Can 3D-CT angiography (3D-CTA) replace conventional catheter angiography in ruptured aneurysm surgery? Our experience with 162 cases

In this communication, we studied whether 3D-CT angiography (3D CTA) gives us enough information for a safe operation without those from conventional catheter angiography (CCA) in patients with ruptured aneurysms. Between December 1996 and September 2005, we treated 162 consecutive patients with ruptured aneurysms in the acute stage based on 3D-CTA findings. One hundred sixty-two ruptured aneurysms, including 64 associated unruptured aneurysms, were detected using 3D-CTA. CCA was performed in nine (5.6%) of the 162 patients after 3D-CTA. They were four dissecting vertebral artery aneurysms, two basilar tip aneurysms, one basilar artery-superior cerebellar artery (BA-SCA), one previously clipped BA-SCA and one internal carotid-posterior communicating artery aneurysm. All ruptured aneurysms confirmed at surgery were treated successfully. The lack of information on CCA did not lead any neurological deficits or difficulties in the surgical procedure. 3D-CTA was of high diagnostic value compatible with CCA and yielded important information such as the configuration of the aneurysmal sac and neck, calcification in the aneurysmal wall, and the aneurysms' anatomic relation with adjacent vessels and bone structures. We suggest that 3D-CTA can replace CCA in the diagnosis of ruptured aneurysms and that most of ruptured aneurysms can be operated by using only 3D-CTA without CCA

Separate demonstration of arterial- and venous-phase by 3D-CT angiography for brain tumors using 64-multidetector row CT: 3D-CT arteriography and 3D-CT venography

We assessed the usefulness of the separate demonstration of the arterial- and venous phase on 3D-CT angiography (3D-CTA) using a 64-multidetector row CT (MDCT) scanner for the surgery of brain tumors. Nineteen patients with meningiomas (n=11), schwannomas, metastatic brain tumors (n=2 each), glioblastoma multiforme, malignant lymphoma, craniopharyngioma, and embryonal carcinoma (n=1 each) underwent scanning on a 64-MDCT scanner. After dynamic CT scanning to determine the scan timing for the arterial- and venous-phase, we individually scanned the arterial- and venous phase for 4 sec after injecting a nonionic contrast medium. Using the CT threshold setting and subtraction and cutting techniques, we produced individual 3D-CT images of the arteries, veins, tumors, and bones. The operators subjectively assessed the usefulness of these images in comparison with 3D-CTA. We separately demonstrated the arterial- and venous phase on 3D-CTA covering the entire head in all 19 cases. The 3D-CT arteriographs, 3D-CT venographs, and the fused 3D-CT images facilitated our understanding of the 3D anatomic relationship among the tumor, arteries, veins, and bony structures. In 14 of 19 cases our method provided the surgically valuable findings; the information on the anatomical relation between tumor and the surrounding arteries and veins (in 13 cases) the identification of anatomical course of the encased vessels (in one), and feeding arteries and draining veins (in one), and discrimination between the venous sinus and tumor (in one). The anatomical information yielded by our technique makes safer surgery possible. If more detailed information which 3D-CTA cannot provide is required, our method should be performed