Provocative mesenteric angiography for localizing ambiguous gastrointestinal hemorrhage

Objectives: Five percent of patients with recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) hemorrhage have indeterminate origin by radiological and endoscopic examinations. To improve diagnostic accuracy and therapeutic embolization, the technique of provocative mesenteric angiography (PMA) has been developed. It involves the addition of pharmacologic agents to standard angiographic protocols to induce bleeding. Material and Methods: This is an institutional review board-approved, retrospective study of 20 patients who underwent PMA between 2014 and 2019. All patients had clinical evidence of GI hemorrhage without a definite source. PMA consisted of anticoagulation with 5000 units of heparin and selective transcatheter injection of up to 600 μg of nitroglycerine, followed by slow infusion of up to 24 mg of tissue plasminogen activator into the arterial distribution of the highest suspicion mesenteric artery. Results: Among the 20 patients who underwent PMA, 11/20 (55%) resulted in angiographically visible extravasation. Of these 11 patients, nine patients underwent successful embolization with coil or glue and were discharged upon achieving hemodynamic stability. Two patients spontaneously stopped bleeding. In our series, PMA resulted in the successful treatment of 9/20 (45%) patients with recurrent hemorrhage. No procedure-associated complications were reported with these 20 patients during the procedure and their course of hospitalization. Conclusion: In our experience, PMA is an effective and safe approach in localizing and treating the source of GI bleeding in about half of patients with an otherwise unidentifiable source.

Decompressive craniectomy in the treatment of supratentorial hypertensive intracerebral hematomas

The study objective is to evaluate feasibility and effectiveness of decompressive craniectomy (DC) for treatment оf supratentorial hypertensive intracerebral hematomas (ICH).Materials and methods. Between 1996 to 2019, 97 patients with supratentorial hypertensive ICHs underwent surgical treatment. DC was performed in 50 patients (primary - in 41, secondary - in 9). Putaminal hematomas were diagnosed in 30 patients, subcortical - in 20. The comparison group consisted of 47 patients, of which 20 had osteoplastic craniotomy (OPC) with microsurgical removal of ICH, and 27 had endoscopic aspiration (EA). The performed DCa were treated as unjustified (decreased brain dislocation without prolapse of the brain substance into the trepanation defect), ineffective (preservation of brain dislocation and absence of prolapse of the brain substance into the trepanation defect, as well as small size of the trepanation hole) and effective (prolapse of the brain substance into the trepanation defect and regression of transverse brain dislocation).Results. DC was effective only in 22 (44 %) patients (13 - primary, 9 - secondary). Among patients with subcortical ICH, mortality rate after DC was equal to that after OPC and EA. Among patients with putaminal ICH, the mortality rate after DC was significantly higher than after OPC and EA. Among the patients who underwent primary EA and delayed DC (due to recurrent ICH), postoperative mortality rate was significantly higher than among the patients who underwent repeated EA of recurrent ICH. However, there were no fatal outcomes among patients who underwent delayed DC due to increased edema and transverse dislocation of the brain without recurrent ICH.Conclusion. In the surgical treatment of supratentorial hypertensive ICH, decompressive effect of DC was achieved only in 44 % of patients. Open removal of putaminal hematomas in combination with DC was unjustified, mortality rate was 66 %. Primary DC with removal of ICH is indicated in patients with subcortical hematomas with a volume >50 cm3 , with transverse dislocation >7 mm, deep deafness or sopor. Delayed DC, regardless of the location of ICH, is recommended in case of increased edema and transverse dislocation of the brain in patients without recurrent hemorrhage.

Cavernous malformations of the hypothalamus: a single-institution series of 12 cases and review of the literature

OBJECTIVE There remains a paucity of literature on hypothalamic cavernous malformations (HCMs). Here, the authors present the largest series of HCMs to date and review the literature to gain additional insight into this rare disease subset. METHODS A prospectively managed database was retrospectively reviewed for patients diagnosed with symptomatic HCM and treated surgically between 1987 and 2019. Data gathered included demographics, presenting signs, radiological measurements, surgical approach, and postoperative events. Functional outcome was measured using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and Glasgow Outcome Scale–Extended (GOSE) pre- and postoperatively. A PRISMA guideline systematic review of HCM in the literature was performed. RESULTS Our cohort study consisted of 12 patients with symptomatic, and radiographically confirmed, HCM treated with microsurgery by the senior author (G.K.S.). An additional 16 surgically or conservatively managed patients were also identified from the literature, and the authors analyzed the data of all 28 patients (with 54% of patients being male; mean age 39 ± 16 years, range 10–68 years). Patients harboring HCMs most commonly presented with headache (16/28, 57%), short-term memory impairment (11/28, 39%), and gait disturbance (8/28, 32%). Radiographically, lesions most commonly involved the mammillary region (18/23, 78%), the tuberal/infundibulum region (13/23, 57%), and the preoptic/lamina terminalis region (12/23, 52%), with a mean diameter of 2.5 ± 1.4 cm (range 0.8–7 cm) at presentation. Acute hemorrhage was identified in 96% (23/24) of patients on presentation, with 96% (23/24) intraparenchymal and 29% (7/24) intraventricular. Of 24 patients who were managed surgically, gross-total resection (GTR) was achieved in 88% (21/24) of cases. There were no reports of perioperative infarction or mortality. With a mean follow-up period of 41 months (range 0.5–309 months), 77% (20/26) of patients experienced functional improvement, while 12% (3/26) had no change, and 12% (3/26) experienced increased disability. In our cohort of 12 patients, 83% (10/12) continued to report symptoms at the last follow-up (mean 4.8 years, range 0.1–25.7 years). However, there was a significant improvement in mRS score noted after surgery (mean 1.4 vs 3.1, p = 0.0026) and a trend toward improvement in GOSE score (mean 6.3 vs 5.1, p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS Hemorrhage from HCMs can cause a symptomatic mass effect on adjacent eloquent structures. While patients are unlikely to be deficit free following surgery, GTR allows for functional improvement and reduces recurrent hemorrhage rates. Microsurgery remains a viable option for symptomatic HCMs in experienced hands.

Management of Recurrent and Delayed Post-Tonsillectomy and Adenoidectomy Hemorrhage in Children

Objective: To review our experience on post-tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy hemorrhage (PTAH) at a tertiary pediatric referral hospital and to evaluate the management and risk factors for recurrent postoperative hemorrhage and for delayed bleeding after day 14. Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed for all pediatric patients admitted to The Children’s Hospital at Westmead for PTAH between July 01, 2014, and June 30, 2019. Patients with recurrent hemorrhage and those with bleeding after day 14 were selected for subanalysis. Results: Of the 291 patients admitted for PTAH, 31 (11%) patients had recurrent postoperative hemorrhage, and 11 (4%) patients had delayed bleeding after day 14. Surgical intervention for cessation of hemorrhage was required in 88 (30%) patients, including 2 patients who required return to the theater more than once. Nine (3%) patients received blood transfusions. The average number of days between bleeding episodes was 4 days. Recurrent postoperative hemorrhage occurred in 8.5% of patients who were managed operatively at their first presentation compared to 11.4% of patients who were managed nonoperatively (odds ratio: 1.1; 95% confidence interval 0.43-2.8). No association was found between abnormal coagulation profile, surgical indication, and risk of delayed postoperative hemorrhage. Conclusions: Recurrent or delayed postoperative hemorrhage represents a small proportion of children with postoperative bleeding and cannot be reliably predicted. Management of first presentations with either a conservative or a surgical approach is reasonable since the risk of recurrent of PTAH may be unrelated to the choice of management at initial presentation. Careful preoperative counseling of patients and their families is important to help set expectations in the event of PTAH.

Recurrent hemorrhage risk associated with medial target medullary artery anastomosis from the periventricular collateral vessel in adult patients with moyamoya disease

Background Although the association between periventricular target collateral anastomosis and recurrent ipsilateral hemorrhage has been evaluated in adult patients with moyamoya disease (MMD), no studies have investigated the relationship between target anastomotic territory and recurrent ipsilateral hemorrhage. The goal of this study was to assess this association. Methods Consecutive adult MMD patients who had experienced initial intracranial hemorrhage and undergone conservative treatment were included. Two readers assessed angiographic results to identify the target anastomotic territory (medial medullary artery, lateral medullary artery, multiple medullary arteries, or nonmedullary artery) responsible for the hemorrhage. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the risk of recurrent hemorrhage. Results In the 36 hemispheres with initial hemorrhage, the target anastomotic territory was in the anastomotic territory of the medial medullary artery in 10 (27.8%), lateral medullary artery in 15 (41.7%), multiple medullary arteries in 2 (5.6%), and a nonmedullary artery in 9 (25.0%) hemispheres. During 45.1 ± 40.0 months of follow-up, recurrent ipsilateral hemorrhage occurred in 44.4% (16/36) of hemispheres. The target anastomotic territories responsible for the recurrent event were in the anastomotic territory of the medial medullary artery in 9 (56.3%) hemispheres, lateral medullary artery in 6 (37.5%) hemispheres, and multiple medullary arteries in 1 (6.3%) hemisphere. The anastomotic territory of the medial medullary artery was associated with recurrent hemorrhage before (HR = 2.94; 95% CI, 1.07–8.08; p = 0.037) and after (HR = 6.65; 95% CI, 1.32–33.60; p = 0.022) adjustments were made for confounding factors. Conclusions The incidence of recurrent ipsilateral hemorrhage varies with the target anastomotic territory in adult patients with MMD. Medial target medullary artery anastomosis is a significant risk factor for recurrent ipsilateral hemorrhage.

Hemobilia due to Hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to collateral circulation formation after liver trauma: a case report

Background Hemobilia due to rupture of hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm and recurrent hemorrhage caused by hepatic artery collateral circulation are both rare complications after liver trauma. There have been a number of separate reports of both complications, but no cases have been reported in which the two events occurred in the same patient. Here we report a recurrent hemorrhage in the bile duct due to hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm secondary to collateral circulation formation after hepatic artery ligation in a patient with liver trauma. Case presentation A 52-year-old male patient was admitted to our hospital for liver trauma (Grade IV according to the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) grading system) with active bleeding after a traffic accident. Hepatic artery ligation was performed for hemostasis. Three months after the surgery, the patient was readmitted for melena and subsequent hematemesis. Selective angiography examination revealed the formation of collateral circulation between the superior mesenteric artery and right hepatic artery. Moreover, a ruptured hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm was observed and transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was performed for hemostasis at the same time. After the treatment, the patient recovered very well and had an uneventful prognosis until the last follow-up. Conclusion For patients with hepatic trauma, the selection of the site of hepatic artery ligation and the diagnosis and treatment methods of postoperative biliary hemorrhage are crucial for the prognosis of the disease.

Remarkable Clinical Improvement Following Microsurgical Resection of Left Lingual Gyrus Cerebral Cavernous Malformation: A Case Report

Introduction Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) are collections of dilated and irregular capillaries in the brain. Cerebral cavernous malformations are predominantly supratentorial; occipital CCMs are rare. Surgical removal is indicated for CCMs with recurrent hemorrhage, refractory seizures, and expanding lesions. Case Description We describe a case of a 15-year-old male who presented with repeated tonic-clonic seizures and right homonymous hemianopia of 3-week duration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass located on the left medial occipital lobe, specifically in the left lingual gyrus. The T2-weighted and T2-gradient echo images confirmed the diagnosis of a CCM. Total microscopic resection was achieved. There were no surgical complications. The visual deficit improved, and the patient was seizure-free on subsequent follow-up visits. Conclusion Surgical resection of an occipital CCM resulted in a remarkable improvement in terms of seizures and visual field deficits.

Superselective vesical artery embolization for intractable bladder hemorrhage related to pelvic malignancy

Background Intractable bladder hemorrhage from pelvic malignancy can be potentially life-threatening and its management can be a challenging clinical problem. Purpose To evaluate safety, efficacy, and clinical outcome of superselective vesical artery embolization for the control of intractable bladder hemorrhage from pelvic malignancy. Material and Methods Between January 2010 and September 2018, 20 patients underwent superselective vesical artery embolization for intractable hematuria secondary to pelvic malignancy arising from or invading the bladder. Treatment details and clinical outcomes were obtained. Results There were 12 men and 8 women (mean age = 77 years). Bilateral embolization was performed in 10 patients and unilateral approach in 10 patients. Two patients died within four days after embolization due to underlying heart failure and systemic metastasis, respectively. The remaining 18 patients had a follow-up of >30 days. Bleeding was controlled after the first embolization in 17/18 patients and after a repeat embolization in the remaining one patient. The mean follow-up period of 18 patients was 10.6 months (range = 1–77 months). Late recurrent hemorrhage (≥ 30 days after embolization) was reported in 6 (33.3%) patients. Five of these six patients underwent repeat embolization. There were no major complications related to embolization. Conclusion Palliative superselective vesical artery embolization is a feasible, effective, and safe procedure to control intractable hematuria in patients with pelvic malignancy.