Endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intracranial aneurysms are common, with an overall frequency ranging from 0.8% to 10%. Because prognosis after subarachnoid hemorrhage is still very poor, treatment of unruptured aneurysms, either neurosurgically or endovascularly, has been advocated. However, risk of rupture and subsequent subarachnoid hemorrhage needs to be considered against the risks of elective treatment. We analyzed the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of endovascular treatment of a consecutive series of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. METHODS: From July 1997 through December 2000, a total of 76 patients with 82 unruptured cerebral aneurysms were treated at our institution. Endovascular treatment was administered to 39 consecutive patients with a total of 42 unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Thirty-six aneurysms were treated with an endovascular technique; in six patients, the parent artery was occluded to eliminate aneurysmal perfusion. Aneurysms were located either in the anterior (n = 31) or posterior (n = 11) circulation. Eight patients had experienced previous subarachnoid hemorrhage from other aneurysms and were treated electively after complete rehabilitation. Ten patients had neurologic symptoms; in 21 patients, the aneurysm was an incidental finding. Eighteen aneurysms were small (0-5 mm), 11 were medium (6-10 mm), nine were large (11-25 mm), and four were giant (> 25 mm). Occlusion rate was categorized as complete (100%), subtotal (95-99%), and incomplete (< 95%) obliteration. RESULTS: Endovascular treatment was technically feasible for 38 of 42 aneurysms. Complete (100%) or nearly complete (95-99%) occlusion was achieved in 34 of 38 aneurysms. In four aneurysms of the internal carotid artery, only incomplete (< 95%) occlusion was achieved. All patients except one with mild neurologic deficits according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale and one with mild memory dysfunction but no focal neurologic deficit achieved good recovery, resulting in a morbidity rate of 4.8% and a mortality rate of 0%. CONCLUSION: Endovascular embolization of unruptured cerebral aneurysms is an effective therapeutic alternative to neurosurgical clipping and is associated with low morbidity and mortality rates. For the management of unruptured aneurysms, endovascular treatment should be considered.     

Endovascular treatment of bacterial intracranial aneurysms

We report three patients with bacterial intracranial aneurysms treated by the endovascular approach: two presented with sudden severe neurological deficits after a diagnosis of endocarditis; the other had suspected vasculitis. CT showed an intracerebral haematoma in all cases: angiography revealed bacterial aneurysms of distal branches of the middle cerebral artery in two cases and posterior cerebral artery in one. Because of the patients' condition and the location of the aneurysms, endovascular treatment was considered the fastest and safest treatment. Hyperselective catheterisation of the parent branch, close to the aneurysm, was performed with a microcatheter. A small amount of glue was injected to occlude both the aneurysm and a short segment of the diseased vessel. Follow-up angiography revealed occlusion of the aneurysm in all cases. One patient recovered completely; one recovered over some months, with neurological deficit due to the haematoma. The third patient suddenly worsened and died 9 days after treatment for a contralateral haematoma, due to rupture of a new bacterial aneurysm of the middle cerebral artery. Endovascular occlusion of the aneurysm and parent vessel may be an alternative to surgery in selected, severe cases of deep or distal bacterial intracranial aneurysms.     

Endovascular treatment for pediatric intracranial aneurysms

Introduction  

The purpose of this study is to report the characteristics and outcomes of pediatric patients with intracranial aneurysms.     

颅内破裂囊状动脉瘤的血管内治疗

目的 探讨颅内破裂囊状动脉瘤的血管内治疗的价值和技术.方法 回顾性分析上海市静安区中心医院和上海华山医院2004年7月-2008年5月.因自发性颅内出血患者就诊,经全脑DSA检查,确诊颅内囊状动脉瘤138例患者,共149枚动脉瘤.(剔除<2mm的微小动脉瘤患者);并行血管内栓塞治疗.结果 本组128枚(86%)囊性动脉瘤完全栓塞;12枚(8%)95%栓塞;9枚(6%)栓塞小于95%,其中4个为宽颈动脉瘤,5个为宽颈大动脉瘤.138例患者中93例(67.4%)患者进行了全脑血管造影随访,DSA随访从6～36个月,平均16.8个月.其中4例(4.3%)复发,但均无再次破裂出血发生.结论 颅内囊性动脉瘤血管内治疗并中期随访提示颅内破裂囊性动脉瘤介入治疗是一种安全、有效的治疗方法;破裂囊性动脉瘤栓塞的重点是栓塞瘤颈和载瘤动脉相邻的真性动脉瘤,远端如形成动脉瘤囊泡或假囊,栓塞时无需栓塞或致密栓塞.长期效果有待进一步随访.     

颅内动脉瘤破裂急性期血管内栓塞治疗

闭塞颅内动脉瘤的方式主要有开颅动脉瘤夹闭和血管内栓塞治疗,随着血管内介入技术的提高和栓塞材料及设备的改进,颅内动脉瘤的介入治疗所占比例有增多的趋势。以下通过回顾性分析比较栓塞和手术夹闭治疗颅内动脉瘤的临床效果,评价栓塞治疗在颅内动脉瘤破裂急性期治疗中的应用。     

电解可脱性铂弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内动脉瘤

目的:探讨电解可脱性铂弹簧圈（GDC）栓塞治疗颅内动脉瘤应用效果。方法:在局麻或神经安定镇痛麻和肝素抗凝下,使用Seldingers技术,经Tracker微导管放置GDC栓塞颅内动脉瘤。结果:成功栓塞18例患者的20个颅内动脉瘤,其中18个为100％栓塞,1个为95％,另1个为90％ 95％栓塞者为宽颈动脉瘤。而90％栓塞者为 Hunt分级Ⅳ级,存在严重脑血管痉挛,经解痉治疗效果不好,而放弃继续栓塞。无并发症及死亡。结论:GDC是栓塞颅内动脉瘤较理想材料,具有安全可靠,效果确切,适合颅内动脉瘤的治疗,尤其适合栓塞危险性较大的动脉瘤。     

Endovascular treatment of peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms are rare and difficult to treat surgically. We report the angiographic results and the clinical outcomes for eight patients treated by embolization for peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms. METHODS: Between 1994 and 2001, eight patients with peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms were referred from the neurosurgery department for endovascular treatment. The patients consisted of four women and four men with a mean age of 43 years (range, 16-68 years). Seven patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. In one patient, the aneurysm was incidental. In five cases, selective embolization of the aneurysmal sac was performed using GDCs. Two large peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms and one small aneurysm with a wide neck were treated by parent vessel occlusion. Mean clinical and imaging follow-up duration was 18.5 months (range, 12-36 months). RESULTS: Endovascular treatment resulted in five complete occlusions, two neck remnants, and one residual aneurysmal flow. Clinical evaluation showed that good or excellent recovery was achieved by all patients. Imaging follow-up revealed seven complete occlusions and one residual aneurysmal flow. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the endovascular approach to treat peripheral cerebellar artery aneurysms by selective embolization or parent vessel occlusion was feasible, safe, and effective. Imaging follow-up showed excellent anatomic results in accordance with clinical recovery.     

烟雾病合并颅内血流相关性动脉瘤的血管内治疗

目的探讨烟雾病合并颅内血流相关性动脉瘤的血管内治疗。方法 2010年1月—2012年3月收治8例烟雾病合并颅内动脉瘤患者,经CT检查证实6例为蛛网膜下腔出血,1例为脑室内出血,1例为缺血症状。对患者行血管内栓塞治疗,其中采用单纯弹簧圈栓塞5例,支架辅助栓塞1例(基底动脉顶宽颈动脉瘤),氰基丙烯酸正丁酯液态胶栓塞1例,1例失败。结果 7个动脉瘤位于Willis环周围,1个动脉瘤位于胼周动脉远段分支动脉。8例中,7例经血管内栓塞治疗成功,动脉瘤栓塞术后5 min复查造影,完全栓塞4例,几乎完全栓塞2例,不完全栓塞1例,术后随访结果良好。结论血管腔内栓塞治疗烟雾病合并颅内动脉瘤安全、有效,对外周动脉型动脉瘤也可予栓塞治疗。     

血管内支架治疗颅内动脉瘤

目的：探索使用血管内支架及血管内支架结合电解可脱卸弹簧圈（Guglielmi detachable coil,GDC)治疗颅内梭形及宽颈动脉瘤的可能性。方法：3例椎动脉颅内段梭形动脉瘤及6例宽颈动脉瘤,首先将冠脉支架跨动脉瘤颈放置,通过支架的网孔将微导管送入动脉瘤腔,填入GDC。结果：7例动脉瘤致密堵塞,2例大部堵塞,载瘤动脉通畅,临床效果优良。结论：联合使用支架及微弹簧圈是治疗颅内梭形及宽颈动脉瘤可选择的有效方法之一。     

液态栓塞剂在颅内动脉瘤治疗中的应用

目的　报道采用液态栓塞材料 (Onyx)栓塞治疗颅内动脉瘤的经验。方法　 1例颈内动脉 后交通动脉瘤采用单纯的Onyx栓塞技术 ;另 1例基底动脉多发动脉瘤则应用液态栓塞材料结合血管内支架及弹簧圈栓塞治疗。结果　 2例患者动脉瘤均得到致密栓塞 ,载瘤动脉通畅 ,无手术相关并发症。临床随访 3个月 ,患者均恢复良好。 1例血管造影检查提示动脉瘤栓塞稳定 ,造影剂与栓塞材料分离。结论　短期疗效显示液态栓塞剂治疗颅内动脉瘤是安全有效的 ,但需要进一步积累经验。     

电解可脱式微弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内动脉瘤

目的：探讨电解可脱式微弹簧圈(GDC)栓塞治疗颅内动脉瘤的方法。方法：采用美国波士顿公司GDC栓塞治疗17例患者18个颅内动脉瘤，其中15例蛛网膜下腔出血患者，术前Hunt和Hess分级：I、Ⅱ级l0例；Ⅲ级3例；Ⅳ级2例。结果：13例痊愈，3例轻度短期神经功能障碍，1例死亡。结论：GDC栓塞是治疗颅内动脉瘤较为理想的方法之一。     

Endovascular treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms in elderly people

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endovascular detachable coil is being increasingly used for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms but little information is available about its feasibility and effectiveness in people. We assessed clinical outcomes in elderly patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms treated with selective embolization. METHODS: Between 1996 and 2002, 68 patients aged 65-80 years (mean age, 71 years) were treated by selective embolization with coils. Among them, 34 had a Hunt and Hess (HH) grade of I or II; 15, an HH grade of III; and 19, an HH grade of IV or V. All patients except four were treated within 72 hours after initial bleeding; those four patients had an HH grade of IV or V and were treated at 3-6 weeks after their clinical recovery. Clinical outcomes were assessed by using the Modified Glasgow Outcome Scale. Mean duration of follow-up was 20 months (range, 6-36 months). RESULTS: Endovascular treatment resulted in 47 complete occlusions (69%), 15 neck remnants (22%), and six incomplete occlusions (9%). Procedural complications occurred in eight patients (12%). Outcomes were good or excellent in 40 patients (59%), including the four treated 3-6 weeks after initial bleeding. A fair or poor outcome was observed in 14 patients (20.5%), including two with an HH grade of I or II. Of 14 patients (20.5%) who died, 13 (93%) had an HH grade of IV or V. No rebleeding occurred during follow-up. CONCLUSION: Endosaccular coiling may be proposed in elderly people with ruptured intracranial aneurysms. However, in patients with HH grade IV or V lesions, morbidity and mortality rates remain high, and embolization should be considered only after their clinical recovery.     

Endovascular treatment of remnants of intracranial aneurysms following incomplete clipping

We report clinical and angiographic findings in eight patients treated by the endovascular approach for an intracranial aneurysm remnant after incomplete surgical clipping. They were seven women and one man, mean age 38 years (range 14–50 years). In three, the remnant was responsible for a recurrent subarachnoid haemorrhage. All were treated by embolisation of the remnant using Guglielmi detachable coils. In two, a nondetachable balloon was inflated in front of the remnant during coil detachment because of a wide neck. Mean clinical and imaging follow-up was 19 months (range 12–24 months). Immediate angiography showed complete occlusion of the remnant and follow-up clinical examination showed good or excellent recovery in all patients. Imaging follow-up confirmed persistent occlusion of the remnant in all cases.     

Endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms and circulating endothelial cells

Objectives

To evaluate the potential implication of circulating endothelial cells (CECs) in complications following endovascular treatment (EVT) of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. CECs characterized as CD146⁺/CD105⁺/CD45⁻/DAPI⁺ were considered to originate from an altered endothelial cell layer of the vessel wall.

Study design

In 15 patients, CECs were characterized and enumerated by the CellTracks^® System in blood samples from: (1) femoral artery (FA), (2) internal carotid artery (ICA) before (ICA₁) and after procedure (ICA₂), and (3) a peripheral vein before (PV₁) and after EVT (PV₂). Ischemic brain events were assessed using diffusion weighted imaging (DWI-MRI) before and 24 h after EVT.

Results

In ICA₁, the median number of single CECs and clusters of 2–5 CECs were higher than in FA, ICA₂, PV₁ and PV₂ samples (P < 0.001). Clusters >5 cells, sometimes >50 μm, were mainly observed in ICA₁ and never in PV₁, PV₂ or PV samples from ten healthy subjects. This distribution of CECs suggested femoral and ICA injury by the devices used, leading to endothelium shearing and desquamation of CECs. All patients discharged on day two (NIHSS score = 0), however silent ischemic brain lesions were observed in 9/15 (60%).

Conclusions

EVT detaches single and clusters of CECs from wall arteries that may be implicated in silent ischemic brain lesions genesis. Enumeration of CECs associated with DWI-MRI might represent an interesting strategy for monitoring and optimizing endovascular devices, and further limit EVT-related complications.     

Endovascular treatment of multiple aneurysms involving the posterior intracranial circulation

The results of surgery on multiple intracranial aneurysms tha involve the vertebrobasilar circulation are poor, and associated patient mortality remains high. We describe the endovascular treatment of four patients with mutiple aneurysms that involved the posterior intracrancial circulation. Satisfactory occlusion of all aneurysms was achieved by using electrolytically detachable coils, and all patients had a good clinical recovery. Our early experience suggests that endovascular coil occlusion may be a particularly suitable method for treating this high-risk condition.     

单纯弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内微小动脉瘤

目的总结单纯弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内微小动脉瘤的可行性和安全性。 方法回顾分析42例患者接受单纯弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内微小动脉瘤,综合应用选择合适患者、良好的微导管塑形、"回撤式"微导管进入颅内微小动脉瘤的方式、柔软弹簧圈等方法。 结果手术成功率100%,动脉瘤完全栓塞35例（占83.6%）,近全栓塞4例（占9.5%）,不完全栓塞3例（占7.1%）。术中动脉瘤破裂出血两例,术中出血率为4.8%（2/42）。 结论选择合适的患者,单纯弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内微小动脉瘤是可行性,通过综合多种技术手段,能明显降低术中动脉瘤破裂率。     

颅内宽颈动脉瘤的血管内治疗33例分析

目的总结应用颅内支架或球囊辅助技术治疗颅内宽颈动脉瘤的体会。方法应用颅内支架或球囊辅助瘤颈成形术结合Microplex弹簧圈栓塞治疗颅内破裂宽颈动脉瘤33例。动脉瘤位于前交通动脉8例,后交通动脉19例,大脑中动脉3例,基底动脉顶端3例。结果以支架辅助治疗的19例动脉瘤中13例完全致密填塞,4例填塞90％以上,2例大部填塞（70％～90％）。以球囊辅助治疗的14例动脉瘤中9例完全致密填塞,3例填塞90％以上,2例大部填塞。结论支架或球囊辅助治疗颅内宽颈动脉瘤是安全、有效的方法,两种方法各有优缺点,应根据动脉瘤的具体情况来选择采用支架或球囊治疗。