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Moyamoya disease (MMD) was reported by first time in 1957 by Takeuchi and Shimizu as hypoplasia of the bilateral internal carotid arteries. The official Japanese name for the disease is Spontaneous occlusion of the circle of Willis, but in 1967 Suzuki and Takaku nicknamed it Moyamoya disease. In Japan, the estimated total number of the patients with this disease was 3900 in 1995 and the annual incidence is 0.35 per 100,000 populations. The incidence ofthe disease is high among Japanese and Koreans and far lower in Caucasians. On the other hand, in Western countries there is not reliable epidemiological data about it. The male and female ratio was 1:1.7 showing a slight female predominance. Solitary cases are much more frequent but familial cases were reported approximately in 10% with 13 cases of monovular twins. Moyamoya disease may cause cerebral ischemia (transient ischemic attacks and infarction) and haemorrhage (intracerebral, intraventricular and subarachnoid). Symptoms and signs in children are mainly TIA (hemiparesis, monoparesis and sensory disturbance), which occur repeatedly and occasionally. Headache, involuntary movements is and convulsive seizures may occur. Despite extensive studies over a long period, the aetiology of Moyamoya disease is still no clear. Because of the higher incidence of this disease in Orientals, very low incidence in Caucasians, and the presence of familial cases, multifactorial inheritance is considered to be causative. The treatments for Moyamoya disease are both medical and surgical. There are no medical treatments to prevent the progression of the illness. Direct bypass surgery (superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery, STA-MCA anastomosis) or indirect bypass surgery (placing the vascularized soft tissue flap on the surface of brain) can improve the decreased cerebral circulation and clinical signs. Indirect bypass surgery is preferred for young children. Within a few months after bypass surgery ischemic attacks disappear in most patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clazosentan prevents vasospasms after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, clinical data on patients with SAH with ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms (VADAs) are limited. We report the case of a 49-year-old male patient with mild-grade (WFNS grade 1) thick and diffuse (modified Fisher grade 3) SAH who underwent endovascular trapping of a ruptured VADA, resulting in a poor functional outcome with a modified Rankin Scale score of 4 due to severe symptomatic vasospasm refractory to clazosentan, requiring repeated rescue endovascular therapies and chronic communicating hydrocephalus. A retrospective analysis of the clot density in the basal and Sylvian cisterns, assessed by the Hounsfield unit (HU) values of serial CT scans, in this patient showed persistent higher values, distinct from another VADA case that showed a decline in HU values with a good clinical course. These results imply the limited effectiveness of clazosentan in cases of thick and diffuse SAH after a ruptured VADA, even in good-clinical-grade patients treated with less invasive modalities. The HU values may become a simple quantitative marker for predicting symptomatic vasospasms and chronic hydrocephalus.

Subinsular stroke (subIS) can occur between the penetrating middle cerebral artery (MCA) branches, which clinical and radiological findings sometimes encounter in patients after the recanalization of left proximal MCA occlusion. However, no supportive data are available to clarify this relationship. This study investigated whether the involvement of subIS can impact outcomes after successful reperfusion therapy. Data from 152 consecutive patients who underwent endovascular thrombectomy between 2019 and 2023 were collected. A 3-month functional independence defined as a modified Rankin Scale 0-2 (primary outcome) and influencing factors were analyzed retrospectively. Recanalization was achieved in 35 patients, of whom 11 (31%) developed subIS. Patients with subIS were older in age (81 vs. 75; p < 0.05), had lower apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values on admission (0.52 vs. 0.62; p < 0.001), and higher modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores (4 vs. 2; p < 0.001) than those without subIS. In a multivariate analysis, subIS was independently associated with a worse functional outcome (odds ratio: 10.5, p = 0.02). The cut-off value of the ADCs was 0.52 with a sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 64%, respectively. Subinsular ischemic lesions contribute to poor functional independence in patients after the successful recanalization of left MCA occlusion. The attenuation of the ADC value in these territories could be a valuable predictor of the outcome.

BACKGROUND Clazosentan is an endothelin receptor antagonist approved in Japan for preventing cerebral vasospasm and vasospasm-associated cerebral ischemia and infarction. This study included elderly patients aged ≥75 years with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and aimed to evaluate the factors associated with discontinuing anti-vasospasm therapy with clazosentan. MATERIAL AND METHODS In this single-center retrospective observational study, we extracted diagnostic and therapeutic work-up data of consecutive 40 patients with SAH treated with clazosentan infusion (10 mg/h) as first-line anti-vasospasm therapy between May 2022 and August 2023. Patient data were compared between the discontinued and completed groups, and related factors for the discontinuation were further analyzed. RESULTS Clazosentan was discontinued in 22% (n=9) of patients due to intolerable dyspnea accompanied by hypoxemia at 5±3 days after therapy initiation, in which 44% (n=4) were elderly (≥75 years). Patients who discontinued clazosentan therapy showed significantly lower urine volumes compared with those who completed the therapy (P<0.05). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that day-to-day urine volume variance and older age were independent risk factors for drug cessation (P<0.05). The cut-off value for predicting clazosentan discontinuation was -0.7 mL/kg/h with sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 75% (area under the curve: 0.76±0.10; 95% confidence interval: 0.56-0.96; P=0.035). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that approximately 20% of SAH patients suffered from intolerable respiratory symptoms attributable to hypoxemia. We found that both reduced day-to-day urine volume variation and older age are independent risk factors for drug discontinuation.

Objective: Early intervention with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is expected to improve the functional outcome in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO); however, a method for the effective detection of these patients in a prehospital setting and early transport to MT-capable hospitals has not been established. This study aimed to analyze the clinical impact and diagnostic performance of the emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) screen and its influence on the transportation time., Methods: The emergency medical services (EMS) in one of the secondary medical areas in Akita, Japan, introduced a prehospital triage system employing an ELVO screen and a rotation system of three MT-capable hospitals on December 1, 2021. Patients who were transferred to each of the three hospitals involved in the rotation system according to a predefined priority list from December 2021 to November 2022 were included in the triage group. Patients who underwent MT in the three hospitals before the introduction of the triage system were assigned to the pre-triage group. We compared the transportation time parameters between the two groups and analyzed the performance of the ELVO screen for the diagnosis of LVOs. This study was approved by the institutional review boards of all three hospitals., Results: Time parameters were compared between the 37 and 42 patients who underwent MT and had detailed data in the triage (n = 351) and pre-triage (n = 43) groups, respectively. The time from door to puncture tended to decrease in the triage group in all hospitals, with one hospital showing a statistically significant shortening of 14 min (p = 0.018). In the triage group, 209 ELVO screen-positive patients were present, with 60 (28.7%) of these having LVO. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and area under the curve of the ELVO screen to detect LVO under the present triage system were 87.0%, 47.2%, 28.7%, 93.7%, and 0.671, respectively., Conclusion: The present study demonstrated that the introduction of a triage system may have shortened the time required for MT. ELVO screen may be considered a useful marker for screening LVO in prehospital settings in terms of the sensitivity and negative predictive value; however, further improvement may be necessary to reduce the rate of false positive results., (©2024 The Japanese Society for Neuroendovascular Therapy.)

Importance: Unruptured intracranial aneurysms not undergoing preventive endovascular or neurosurgical treatment are often monitored radiologically to detect aneurysm growth, which is associated with an increase in risk of rupture. However, the absolute risk of aneurysm rupture after detection of growth remains unclear., Objective: To determine the absolute risk of rupture of an aneurysm after detection of growth during follow-up and to develop a prediction model for rupture., Design, Setting, and Participants: Individual patient data were obtained from 15 international cohorts. Patients 18 years and older who had follow-up imaging for at least 1 untreated unruptured intracranial aneurysm with growth detected at follow-up imaging and with 1 day or longer of follow-up after growth were included. Fusiform or arteriovenous malformation-related aneurysms were excluded. Of the 5166 eligible patients who had follow-up imaging for intracranial aneurysms, 4827 were excluded because no aneurysm growth was detected, and 27 were excluded because they had less than 1 day follow-up after detection of growth., Exposures: All included aneurysms had growth, defined as 1 mm or greater increase in 1 direction at follow-up imaging., Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was aneurysm rupture. The absolute risk of rupture was measured with the Kaplan-Meier estimate at 3 time points (6 months, 1 year, and 2 years) after initial growth. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to identify predictors of rupture after growth detection., Results: A total of 312 patients were included (223 [71%] were women; mean [SD] age, 61 [12] years) with 329 aneurysms with growth. During 864 aneurysm-years of follow-up, 25 (7.6%) of these aneurysms ruptured. The absolute risk of rupture after growth was 2.9% (95% CI, 0.9-4.9) at 6 months, 4.3% (95% CI, 1.9-6.7) at 1 year, and 6.0% (95% CI, 2.9-9.1) at 2 years. In multivariable analyses, predictors of rupture were size (7 mm or larger hazard ratio, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.4-7.2), shape (irregular hazard ratio, 2.9; 95% CI, 1.3-6.5), and site (middle cerebral artery hazard ratio, 3.6; 95% CI, 0.8-16.3; anterior cerebral artery, posterior communicating artery, or posterior circulation hazard ratio, 2.8; 95% CI, 0.6-13.0). In the triple-S (size, site, shape) prediction model, the 1-year risk of rupture ranged from 2.1% to 10.6%., Conclusion and Relevance: Within 1 year after growth detection, rupture occurred in approximately 1 of 25 aneurysms. The triple-S risk prediction model can be used to estimate absolute risk of rupture for the initial period after detection of growth.

Background: Wall enhancement of intracranial saccular aneurysms in high-resolution magnetic resonance vessel wall imaging (MR-VWI) might indicate a ruptured aneurysm. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the diagnostic ability of wall enhancement to detect the ruptured aneurysms among multiple aneurysms., Methods: Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and multiple intracranial aneurysms who underwent MR-VWI before craniotomy and clipping were included in the study. Three-dimensional T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequences were obtained before and after gadolinium injection. Aneurysm rupture was estimated based on the subarachnoid clot distribution, aneurysmal contours, and MR-VWI findings. We selectively performed surgical clipping and confirmed the rupture site intraoperatively., Results: Thirteen patients with SAH with 13 ruptured and 17 unruptured aneurysms were treated at out facility. The accuracy rate of rupture site diagnosis using MR-VWI was 69.2% (9/13 cases). Each unruptured aneurysm was equally or more strongly enhanced in the other four cases than the ruptured aneurysms. In three of the four unruptured aneurysms with positive MR-VWI findings, atherosclerosis of the aneurysmal wall was observed during simultaneous or elective clipping surgery. Further, clipping surgery was performed without intraoperative rupture in two cases with the help of MR-VWI findings., Conclusion: Correct diagnosis of the rupture site using MR-VWI alone was unreliable due to false positives caused by the wall enhancement of unruptured aneurysms with atherosclerosis. Therefore, ruptured aneurysms should be detected using more information in addition to MR-VWI images. MR-VWI may be advantageous to determine surgical strategies when managing patients with SAH and multiple aneurysms., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2021 Surgical Neurology International.)

Background: Adequate bypass harvesting of the superficial temporal artery (STA) is a standard procedure for every neurosurgeon, so mastery of techniques for its management and care is mandatory., Methods: Here, we report the effectiveness of using the bipolar forceps as a novel procedure., Results: This procedure improves safety, efficiency, and bleeding compared to the usual dissection., Conclusions: In cases requiring an STA donor, this technique may be as useful as the traditional method and could become part of the neurosurgeon's armamentarium., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Neurovascular interventional radiology (neuro-IR) procedures tend to require an extended fluoroscopic exposure time and repeated digital subtraction angiography. To evaluate the actual measurement of eye lens dose using a direct eye dosemeter in neuro-IR physicians is important. Direct dosimetry using the DOSIRIS™ (IRSN, France) [3 mm dose equivalent, Hp(3)] was performed on 86 cases. Additionally, a neck personal dosemeter (glass badge) [0.07 mm dose equivalent, Hp(0.07)] was worn outside the protective apron to the left of the neck. The average doses per case of neuro-IR physicians were 0.04 mSv/case and 0.02 mSv/case, outside and inside the radiation protection glasses, respectively. The protective effect of radiation protection glasses was approximately 60%. The physician eye lens dose tended to be overestimated by the neck glass badge measurements. A correct evaluation of the lens dose [Hp(3)] using an eye dosemeter such as DOSIRIS™ is needed for neuro-IR physicians., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) were recently introduced for the clinical use in stroke prevention, and they are reported to show a lower risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) compared to warfarin. We were interested to know whether there is any change in clinical backgrounds of ICH patients to date., Methods: From 2010 to 2015, ICH patients admitted to our hospital were consecutively screened (n = 658). Hematoma size was assessed by brain computed tomography images on admission. Outcome was measured by the modified Rankin Scale, and favorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale 0-2. Biennial trends were compared in 3 periods, P1: 2010-2011, P2: 2012-2013, and P3: 2014-2015., Results: The percentage of ICH patients taking antithrombotics had been slightly decreasing (P = .245: [P1] 33.0%, [P2] 27.4%, and [P3] 26.2%). The frequency of patients taking antiplatelets had significantly decreased (P = .001: [P1] 50.7%, [P2] 44.3%, and [P3] 22.8%), and those taking DOACs had significantly increased (P = .001: [P1] 1.4%, [P2] 4.9%, and [P3] 19.3%). Frequency of favorable outcomes in patients taking antithrombotics was slightly increased in P3 compared to P1 and P2 (23.3%, 21.1%, and 21.3%, respectively). There was no significant difference in hematoma size between patients taking warfarin and DOACs., Conclusions: Number of ICH patients taking antithrombotics has been slightly decreasing and the percentage taking DOACs among ICH has been increasing for 6 years., (Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Background: Since non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) were released for clinical use, many studies have investigated its effectiveness in stroke prevention. In this study, to determine whether or not there is a difference in outcome in secondary stroke prevention between warfarin and NOACs, patients with embolic stroke with newly prescribed anticoagulants were prospectively analyzed., Methods: Patients with acute ischemic stroke, who newly started anticoagulant therapy, were consecutively asked to participate in this study. Enrolled patients (76.3 ± 11.0 years old) were classified into warfarin (n = 48), dabigatran (n = 73), rivaroxaban (n = 49), and apixaban (n = 65). The outcome in 1 year was prospectively investigated at outpatient clinic or telephone interview. Recurrence of stroke and death was considered as the critical incidence., Results: The prevalence of risk factors was not different among all medicines. Patients with dabigatran showed significantly younger onset age (P < .001: 72.2 years old) and milder neurologic deficits than patients on other medicines (P < .001). Cumulative incident rates were 7.1%, 15.3%, 19.0%, and 29.7% for dabigatran, apixaban, rivaroxaban, and warfarin, respectively. Dabigatran showed relatively better outcome compared with warfarin (P = .069) and rivaroxaban (P = .055). All patients on NOACs presented lower cumulative stroke recurrence compared with warfarin., Conclusion: Even in the situation of secondary stroke prevention, noninferiority of NOACs to warfarin might be demonstrated., (Copyright © 2018 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms are among the most common aneurysms. Because blockage of the PCoA and perforators can cause adverse outcomes, occlusion of these arteries by surgical clipping should be avoided. The impact of factors on PCoA perforator infarction when using a distal transsylvian approach for PCoA aneurysms was examined., Methods: A total of 183 patients underwent PCoA aneurysm clipping, excluding application of fenestrated clips. Patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with PCoA perforator infarction (infarction group) and patients without infarction (noninfarction group). Multiple factors were analyzed in the 2 groups., Results: Twenty-two of the 183 patients (12.0%) showed perforator infarction, mainly on magnetic resonance imaging evaluation, resulting in permanent deficits in 2 patients (1.1%). The proportion of right-sided operations (86.4% vs. 53.4%; P = 0.005) and surgery for rupture (90.9% vs. 55.9%; P = 0.002) were significantly higher in the infarction group than in the noninfarction group. Aneurysms were significantly larger in the infarction group (8.4 ± 3.8 mm) than in the noninfarction group (6.3 ± 3.0 mm; P = 0.02). Ruptured status (odds ratio [OR], 7.35; P = 0.01), right side (OR, 5.19; P = 0.01), and aneurysm size (OR, 1.18; P = 0.02) remained independent predictors of perforator infarction on multivariate logistic regression analysis., Conclusions: Ruptured status, right side, and large PCoA aneurysm were independent predictors of PCoA perforator infarction. Symptoms due to PCoA perforating infarction were mostly transient and rarely affected outcomes., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This pilot study aimed to investigate the utility of near-infrared spectroscopy/indocyanine green (NIRS/ICG) for examining patients with occlusive cerebrovascular disease. Twenty-nine patients with chronic-stage atherosclerotic occlusive cerebrovascular disease were included. The patients were monitored using NIRS at the bedside. Using ICG time-intensity curves, the affected-to-unaffected side ratios were calculated for several parameters, including the maximum ICG concentration (ΔICGmax), time to peak (TTP), rise time (RT), and blood flow index (BFI = ΔICGmax/RT), and were compared to the affected-to-unaffected side ratios of the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and regional oxygen extraction fraction (rOEF) obtained using positron emission tomography with 15 O-labeled gas. The BFI ratio showed the best correlation with the rCBF ratio among these parameters (r = 0.618; P = 0.0004), and the RT ratio showed the best correlation with the rOEF ratio (r = 0.593; P = 0.0007). The patients were further divided into reduced rCBF or elevated rOEF groups, and the analysis revealed significant related differences. The present results advance the measurement of ICG kinetics using NIRS as a useful tool for the detection of severely impaired perfusion with reduced rCBF or elevated rOEF. This method may be applicable as a monitoring tool for patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Recently, non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants such as direct thrombin and direct factor Xa inhibitors have been prescribed for prevention of embolic stroke. While in Japan, argatroban, also a direct thrombin inhibitor, is available for the treatment of atherothrombotic stroke patients. This study aimed to explore whether there is any differences between direct thrombin and direct factor Xa inhibitors regarding the inhibiting effect against thrombogenesis in the clinical setting of acute ischemic stroke., Methods: Acute ischemic stroke patients newly prescribed anti-thrombotic agents were consecutively screened, and 44 patients with single medicine were enrolled (median 72.0 years-old). Blood samples were obtained at 1 and 2 weeks after the medication started. The extent of anticoagulation activity, inflammatory markers and platelet aggregation were assessed. Patients with antiplatelets were used as control., Results: Prescribed antithrombotics were dabigatran (group D: n = 12), apixaban (group A: n = 14) and antiplatelet agents (group P: n = 18). Prevalence of stroke risks and anticoagulation activity were not different between groups D and A. The alteration of inflammatory markers in a week in the group A showed similar trend to those in the group P. The group D presented relatively lower amount of high-sensitive C-reactive protein and higher amount of pentraxin-3 compared with groups A and P. While 88.9% of group P patients showed decreased platelet aggregation activity with adenosine diphosphate, 55.6% of group D and 40.0% of group A presented the inhibition of platelet aggregation activity., Conclusions: Even in acute ischemic stroke patients, both apixaban and dabigatran equally showed the anticoagulation activity. The reduction of inflammatory response might be prominent in apixaban, whereas the inhibition of platelet aggregation activity might be evident in dabigatran.

Background: Recurrent aneurysms after initial clipping have been discussed as an important issue in the surgical management of aneurysm., Objective: To report our experience with recurrent cerebral aneurysms after neck clipping and to discuss classification and recommended management., Methods: Aneurysm treatments from a single institution over a 20-year period were retrospectively reviewed. Twenty-three recurrent aneurysms in 23 patients were managed during the study period. Recurrent aneurysms were classified using the concepts of closure line and closure plane, as follows. Type 1: neck situated in an almost different site from the previous clip. Type 2: existing closure plane and reconstructive closure plane are almost the same. Type 3: existing closure plane and reconstructive closure plane cross (type 3a); in rare cases, the existing closure line is sufficiently distant from the neck (type 3b). Type 4: no reconstructive closure line is identifiable., Results: Nine patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage at recurrence. The mean interval to recurrence was 15.0 years. Management comprised clipping with elective subsequent old-clip removal (n = 7), clipping with preceding old-clip removal (n = 2), bypass occlusion (n = 1), coating (n = 1), combined surgery (n = 1), endovascular surgery (n = 4), and observation (n = 3). Therapeutic intervention was not indicated in 4 patients. Types 3a and 4 required more complex surgical procedures or coil embolization. Procedural complications were observed in 2 patients., Conclusion: A small but definite propensity toward recurrence after neck clipping exists, and most recurrent aneurysms require some form of retreatment. The novel classification scheme may provide conceptual clarity and therapeutic guidance for decision making., (© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2017.)

Background: Temporary vessel occlusion of the parent artery is an essential technique for aneurysm surgery. Our aim was to clarify the safe time for temporary occlusion for aneurysm surgery, that is the "safe time duration" ( STD ), in which brain tissue exposed to ischemia will almost never fall into even the ischemic penumbra during temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), and even transient postoperative motor impairment will be rare using intraoperative motor-evoked potentials (MEP)., Methods: Twenty-four patients underwent MCA aneurysm clipping surgery with MEP monitoring for 13 ruptured aneurysms and 11 unruptured aneurysms. The duration of vessel occlusion in patients without MEP changes was measured as the STD . Average STD was calculated as 95% confidence interval for the population mean using sample data from patients with MEP changes and patients without changes., Results: All 24 patients received proximal flow control only. Five patients (20.8%) developed significant intraoperative MEP changes. Time to MEP change (i.e., STD ) in these patients was 4.6 ± 2.1 min. In patients without MEP changes, STD was 2.7 ± 1.4 min. Average STD was thus 3.1 ± 0.7 min., Conclusions: The 95% lower confidence limit for average STD was 2.4 min when applying temporary occlusion on the proximal side of the MCA. This STD resembled that previously reported for temporary proximal occlusion of the internal carotid artery., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest

Objective: To develop a risk score that estimates 3-year and 5-year absolute risks for aneurysm growth., Methods: From 10 cohorts of patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms and follow-up imaging, we pooled individual data on sex, population, age, hypertension, history of subarachnoid hemorrhage, and aneurysm location, size, aspect ratio, and shape but not on smoking during follow-up and family history of intracranial aneurysms in 1,507 patients with 1,909 unruptured intracranial aneurysms and used aneurysm growth as outcome. With aneurysm-based multivariable Cox regression analysis, we determined predictors for aneurysm growth, which were presented as a risk score to calculate 3-year and 5-year risks for aneurysm growth by risk factor status., Results: Aneurysm growth occurred in 257 patients (17%) and 267 aneurysms (14%) during 5,782 patient-years of follow-up. Predictors for aneurysm growth were earlier subarachnoid hemorrhage, location of the aneurysm, age >60 years, population, size of the aneurysm, and shape of the aneurysm (ELAPSS). The 3-year growth risk ranged from <5% to >42% and the 5-year growth risk from <9% to >60%, depending on the risk factor status., Conclusions: The ELAPSS score consists of 6 easily retrievable predictors and can help physicians in decision making on the need for and timing of follow-up imaging in patients with unruptured intracranial aneurysms., (© 2017 American Academy of Neurology.)

Background: Some patients require a second surgical intervention for recurrence of treated aneurysms, untreated aneurysms in patients with multiple lesions, or de novo aneurysm. This retrospective review of the data was undertaken to evaluate when retreatment is necessary after initial aneurysm treatment., Methods: Cerebral aneurysms in 1755 patients were treated via clipping or coiling between January 1995 and September 2012. Postoperative follow-up was performed at 6 months after treatment and was repeated every 12 months (or longer) after treatment using three-dimensional computed tomography angiography or magnetic resonance angiography., Results: A cumulative total of 156 patients (8.9%) (117 women, 39 men; mean age: 55.0 years; range: 25-79 years) needed retreatment for rupture or regrowth of aneurysm (n = 31; ruptured (R)/remaining unruptured (U), 26/5), formation of de novo aneurysm (n = 45; R/U, 23/22), known untreated aneurysm in patients with multiple lesions (n = 78; R/U, 5/73), and hemorrhage from undetected aneurysm (n = 2). The regrowth risk is higher after endovascular treatment than after craniotomy and clipping. Median time to retreatment was 187 months (range: 11-280 months) for regrowth, 165 months (range: 22-330 months) for de novo, and 24 months (range: 2.8-417 months) for known untreated aneurysm. Regrowth or known with subarachnoid hemorrhage were frequently treated within 2 years from initial treatment., Conclusions: Aneurysms with residua or untreated aneurysms in patients with multiple lesions carry a risk of bleeding during a relatively short period, whereas there is a small but significant risk of de novo formation and subsequent hemorrhage at over 10 years after previous treatment.

Background: Intraoperative qualitative indocyanine green (ICG) angiography has been used in cerebrovascular surgery. Hyperperfusion may lead to neurological complications after superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA) anastomosis. The purpose of this study is to quantitatively evaluate intraoperative cerebral perfusion using microscope-integrated dynamic ICG fluorescence analysis, and to assess whether this value predicts hyperperfusion syndrome (HPS) after STA-MCA anastomosis., Methods: Ten patients undergoing STA-MCA anastomosis due to unilateral major cerebral artery occlusive disease were included. Ten patients with normal cerebral perfusion served as controls. The ICG transit curve from six regions of interest (ROIs) on the cortex, corresponding to ROIs on positron emission tomography (PET) study, was recorded. Maximum intensity (IMAX), cerebral blood flow index (CBFi), rise time (RT), and time to peak (TTP) were evaluated., Results: RT/TTP, but not IMAX or CBFi, could differentiate between control and study subjects. RT/TTP correlated (|r| = 0.534-0.807; P < 0.01) with mean transit time (MTT)/MTT ratio in the ipsilateral to contralateral hemisphere by PET study. Bland-Altman analysis showed a wide limit of agreement between RT and MTT and between TTP and MTT. The ratio of RT before and after bypass procedures was significantly lower in patients with postoperative HPS than in patients without postoperative HPS (0.60 ± 0.032 and 0.80 ± 0.056, respectively; P = 0.017). The ratio of TTP was also significantly lower in patients with postoperative HPS than in patients without postoperative HPS (0.64 ± 0.081 and 0.85 ± 0.095, respectively; P = 0.017)., Conclusions: Time-dependent intraoperative parameters from the ICG transit curve provide quantitative information regarding cerebral circulation time with quality and utility comparable to information obtained by PET. These parameters may help predict the occurrence of postoperative HPS.

Objective: Aging is considered to cause atherosclerotic changes in the carotid artery, but few studies have evaluated this relationship. In this study, we used carotid plaques removed from patients with carotid artery stenosis and investigated how aging contributes to carotid plaque morphology and symptoms., Materials and Methods: A total of 60 patients(55 men, 5 women; mean age, 70.5 years; range, 53-85 years) treated at our hospital between January 2009 and April 2012 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent carotid endarterectomy; their carotid plaques were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and/or Elastica-Masson stain and examined by a pathologist. Using these data, the carotid systolic velocity and plaque morphology were analyzed considering the age by decade as well as the symptomatology., Results: Of the 60 patients, 29 were symptomatic(transient ischemic attack (TIA) in 8 patients; infarction in 20;and amaurosis in 1). Symptoms were less common as patient age increased. The incidence of TIA also tended to decrease with an increase in age, although the opposite trend was seen with infarction. In plaque morphology, the presence of active plaque, macrophage, inflammatory infiltration, and capillary angiogenesis decreased as age increased, while the presence of degenerative plaques, decrease in smooth muscle cell number, and calcification inversely increased. Active, degenerative, and combined (active/degenerative) lesions are statistically unrelated to symptoms as well as systolic velocity (cm/sec) at the carotid stenosis. The rates of hemorrhagic lesions were similar among decades, but the lesion statistically contributed to increasing symptoms (p=0.0045) and increasing systolic velocity (p=0.031)., Conclusion: Increasing age contributes to morphological changes in carotid plaques and symptoms. When hemorrhagic lesions are suspected in carotid plaques, patients will be symptomatic and may require surgery.

Background: The study aims were to clarify safe duration for temporary vessel occlusion of the internal carotid artery (ICA) during aneurysm surgery as exactly as possible. We examined safe time duration (STD), where brain tissue exposed to ischemia will never fall into even the ischemic penumbra using intraoperative motor-evoked potential (MEP)., Methods: In 45 patients, temporary occlusion of the ICA was performed with MEP. We measured STD as the duration of temporary vessel occlusion during which MEP changes did not occur. To estimate average STD, we calculated the 95% confidence interval for the population mean from sample data for STD in patients with MEP changes and in patients without changes., Results: In the proximal-control group, 4 of 38 patients (10.5%) developed intraoperative MEP changes. In 4 patients, the time to MEP change (i.e. STD) was 6.0 ± 2.5 min. STD was 3.8 ± 1.6 min in the 34 patients without changes. The average STD was 4.0 ± 0.6 min. In the trap group (proximal and distal flow control), five of seven patients (60.0%) experienced intraoperative MEP changes (STD, 2.3 ± 1.0 min). All patients in the trap group who developed MEP changes showed involvement of the anterior choroidal artery (AchA) in the trapped segment. Average STD was 2.3 ± 1.1 min when trapping involving the AchA., Conclusions: Although the study is preliminary based on the limited number of the patients, the 95% upper confidence limit for average STD was 4.6 min when the ICA was occluded proximal to the aneurysm, 3.4 min when the ICA was trapped involving the AchA.

Distal anterior inferior cerebellar artery(AICA)aneurysms are rare, so its pathogenesis and treatment remain controversial. Here, we report the unique pathogenesis of a ruptured aneurysm in this area that was based on anomalous components as well as partial dissection of the arterial wall. A 61-year-old woman presented to our hospital with sudden headache and nausea. On admission, neurological examination revealed slight consciousness disturbance. Computed tomography(CT)of the head showed a clotted subarachnoid hemorrhage(SAH)that was dominant in the right cerebellopontine and prepontine cistern. Three-dimensional CT angiography detected an irregular fusiform aneurysm 4.5×3.2mm in size in the distal portion of the AICA. The patient underwent trapping without distal vascular reconstruction by the lateral suboccipital approach. After surgery, she experienced right hearing disturbance and ipsilateral facial palsy that were considered to be caused by vasogenic edema at the cerebellar peduncle that resulted from the initial SAH damage. Pathology revealed an aneurysmal wall with anomalous components and arterial dissection in the arterial wall. To our knowledge, only one article has reported the histological findings of a distal AICA aneurysm. Based on the pathology of this case, these findings may suggest a useful treatment strategy for this rare aneurysm.

Background and Importance: The falcine sinus is an embryonic vessel that connects the superior and inferior sagittal sinuses and mostly closes after birth. Although some cases of persistent falcine sinus have been reported, dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) associated with the falcine sinus has not previously been reported., Clinical Presentation: A 60-year-old man presented with asymptomatic dAVFs on digital subtraction angiography. The dAVFs were fed mainly by the cortical branch of the left anterior cerebral artery and drained into the falcine sinus. Intraoperatively, all veins draining in a retrograde manner into cortical veins were obstructed. However, cortical venous reflux did not disappear before removal of the falx cerebri, including the falcine sinus and inferior sagittal sinus. In this case, we considered falcine sinus dAVF as equivalent to olfactory groove dAVF because the medial olfactory artery, in its role as a common feeding artery in olfactory groove dAVF, is a rudiment of the anterior cerebral artery as the main feeding artery in this case. Intraoperative findings and the surgical specimen revealed a small vessel network in the falx cerebri communicating with the falcine and inferior sagittal sinuses, which was considered to represent a falcine venous plexus, not a vessel anomaly., Conclusion: Extensive removal of the falx cerebri including the falcine sinus or complete endovascular obliteration of the whole falcine sinus as early as possible represents an important strategy in the surgical treatment of falcine sinus dAVF.

A frontotemporal craniotomy is usually performed using a "keyhole," made at the union of the zygomatic arch and frontal bone. Consequently, skull depression may occur postoperatively, leading to temporal area deformities and poor cosmetic results. To prevent these complications, we describe our technique for frontotemporal craniotomy using an osteotome to prevent cosmetic deformities. After the temporal muscle is dissected and reflected with the scalp flap, a total of 3 burr holes are made in the frontal and temporal bones. In the lateral greater wing of the sphenoid, where a keyhole is usually made, a bone incision is made anteriorly-posteriorly with an osteotome. The bone flap is lifted upward, and the osteotome is inserted from behind to continue the incision. At craniotomy closure, the bone flap is fixed using a cranial bone flap fixation clamp. This procedure involves almost no removal of frontal or inferior temporal bone, resulting in virtually no bone defect. The absence of skull depression or deformity in the temples postoperatively leads to excellent cosmetic results. Our technique for frontotemporal craniotomy using an osteotome does not create bone defects, and use of titanium clamps for bone flap fixation provides normal skull bone alignment. This procedure provides excellent postoperative cosmetic results.

We report a rare case of non-Hodgkin lymphoma with mass lesions of skull vault and ileocecum. The patient was an 82-year-old Japanese woman who exhibited a painless subcutaneous scalp tumor in the right parietal region associated with no neurological abnormalities. Magnetic resonance imaging of the head demonstrated a mass in the skull vault with iso- to hypointense signals on both T1- and T2-weighted imaging. Biopsy of the mass revealed that the tumor comprised large cells that were immunoreactive for CD20 (L-26) and CD79a. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) was therefore diagnosed. Further investigation could not identify any other evidence of systemic lymphoma other than ileocecal lesions. She was treated by irradiation (45 Gy) of the mass on the parietal bone and with rituximab, pirarubicin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine. The patient achieved complete remission after 3 cycles of systemic chemotherapy. As of 30 months after presentation, no signs of lymphoma have been found.

The supreme anterior communicating artery (SAcom) is a very rare anomaly that appears as a communicating artery between the anterior cerebral arteries (ACAs). This anomaly was first reported by Laitinen and Snellman in 1960. They described the SAcom as a connection between both pericallosal bifurcations. They also suggest that the SAcom may be an embryological remnant and a cause of aneurysm formation. A distal ACA aneurysm can be associated with the SAcom. In this case report, we describe a ruptured fusiform aneurysm originating from the SAcom. We treated the patient by trapping the SAcom along with the aneurysm. This is the first case report regarding a ruptured fusiform aneurysm originating from the SAcom itself.

Background and Importance: We report a rare case of pathologically confirmed cryptic vascular malformation as a cause of primary convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) of unknown etiology., Clinical Presentation: A 48-year-old woman presented with sudden severe headache. Localized right convexity SAH was observed on computed tomography (CT) scan, but the origin could not be detected despite extensive workup covering the entire head by using 3.0-Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with MR angiography and CT angiography combined with venous-phase imaging with a 320-detector row CT scanner. Subsequent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) performed 2.5 hours after admission failed to reveal any cause of SAH; however, a right frontoparietal avascular region was suspected to be due to a newly developed intracerebral hematoma. The lesion was simultaneously confirmed by angiographic cone-beam CT imaging. Because she remained neurologically intact, we decided to perform a follow-up study later with medical management. However, she developed left hemiparesis 3 hours after DSA. CT scan demonstrated progression of the hematoma, and her symptoms gradually worsened. Emergent surgical exploration along the SAH superficial to the postcentral sulcus and hematoma evacuation were performed, with favorable functional outcome. Pathological examination confirmed cryptic vascular malformation with several abnormally dilated arterioles within the subarachnoid space surrounded by a thick SAH clot., Conclusion: It is important to consider the possibility of ruptured cryptic vascular malformation as a cause of nontraumatic nonaneurysmal convexity SAH when recurrent hemorrhage occurs despite thorough diagnostic workup, because surgical resection may be the only curative treatment option to eliminate the risk of rebleeding and disabling symptoms.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage is a usual complication after supratentorial craniotomy. Especially, only several cases have been reported regarding the occurrence of remote cerebellar hemorrhage after burr hole drainage for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). In this paper, we present an elder patient with this rare postoperative complication. A 73-year-old man presented with dysarthria and right hemiparesis. Computed tomography (CT) demonstrated a left chronic subdural hematoma. Hematoma drainage through a single burr hole was perfomed. About 3 hours after the surgery, the patient became restless and presented nausea and dizziness with a relatively large amount of drainage of hematoma. CT revealed resolution of the subdural hematoma and bilateral cerebellar hemorrhage appearing as "zebra sign". Magnetic resonance angiography and 3D-CT angiography showed the normal structure of posterior circulation in both the arterial and venous phases. The remote cerebellar hemorrhage was suspected to have happened as a result of overdrainage of hematoma. Finally, he was discharged without any neurological deficits. Although remote cerebellar hemorrhage after drainage through a burr hole for the treatment of chronic subdural hematoma is a rare complication, it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of such a complication after supratentorial surgery.

We studied the incidence of postoperative infection related to CSF leakage and anosmia in basal interhemispheric approach (BIH). Between April, 1990 to March, 2009, 142 cases of anterior communicating (Acom) aneurysm including both unruptured and ruptured have been treated by clipping surgery using BIH. We retrospectively obtained clinical informations from medical records and video records about infectious complications, CSF leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), olfactory dysfunction and intraoperative findings of damage to the olfactory nerve. In most cases (139 patients, 97%), frontal sinus were opened at craniotomy. Of all, CSF rinorrhea occurred in 4 cases (2.8%), and meningitis in 6 cases. There was only one patient who sufferd from meningitis due to CSF rinorrhea. All that patients recovered completely without deficit. Anosmia occurred in 6 cases (4.2%), and intraoperative injuries in 4 cases (2.8%). There was only one patient in whom anosmia was consistent with nerve injury. In conclusion, BIH is an appropriate procedure for infection risk control in Acom aneurysm surgery. It is difficult to avoid olfactory dysfunction completely, even if olfactory nerves are preserved in form.

We successfully performed endovascular coil embolization for 2 patients with unruptured saccular aneurysms. However, transient cortical blindness and generalized seizure associated with CNS neurotoxity of contrast medium were noted for each patient after the procedure. In the first case of a 62-year-old woman with a right BA-SCA aneurysm, she complained of blindness with restlessness one day after the intervention but no evidence of embolism on MRA. Abnormal EEG with slow, large amplitudes and 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT-evidenced hyperperfusion were observed in the occipital area. Accompanied by resolution of the edematous changes on MRI in conjunction with normalization of EEG and rCBF by anticonvulsant administration, her visual acuity completely recovered 8 days after the onset. According to these findings, we considered this case as transient cortical blindness. In the second case of a 68-year-old man with a left MCA aneurysm, he exhibited generalized seizure 8 hours after the procedure. CT scan revealed retention of the contrast medium over the left hemisphere. Postictal EEG one day after the seizure showed left frontal slowing but had no evidence of contrast medium retention or hyperperfusion. He recovered well with corticosteroid, anticonvulsant, and intravenous hydration. His follow-up DSA 2 years after the coiling was performed without trouble by reducing the amount/concentration of the contrast medium and by prophylactic steroid and hydration. Non-ionic contrast medium-related neurotoxity as represented by transient cortical blindness or generalized seizure should be recognized as a possible complication of endovascular surgery where patients' brain areas are locally vulnerable to contrast medium exposure.

The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of early surgical evacuation of sylvian hematoma caused by ruptured middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm on clinical outcome after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Hospital records and computed tomography scans for 26 patients with MCA aneurysm who underwent surgical clipping between June 2001 and January 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients presented with sylvian hematoma associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage and received surgery at 7.9 +/- 3.6 (mean +/- standard deviation) hours of ictus. They were divided postoperatively into two groups, achievement (n = 16) and non-achievement (n = 10) of extensive hematoma evacuation, and their clinical course and functional outcomes were compared. The frequencies of delayed ischemic neurological deficit and vasospasm-related cerebral infarction were significantly less (p < 0.05) in the achievement group. Better functional outcomes were obtained in patients with successful evacuation (p < 0.05), as assessed by improvement of hemiparesis on manual muscle testing scale at postoperative 1-month follow up and by the modified Rankin scale at postoperative 3 and 6 months. Clinical outcomes were also better in the achievement group. These results suggest that better clinical course and outcome can be expected in patients who undergo early successful hematoma evacuation with surgical clipping of a ruptured MCA aneurysm.