Mechanical embolectomy for treatment of large vessel acute ischemic stroke in children.

Background and purposeThe three largest adult stroke trials investigating mechanical embolectomy retrieval devices in acute stroke (the Merci, Multi Merci and Penumbra Pivotal Stroke Trials) excluded children. There is a need to expand the literature on mechanical embolectomy in large vessel pediatric arterial ischemic stroke. This paper reports the use of two mechanical embolectomy devices cleared by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) in four consecutive cases.MethodsOur pediatric stroke database from 2002 to the present was reviewed retrospectively. Patients were included if they were diagnosed with an acute large vessel occlusion, were <18 years of age and underwent recanalization with a device cleared by the FDA. Clinical and radiographic results were abstracted from medical record review. The Pediatric National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (PedNIHSS) score at presentation and at discharge and a pediatric-modified Rankin Scale (Ped-mRS) at approximately 90 days were scored retrospectively based on documented examinations.ResultsFour patients aged 4-17 years with a PedNIHSS score at presentation ranging from 2 to 17 points underwent mechanical embolectomy for reperfusion of the basilar artery (n=3), M1 segment of the right middle cerebral artery (n=1) and right internal carotid artery terminus (n=1). Thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade 3 was achieved in four vessels and TICI grade 2A was achieved in one vessel; there was one asymptomatic intraparenchymal hemorrhage. Intra-arterial tissue plasminogen activator was administered in two vessels. The PedNIHSS score at discharge ranged from 0 to 16 points and the Ped-mRS score at approximately 90 days ranged from 0 to 3 with 75% achieving a Ped-mRS score of ≤2.ConclusionMechanical embolectomy using the Merci and Penumbra systems may be a feasible therapeutic option in the treatment of large vessel pediatric arterial ischemic stroke

Pediatric intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas: age-related differences in clinical features, angioarchitecture, and treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are rare in children. This study sought to better characterize DAVF presentation, angioarchitecture, and treatment outcomes. METHODS Children with intracranial DAVFs between 1986 and 2013 were retrospectively identified from the neurointerventional database at the authors' institution. Demographics, clinical presentation, lesion angioarchitecture, treatment approaches, angiographic outcomes, and clinical outcomes were assessed. RESULTS DAVFs constituted 5.7% (22/423) of pediatric intracranial arteriovenous shunting lesions. Twelve boys and 10 girls presented between 1 day and 18 years of age; boys presented at a median of 1.3 years and girls presented at a median of 4.9 years. Four of 8 patients ≤ 1 year of age presented with congestive heart failure compared with 0/14 patients > 1 year of age (p = 0.01). Five of 8 patients ≤ 1 year old presented with respiratory distress compared with 0/14 patients > 1 year old (p = 0.0021). Ten of 14 patients > 1 year old presented with focal neurological deficits compared with 0/8 patients ≤ 1 year old (p = 0.0017). At initial angiography, 16 patients harbored a single intracranial DAVF and 6 patients had 2-6 DAVFs. Eight patients (38%) experienced DAVF obliteration by the end of treatment. Good clinical outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-2) was documented in 77% of patients > 1 year old at presentation compared with 57% of patients ≤ 1 year old at presentation. Six patients (27%) died. CONCLUSIONS Young children with DAVFs presented predominantly with cardiopulmonary symptoms, while older children presented with focal neurological deficits. Compared with other pediatric vascular shunts, DAVFs had lower rates of angiographic obliteration and poorer clinical outcomes

Radiological and clinical features of vein of Galen malformations.

BackgroundVein of Galen malformations (VOGMs) are rare and complex congenital arteriovenous fistulas. The clinical and radiological features of VOGMs and their relation to clinical outcomes are not fully characterized.ObjectiveTo examine the clinical and radiological features of VOGMs and the predictors of outcome in patients.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the available imaging and medical records of all patients with VOGMs treated at the University of California, San Francisco between 1986 and 2013. Radiological and clinical features were identified. We applied the modified Rankin Scale to determine functional outcome by chart review. Predictors of outcome were assessed by χ(2) analyses.ResultsForty-one cases were confirmed as VOGM. Most patients (78%) had been diagnosed with VOGM in the first year of life. Age at treatment was bimodally distributed, with predominantly urgent embolization at <10 days of age and elective embolization after 1 year of age. Patients commonly presented with hydrocephalus (65.9%) and congestive heart failure (61.0%). Mixed-type (31.7%) VOGM was more common in our cohort than purely mural (29.3%) or choroidal (26.8%) types. The most common feeding arteries were the choroidal and posterior cerebral arteries. Transarterial embolization with coils was the most common technique used to treat VOGMs at our institution. Functional outcome was normal or only mildly disabled in 50% of the cases at last follow-up (median=3 years, range=0-23 years). Younger age at first diagnosis, congestive heart failure, and seizures were predictive of adverse clinical outcome. The survival rate in our sample was 78.0% and complete thrombosis of the VOGM was achieved in 62.5% of patients.ConclusionsVOGMs continue to be challenging to treat and manage. Nonetheless, endovascular approaches to treatment are continuing to be refined and improved, with increasing success. The neurodevelopmental outcomes of affected children whose VOGMs are treated may be good in many cases

Is a Trapped One-Dimensional Bose Gas a Luttinger Liquid?

The low-energy fluctuations of a trapped, interacting quasi one-dimensional Bose gas are studied. Our considerations apply to experiments with highly anisotropic traps. We show that under suitable experimental conditions the system can be described as a Luttinger liquid. This implies that the correlation function of the bosons decays algebraically preventing Bose-Einstein condensation. At significantly lower temperatures a finite size gap destroys the Luttinger liquid picture and Bose-Einstein condensation is again possible.Comment: 4 pages (revtex), 1 figure (eps file

Modeling Eddy Current Losses in HTS Tapes Using Multiharmonic Method

Due to the highly nonlinear electrical resistivity of high temperature superconducting (HTS) materials, computing the steady-state eddy current losses in HTS tapes, under time-periodic alternating current excitation, can be time consuming when using a time-transient method (TTM). The computation can require several periods to be solved with a small time-step. One alternative to the TTM is the multiharmonic method (MHM) where the Fourier basis is used to approximate the Maxwell fields in time. The method allows obtaining the steady-state solution to the problem with one resolution of the nonlinear problem. In this work, using the finite element method with the H−φ formulation, the capabilities of the MHM in the computational eddy current loss modeling of HTS tapes are scrutinized and compared against the TTM.publishedVersionPeer reviewe