Endovascular therapy for posterior communicating artery-infundibular dilatation aneurysms

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of endovascular therapy on posterior communicating artery-infundibular dilatation aneurysms. Methods: A total of 15 patients with ruptured aneurysms caused by posterior communicating artery-infundibular dilatation who were treated in our neurosurgical center from January 2015 to December 2018were included in this study. They were performed with bilateral internal carotid angiography and vertebral angiography and treated with endovascular method. The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) was used for clinical follow-up for 18 months. Results: There were 10 patients in the posterior communicating artery-infundibular dilatation aneurysms with non-fetal posterior cerebral artery. Among them, 8 patients were treated with coil-alone embolization. Immediate imaging showed infundibular dilation residual in 6 cases and no contrast filling in either infundibular dilation or aneurysm in 2 case. Another 2 were treated with stent-assisted coiling embolization, and immediate imaging showed no contrast filling. Of the 5 patients in posterior communicating artery-infundibular dilatation aneurysms with fetal posterior cerebral artery, 4 were only coiled in the aneurysm sack with contrast filling in infundibular cones, and 2 were treated with stent assisted coiling. Among the 10 patients with non-fetal posterior cerebral artery, 3 showed recurrence, 4 showed stable images, 2 were also stable with no contrast filling in infundibular dilation or aneurysm and 1 was lost to follow-up. Among the 5 patients with fetal posterior cerebral artery, 1 showed stable images, 3 showed recurrence and 1 was lost to follow-up. Conclusions: For posterior communicating artery-infundibular dilatation aneurysms with non-fetal posterior cerebral artery, stent-assisted coiling of aneurysm embolization combined with occlusion of cones is effective to prevent or reduce recurrence.

Extirpation of a Ruptured Anterior Spinal Artery Aneurysm Accompanied by Dural Arteriovenous Fistula at the Craniovertebral Junction via a Posterolateral Approach: The Management of Extradural Venous Congestion

Objective This study was aimed to discuss how to control extradural venous congestion with an increased pressure in cases of arteriovenous shunt disease of the craniovertebral junction. Design The study is presented through an operative video. Results A 77-year-old patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage had a dural arteriovenous fistula located at the C1–C2 level. Left vertebral angiography showed a fistula between the left C2 radiculomeningeal muscular artery and perivertebral plexus. Furthermore, right vertebral angiography showed a ruptured aneurysm at the aberrant branch of the anterior spinal artery originating from the contralateral vertebral artery (VA), possibly formed because of the concurrently increased pressure of the perimedullary veins. Aneurysm extirpation was planned through a posterolateral approach. To reduce venous bleeding during the approach, preoperative embolization of the radiculomeningeal muscular artery was performed. During surgery, the suboccipital triangle was exposed following layer-by-layer dissection of the suboccipital muscles (Figs. 1 and 2). Subperiosteal dissection of the paravertebral plexus surrounding the VA around the C1 lamina was effective to avoid venous bleeding. A bloodless operative field was achieved, and key anatomical structures, such as the C2 nerve root, feeder, and V3 portion of the left VA, were clearly identified. With a sufficient amount of lateral exposure, the ruptured anterior spinal artery aneurysm was successfully extirpated with bipolar coagulation. The patient was discharged with no neurologic deficit. Conclusion Controlling extradural venous congestion is essential to obtain a clear operative field in cases of arteriovenous shunt disease at the craniovertebral junction.The link to the video can be found at: https://youtu.be/fCT69WtAQbo.

Beauty parlor stroke syndrome due to a bone fragment from an osteophyte of the atlas: case report

Beauty parlor stroke syndrome (BPSS) is a rare condition characterized by mechanical impingement of a vertebral artery (VA) during neck rotation and/or hyperextension followed by vertebrobasilar insufficiency. However, there have been no reports of BPSS in which the cause of mechanical impingement was identified and no cases for which surgical treatment was reported. The authors report the case of a 56-year-old Japanese man who presented with presyncope that occurred during cervical extension. Given the possibility of vertebrobasilar insufficiency, digital subtraction angiography and CT angiography were performed. These studies revealed that the right VA was hypoplastic and the left VA was dominant. Moreover, in the position of cervical extension, the dominant left VA showed constriction caused by a bone fragment of an osteophyte of the atlas. Removal of the bone fragment was performed. Postoperative left vertebral angiography showed improvement of blood flow in the extended position, and the presyncope completely disappeared. The pathomechanism of this case was a bone fragment compressing the left VA in the C-1 groove during neck extension. In BPSS patients with recurrent transient symptoms, the possibility of this mechanism of VA constriction by a free bone fragment should be considered.

Republished: Conservative management of a post-traumatic pseudoaneurysm of the artery of cervical enlargement–anterior spinal artery junction

A 22-year-old man suffered severe sudden onset head and neck pain after being pushed from behind during an assault. Physical examination was normal. Cervical MRI demonstrated an intradural hematoma, anterior to the cord, between C2–4. Subsequent contrast enhanced MR angiography and digital subtraction vertebral angiography confirmed that the cause of the hemorrhage was a fusiform (presumed dissecting) pseudoaneurysm of the artery of the cervical enlargement at its junction with the anterior spinal artery. The aneurysm was managed conservatively. Follow-up angiography demonstrated that the aneurysm had spontaneously thrombosed within 10 days and remained occluded at 2 months. The patient remained occluded at 6 months following the initial injury. Anterior spinal aneurysms represent a management dilemma and options are discussed.