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IntroductionClazosentan, a selective endothelin receptor subtype A antagonist, reduces vasospasm-related morbidity and all-cause mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in the Japanese population, as demonstrated by a recent randomized phase 3 trial. However, evidence to suggest clazosentan should be prioritized over the current standard of care to prevent cerebral vasospasm is still lacking. Therefore, we investigated the efficacy and safety of clazosentan in comparison with conventional postoperative management in real-world clinical practice.MethodsWe conducted a single-center, retrospective, observational cohort study using prospectively collected data from consecutive patients with aneurysmal SAH. After clazosentan was approved for use in Japan, the conventional postoperative management protocol, composed of intravenous fasudil chloride and oral cilostazol (control group, April 2021 to March 2022), was changed to the clazosentan protocol (clazosentan group, April 2022 to March 2023). The primary endpoint was the incidence of vasospasm-related symptomatic infarction. The secondary endpoints were favorable functional outcomes (modified Rankin scale score

Endovascular treatment of wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms (WNBAs) remains challenging despite using a stent. PulseRider is a novel device specifically designed to treat WNBAs, protecting both daughter branches, but the outcomes have not been compared with conventional single stent-assisted embolization. This study aimed to compare the six-month outcomes of PulseRider and single stent-assisted embolization for intracranial unruptured WNBAs using propensity score adjustment. Between February 2012 and October 2021, 46 unruptured WNBAs (34 basilar and 12 middle cerebral arteries) smaller than 10 mm in diameter were treated with PulseRider-assisted embolization (n = 17) or single stent-assisted embolization (n = 29). The immediate and six-month outcomes were compared using inverse probability of treatment weighting analysis. The immediate adequate occlusion rates for the PulseRider- and single stent-assisted embolization were similar (47.1% vs. 62.1%). At six months, adequate occlusion rates for the two groups were also similar (94.1% vs. 86.2%). However, the complete obliteration rate was significantly high after PulseRider-assisted embolization (88.2% vs. 41.4%, adjusted OR 10.54, 95% CI 1.93-57.63). The angiographical improvement rate was also significantly high after PulseRider-assisted embolization (70.6% vs. 37.9%, adjusted OR 6.06, 95% CI 1.54-23.76). The neurologic thromboembolic complication rate was 0% after PulseRider-assisted embolization and 3.4% after single stent-assisted embolization. PulseRider-assisted embolization of WNBAs smaller than 10 mm in diameter was associated with complete obliteration and angiographical improvement at six months. The unique shape of the PulseRider might contribute to the improved midterm aneurysm occlusion.

Objective: We report carotid artery stenting (CAS) using balloon-expandable coronary (BECo) stent. The materials in this study consist of 15 cases of high-grade stenosis in internal carotid artery (ICA) in which self-expanding carotid (SECa) stent was not utilized. There were two groups why BECo stent was used instead of SECa stent: alternative group and intentional group. The alternative group was subdivided into two groups: access difficulty of guiding catheter and access difficulty of SECa stent. Case Presentation: The alternative group included 11 cases (access difficulty of guiding catheter in 10 and access difficulty of SECa stent in 1), and the intentional group included 4 cases. There were four cases using transbrachial approach. All the intentional group cases were the first stage of staged angioplasty (SAP). The second stage of SAP was PTA in two and SECa stent over the BECo stent in two. There was no complication related to CAS. Conclusion: CAS using BECo stent is one of the choices for the first stage of SAP, if stent placement instead of PTA is required at the first stage. It is also the useful alternative for the patient having difficulty of SECa stent.

The present study reports the case of an 81-year-old woman who underwent lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS) placement for idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus. After LPS placement, the patient presented with radicular pain. A computed tomography scan revealed that the intradural lumbar catheter was tangled at the T11 vertebra; therefore, we decided to remove the catheter under local anesthesia. When 1 cm of the lumbar catheter was withdrawn, the patient suddenly complained of complete loss of bilateral leg sensation and muscle strength. Emergency magnetic resonance imaging revealed that the lumbar catheter was tangled and wedged into the ventral spinal cord at T11, causing severe spinal cord compression. In the operating room under general anesthesia, the lumbar catheter was removed through a right T12 hemilaminectomy. Postoperatively, her neurological function was fully restored. Although LPS placement is frequently indicated for idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus, recognition of this rare complication is important for proper LPS management.

Background and purposeMoyamoya disease (MMD) is a progressive cerebrovascular disease with unknown etiology. Growing evidence suggest its involvement of autoimmune and genetic mechanisms in the pathogenesis of MMD. This study aims to clarify the association between HLA allele and MMD.MethodsCase-control study: the DNA of 136 MMD patients in Japan was extracted and the genotype of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) from this DNA was determined by super-high-resolution single-molecule sequence-based typing using next-generation sequencing. Next, the frequency of each HLA allele (HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DQB1, and HLA-DPB1) was compared with those in the Japanese control database. In addition, haplotype estimation was performed using the expectation maximization algorithm.ResultsThe frequencies of the HLA-DRB1*04:10 allele (4.77% vs. 1.47% in the control group; P = 1.7 × 10-3; odds ratio [OR] = 3.35) and of the HLA-DRB1*04:10-HLA-DQB1*04:02 haplotype (haplotype frequency 4.41% vs. 1.35% in the control group; P = 2.0 × 10-3; OR = 3.37) significantly increased. The frequency of thyroid diseases, such as Graves' disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis, increased in HLA-DRB1*04:10-positive MMD patients compared with that in HLA-DRB1*04:10-negative MMD patients.ConclusionsHLA-DRB1*04:10 is a risk allele and HLA-DRB1*04:10-HLA-DQB1*04:02 a risk haplotype for MMD. In addition, HLA-DRB1*04:10 is associated with thyroid disease in MMD patients.

Moyamoya disease is characterized by a progressive stenosis at the terminal portion of the internal carotid artery and an abnormal vascular network at the base of the brain. Although its etiology is still unknown, recent genome-wide and locus-specific association studies identified RNF213 as an important susceptibility gene of moyamoya disease among East Asian population. A polymorphism in c.14576G>A in RNF213 was identified in 95% of familial patients with moyamoya disease and 79% of sporadic cases, and patients having this polymorphism were found to have significantly earlier disease onset and a more severe form of moyamoya disease, such as the presentation of cerebral infarction and posterior cerebral artery stenosis. The exact mechanism by which the RNF213 abnormality relates to moyamoya disease remains unknown, while recent reports using genetically engineered mice lacking RNF213 by homologous recombination provide new insight for the pathogenesis of this rare entity. Regarding biomarkers of moyamoya disease, moyamoya disease is characterized by an increased expression of angiogenic factors and pro-inflammatory molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factors and matrix metalloproteinase-9, which may partly explain its clinical manifestations of the pathologic angiogenesis, spontaneous hemorrhage, and higher incidence of cerebral hyperperfusion after revascularization surgery. More recently, blockade of these pro-inflammatory molecules during perioperative period is attempted to reduce the potential risk of surgical complication including cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome. In this review article, we focus on the genetics and biomarkers of moyamoya disease, and sought to discuss their clinical implication.

Oxidative stress and glucose affect the expression of various genes that contribute to both reactive oxygen species generation and antioxidant systems. However, systemic alteration of oxidative stress-related gene expression in normal brains and in brains with a high-glucose status after ischemic–reperfusion has not been explored. Using a polymerase chain reaction array system, we demonstrate that thioredoxin-interacting protein (Txnip) is induced by both oxidative stress and glucose. We found that Txnip mRNA is induced by ischemic–reperfusion injury and that Txnip is located in the cytoplasm of neurons. Moreover, in vitro oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD) and subsequent reoxygenation without glucose and in vivo administration of 3-nitropropionic acid also promoted an increase in Txnip in a time-dependent manner, indicating that oxidative stress without glucose can induce Txnip expression in the brain. However, calcium channel blockers inhibit induction of Txnip after OGD and reoxygenation. Using the polymerase chain reaction array with ischemic and hyperglycemic-ischemic samples, we confirmed that enhanced expression of Txnip was observed in hyperglycemic-ischemic brains after middle cerebral artery occlusion. Finally, transfection of Txnip small interfering RNA into primary neurons reduced lactate dehydrogenase release after OGD and reoxygenation. This is the first report showing that Txnip expression is induced in neurons after oxidative or glucose stress under either ischemic or hyperglycemic-ischemic conditions, and that Txnip is proapoptotic under these conditions.