse brain edema cannot survive, thus making this gyral high density unique to children.


1987 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 345-351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Solomon ◽  
Bennett M. Stein

✓ A series of 250 surgically treated cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM's) is presented, in which 22 lesions were located primarily in the thalamus and caudate nucleus. A standardized interhemispheric approach through the posterior corpus callosum and into the atrium of the lateral ventricle was utilized for the surgical removal of these AVM's. Total removal was confirmed by angiography in 18 patients; removal was subtotal in four cases. There were no deaths in this group of patients. Disturbances of recent memory pre- and postoperatively were seen in half of the patients, but most of these deficits were temporary. Other complications included: postoperative homonymous hemianopsia (six cases), transient hemiparesis (three cases), hemisensory loss (two cases), Parinaud's syndrome (one case), and recurrent hemorrhage 2 years after surgery (one case). All 22 patients returned to their previous occupations and are leading independent lives. The results of this experience indicate that thalamocaudate AVM's can be effectively treated by resection.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Mattioli ◽  
Luigi Beretta ◽  
Simonetta Gerevini ◽  
Fabrizio Veglia ◽  
Giuseppe Citerio ◽  
...  

Object. The goal of this study was fourfold: 1) to determine the incidence of traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (tSAH) in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI); 2) to verify agreement in the diagnosis of tSAH in a multicenter study; 3) to assess the incidence of tSAH on the outcome of the patient; and 4) to establish whether tSAH itself leads to an unfavorable outcome or whether it is a sign of major brain trauma associated with severe posttraumatic lesions. Methods. Computerized tomography (CT) scans obtained in 169 head-injured patients on admission to 12 Italian intensive care units during a 3-month period were examined. The scans were collected for neuroradiological review and were used for the analysis together with data from a multicenter database (Neurolink). A review committee found a high incidence of tSAH (61%) in patients with TBI and a moderate agreement among centers (K = 0.57). Significant associations were observed between the presence and grading of tSAH and patient outcomes, and between the presence of tSAH and the severity of the CT findings. Logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of tSAH and its grading alone do not assume statistical significance in the prediction of unfavorable outcome. Conclusions. Traumatic SAH frequently occurs in patients with TBI, but it is difficult to detect and grade. Traumatic SAH is associated with more severe CT findings and a worse patient outcome.


1990 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nobuhiko Aoki

✓ The cases of 30 infants with chronic subdural hematoma treated surgically between 1978 and 1987 (after the introduction of computerized tomography) were reviewed. This series was limited to infants presenting with increased intracranial pressure, neurological deficits, or developmental retardation. Nineteen patients were male and 11 were female, ranging in age from 1 to 14 months (average 6.1 months). The surgical treatment was initiated with percutaneous subdural tapping which was repeated periodically, if indicated, for 2 weeks. If the patients failed to respond to subdural tapping, subdural-peritoneal shunting was installed. The follow-up periods were from 3 months to 9 years 8 months (average 4 years 10 months). Computerized tomography at that time disclosed disappearance or minimal collection of subdural fluid in 28 cases (93%) and a significant collection (> 5 mm) in two (7%). Neurological examination revealed that the patients were “normal” in 17 cases (57%), “mildly or moderately disabled” in nine (30%), and “severely disabled” in four (13%). The majority of disabled patients had lesions secondary to infantile acute subdural hematoma, child abuse, or hemorrhagic diathesis. These results indicate that the treatment protocol in the present series is acceptable for the elimination of subdural hematoma. Together, early diagnosis and treatment of the etiological conditions causing the lesion are indispensable for obtaining a satisfactory neurological outcome.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 128-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henk W. Mauser ◽  
Robert A. P. Ravijst ◽  
Arthur Elderson ◽  
Jan van Gijn ◽  
Cees A. F. Tulleken

✓ The nonsurgical treatment of a case of interhemispheric subdural empyema is reported. At the time of diagnosis, the patient had a mild decrease in consciousness and only moderate focal neurological deficits. Computerized tomography (CT) confirmed the limited (interhemispheric) extent of the intracranial infection. After drainage of the nasal sinuses and antibiotic treatment, the patient recovered, although the lesion was initially increased in size on CT scanning.


1980 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 705-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence D. Cromwell ◽  
A. Basil Harris

✓ It is believed that surgical excision of arteriovenous malformations is the best treatment when technically feasible without causing significant damage to adjacent brain. The introduction of polymers or particulate emboli by catheter has been used either alone or as an adjunct in attempts to reduce the size of these lesions prior to surgery; however, it is seldom possible to embolize the entire malformation. The authors have used direct injection of a 50% mixture of bucrylate and iophendylate into the feeding arteries supplying the area at craniotomy, with success in three cases. The cases are described to illustrate the method.


1979 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 621-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean Mullan ◽  
Henry Kawanaga ◽  
Nicholas J. Patronas

✓ A useful variation of an established technique is described for embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Silastic sponge emboli that fit into No. 16, 17, and 18 stub adapters are passed through standard-sized transfemoral catheters. Of 28 treated patients, obliteration was regarded as very successful in 16. Partial success was achieved in four. Eight were regarded as failures because the reticulum was too large for these microemboli.


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