Aberrant vertebral artery course in a case of Chiari malformation and occipitoatlantal assimilation

2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 246-248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinji Hotta ◽  
Akio Morita ◽  
Atsushi Seichi ◽  
Takaaki Kirino

✓ The authors report an unusual case of a patient with combined vertebral artery and Chiari malformation anomalies. Unless such anomalies are properly recognized prior to decompression and fusion, this condition can have grave surgical consequences. The diagnostic and surgery-related implications of such anomalous codiseases are discussed.

1977 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 681-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chikao Nagashima ◽  
Takashi Iwasaki ◽  
Seiichi Kawanuma ◽  
Arata Sakaguchi ◽  
Akira Kamisasa ◽  
...  

✓ The authors report a case of a traumatic vertebral arteriovenous fistula with spinal cord symptoms. Direct closure of the fistula was followed by rapid improvement.


1993 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall T. Higashida ◽  
Fong Y. Tsai ◽  
Van V. Halbach ◽  
Christopher F. Dowd ◽  
Tony Smith ◽  
...  

✓ Transluminal angioplasty for hemodynamically significant stenosis (> 70%) involving the posterior cerebral circulation is now being performed by the authors in selected cases. A total of 42 lesions affecting the vertebral or basilar artery have been successfully treated by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty techniques in 41 patients. The lesions involved the proximal vertebral artery in 34 cases, the distal vertebral artery in five, and the basilar artery in three. Patients were examined clinically at 1 to 3 and 6 to 12 months after angioplasty. Three (7.1%) permanent complications occurred, consisting of stroke in two cases and vessel rupture in one. There were four (9.5%) transient complications (< 30 minutes): two cases of vessel spasm and two of cerebral ischemia. Clinical follow-up examination demonstrated improvement of symptoms in 39 cases (92.9%). Radiographic follow-up studies demonstrated three cases (7.1 %) of restenosis involving the proximal vertebral artery; two were treated by repeat angioplasty without complication, and the third is being followed clinically while the patient remains asymptomatic. In patients with significant atherosclerotic stenosis involving the vertebral or basilar artery territories, transluminal angioplasty may be of significant benefit in alleviating symptoms and improving blood flow to the posterior cerebral circulation.


1993 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 161-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary K. Steinberg ◽  
Charles G. Drake ◽  
Sydney J. Peerless

✓ Deliberate occlusion of the basilar or vertebral arteries was performed in 201 patients with intracranial aneurysms, where the aneurysmal neck could not be clipped directly. The aneurysms arose from the basilar apex in 83 cases, the basilar trunk in 46, the vertebrobasilar junction in 35, and the vertebral artery in 37; 87% of the aneurysms were classified as giant lesions (> 2.5 cm). There were 85 upper basilar occlusions, 41 lower basilar occlusions, 29 bilateral vertebral occlusions, and 48 unilateral vertebral artery occlusions. The clinical follow-up period varied from 1 to 23 years, with a mean of 9.5 years. Overall long-term results were excellent in 68% of the patients, good in 5%, and poor in 3%; 24% died. Clinical outcome varied according to aneurysm site; excellent or good results were achieved in 64% of the patients with basilar apex, 76% with basilar trunk, 74% with vertebrobasilar junction, and 87% with vertebral artery aneurysms. Clinical outcome also varied depending on preoperative grade: 86% of the patients with an excellent presenting grade achieved excellent results. The size of the posterior communicating arteries was a good predictor of tolerance to basilar artery occlusion (p < 0.05). Successful aneurysm thrombosis was achieved in 78% of the patients. The neurological status in 26 patients (13%) deteriorated due to vertebrobasilar ischemia occurring within the 1st postoperative week, and thrombosis or embolism was implicated much more frequently than hemodynamic insufficiency. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in 14 patients, vasospasm in five patients, and surgical trauma in seven patients accounted for additional morbidity in the 1st month following operation; however, many of these patients ultimately made an excellent recovery. Late vertebrobasilar ischemic complications or neurological deterioration from persistent mass effect occurred in 4% of patients with successful aneurysm thrombosis 6 weeks to 18 months after arterial ligation. Among the 43 patients with incompletely thrombosed aneurysms, 67% developed early or late neurological deterioration from SAH, progressive brain-stem compression, or brain-stem stroke, with 86% of the complications proving fatal.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (1) ◽  
pp. 118-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganesh Rao ◽  
Adam S. Arthur ◽  
Ronald I. Apfelbaum

✓ Fractures of the craniocervical junction are common in victims of high-speed motor vehicle accidents; indeed, injury to this area is often fatal. The authors present the unusual case of a young woman who sustained a circumferential fracture of the craniocervical junction. Despite significant trauma to this area, she suffered remarkably minor neurological impairment and made an excellent recovery. Her injuries, treatment, and outcome, as well as a review of the literature with regard to injuries at the craniocervical junction, are discussed.


1982 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 701-702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Bollati ◽  
Giuseppe Galli ◽  
Massimo Gandolfini ◽  
Giovanni Marini ◽  
Gabriele Pizzoli

✓ The authors report an unusual case of intradural schwannoma, without demonstrable nerve root connection. An original explanation is given.


1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert D. Bartal ◽  
Morris J. Levy

✓ This report describes the successful excision of a congenital vertebral arteriovenous malformation in an 8-year-old child. There was mild effort dyspnea and left ventricular cardiac enlargement; a left-to-right vertebral artery steal across the basilar trifurcation was a major consideration in planning the surgical approach.


2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Lylyk ◽  
José E. Cohen ◽  
Rosana Ceratto ◽  
Angel Ferrario ◽  
Carlos Miranda

Object. With the recent development and refinement of endovascular stents, the significant potential for these devices in the treatment of wide-necked dissecting and fusiform aneurysms has become apparent. In this article the authors report on the use of stents and coils to treat dissecting and fusiform vertebral artery (VA) aneurysms. Methods. Eight consecutive patients harboring eight dissecting aneurysms and one fusiform aneurysm of the VA were succesfully treated using a procedure in which the authors inserted an intravascular stent and secondary endosaccular coils when needed. In all but one patient complete aneurysm occlusion was achieved, and in all cases there was no neurological complication. Follow-up angiography examinations were performed in all patients (mean duration of follow-up angiography review 13.1 months, range 3–42 months). The patients remained stable throughout the clinical follow-up period (mean 14.1 months, range 4–42 months). No rebleeding was recorded. Conclusions. At present this combined approach represents a reliable and safe alternative for the treatment of VA dissecting aneurysms, especially in patients who cannot tolerate occlusion tests.


1982 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 732-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Tognetti ◽  
Massimo Poppi ◽  
Giulio Gaist ◽  
Franco Servadei

✓ An unusual case of pudendal neuralgia due to a solitary neurofibroma of the perineal region is described. The authors outline the long clinical history. There was complete pain relief after removal of the lesion.


1983 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Larry A. Rogers

✓ An acute subdural hematoma dissecting into the posterior cranial fossa and resulting in death is reported. The patient had undergone spinal puncture by the lateral cervical technique prior to development of the hematoma. Autopsy demonstrated that the source of hemorrhage was an anomalous intraspinal vertebral artery.


1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 634-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neill M. Wright ◽  
Carl Lauryssen

Object. The 847 active members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS) Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves were surveyed to quantitate the risk of vertebral artery (VA) injury during C1–2 transarticular screw placement. Methods. This retrospective study elicited the number of patients treated with transarticular screws, the number of screws placed, the incidence of VA injury and subsequent neurological deficit, and the management of known or suspected VA injury. Two hundred thirteen (25.1%) of the 847 surgeons responded. One hundred one respondents (47.4%) had placed a total of 2492 C1–2 transarticular screws in 1318 patients. Thirty-one patients (2.4%) had known VA injuries and an additional 23 patients (1.7%) were suspected of having injuries. However, only two (3.7%) of the 54 patients with known or suspected VA injuries exhibited subsequent neurological deficits and only one (1.9%) died of bilateral VA injury. Other iatrogenic complications included dural tears, screw fractures, screw breakout, fusion failure, infection, and suboccipital numbness. Conclusions. Including both known and suspected cases, the risk of VA injury was 4.1% per patient or 2.2% per screw inserted. The risk of neurological deficit from VA injury was 0.2% per patient or 0.1% per screw, and the mortality rate was 0.1%. The choice of management of intraoperative VA injuries was evenly divided between placing the patient under observation and initiating immediate postoperative angiography with possible balloon occlusion.


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