Complications and lethality rate in the surgery of cerebral aneurysms

Aim. To establish the risk factors for complications and fatal outcome after the operative occlusion of cerebral aneurysms. Methods. Retrospective study on 91 (lethality rate) and on 72 operated patients (complications). For survived and dead patients, as well as for patients with and without complications, following parameters were compared: gender, age, clinical condition, preoperative interval, use of temporary clips, vasospasm, outcome, as well as localization, size and intraoperative rupture of the aneurysm. Results. Complications existed: in 54.5% of aneurysms of middle cerebral and 13.6% of aneurysms of internal carotid artery (p<0.01); in 18.2% of patients in the first and 45.8% of patients in the third clinical Hunt and Hess group (p<0.05); in 57.9% of patients with and 20.5% of patients without intraoperative rupture (p<0.01); in 50% of patients with and 18.7% of patients without vasospasm (p<0.05). Average aneurysmal size was 18 mm in group with complications and 10.8 mm in patients with no complications (p<0.05), while average preoperative intervals in these two groups were 20 and 8.7 days (p<0.05). Lethality rate was 25% for the third and 83.3% for the fourth and fifth clinical group (p<0.01), and the existence of complications significantly increased mortality (from 15.7% to 50%, p<0.01). Good outcome existed in 19.2% of operated patients with complications and in 78.3% of those without complications (p<0.01). Conclusions. Incidence of complications depended significantly on preoperative clinical condition, duration of preoperative interval, size, localization and intraoperative rupture of aneurysm. Complications significantly minimized the surgical treatment outcome and increased the lethality rate mortality

Intraoperative rupture of cerebral aneurysm and the use of temporary arterial occlusion

Objectives: The aim was to analyze the risk factors for intraoperative rupture (IR) of cerebral aneurysm and for temporary clips (TC) use, as well as their influence on the final postoperative outcome. Methods: Retrospective study was done 72 IR patients, and on 75 TC patients. For patients with or without IR, as well as for the patients with or without TK, outcome of the treatment aneurysm size and localization, preoperative clinical state and operative timing was analyzed, and statistical significance of obtained differences was tested. Results: IR occurred in 40% of anterior cerebral artery aneurysms and in 16.7% of internal carotid artery aneurysms (p>0.05), while TCs were used in 52% of middle cerebral artery aneurysms and 34.8% of internal carotid artery aneurysms (p>0.05). Average size was 17.3 mm for aneurysms with IR and 11.7 mm for those without IR (p>0.05). Aneurysms were significantly larger in patients with TCs, than in patients without TCs (16.7 mm and 9.4 mm respectively, p<0.05). Preoperative period was 10.2 days for patients with IR, and 16.8 days for patients without IR (p<0.05). Favorable outcome was observed in 71.4% of patients with IR and in 70.6% of those without IR, as well as in 76.4% of patients who required TC and in 75.6% of cases without TC (p>0.05). Average duration of temporary occlusion was 5.8 min for patients with favorable outcome and 15 min for patients with poor outcome (p<0.05). Conclusions: Incidence of IR mostly depended on the duration of preoperative interval, while the frequency of TC use depended mostly on aneurysm size. IR did not influence the surgical outcome, as well as TC use, if the occlusion was shorter than 8-10 min

Factors influencing the outcome after the operative treatment of cerebral aneurysms of anterior circulation

Background. The influence of various factors on the outcome after the operative occlusion of the cerebral aneurysm was to be defined through the retrospective study on 111 surgically treated patients with aneurysm of anterior cerebral circulation. Methods. Preoperative clinical condition was graded from 0 to V, according to Hunt & Hess. Postoperative outcome, defined as good or bad according to modified Glasgow Outcome Scale, was correlated in homogenous experimental groups with the following factors: gender, age, aneurysmal size, preoperative interval, nimodipine therapy, experience of surgical team and existence of chronic vascular diseases. Results. Surgical outcome was good in 74.4% of males and 71.4% of females (p>0.05); in 83.3% of patients with and 41.2% of patients without chronic diseases (p<0.01); in 71.4% of patients underwent early, 83.3% of ones underwent postponed and 85% of those underwent late surgery (p>0.05); in 81.5% of patients treated by nimodipine and in 41.7% of those untreated by the same drug (p<0.01); in 78.9% of patients operated by the experienced surgical team and in 40% of those operated by less experienced surgical team (p<0.01). In patients with both good and bad outcome, the mean age was 50.6 and 47.6 years (p>0.05), and the mean aneurysmal size was 12.3 mm and 13.3 mm, respectively (p>0.05). Before rupture, the mean size for aneurysms on the bifurcation of the middle cerebral artery was 14.3 mm, and for posterior communicating artery aneurysms only 9.7 mm (p<0.05). Conclusion. Surgical outcome was significantly influenced by the existence of chronic diseases, nimodipine therapy and experience of surgical team, whereas gender, age, timing for surgery and aneurysmal size were not of significant influence

Treatment of arterial aneurysms of anterior cerebral circulation

Objectives: To analyze the outcome of either surgical or conservative treatment of patients with aneurysms on cerebral arteries. Design Retrospective study on 114 patients (89 operated and 25 not operated). Methods: Clinical state was graded from 0 to V, according to Hunt & Hess (HHG), and the treatment outcome was defined as favorable or poor, according to the modified Glasgow Outcome Score. The outcome was correlated with the type of treatment (operative or conservative), clinical state and aneurysmal localization. Results: Aneurysm was localized mostly on the anterior communicating (33.6%) and middle cerebral arteries (32.8%) and the patients were mostly in HHG II or III (34.4% and 25.2%). HHG after the aneurysmal rupture did not depend on the aneurysmal location (p>0.05). Favorable treatment outcome was noted: in 74.1% of all operated and in 60% of all conservatively treated patients (p>0.05)( in 81.6% of operated and in 33.3% of not operated patients with HHG=II-III (p<0.01)( in 78.8% of aneurysms of the middle cerebral artery and in 66.7% of those of the anterior communicating artery (p>0.05)( in 73.1% of patients with HHG=III and in 25% of patients with HHG=IV (p<0.01).Conclusions: Clinical state after the aneurysmal rupture did not depend on its localization. Results were better after the surgical, than after the conservative treatment. Outcome after the surgery depended on the clinical state of the patient, but not on the aneurysmal localization

Multiple lateral sinus pericranii: A case report

Introduction. Sinus pericranii is a rare vascular anomaly. It is characterized by abnormal communication between the extracranial and intracranial venous system, usually involving the superior sagittal sinus and occasionally the transverse sinus. Off the midline lesions are extremely rare. Multiplicity, associated venous lakes, venous angioma and lateral location are unusual and unique presentation of sinus pericranii. Case report. A case of multiple congenital off-midline sinus pericranii in the left frontotemporal and parietal region is presented. Magnetic resonance imaging showed an extracranial vascular anomaly connected with the intracranial venous system through abnormal diploic or emissary veins. The lesions were removed completely by surgery. Conclusion. Sinus pericranii is a rare vascular malformation with unique clinical and radiological features. Sinus pericranii may cause fatal complications, and it must be treated by surgical or endovascular procedures

A Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma Mimicking a Stroke: A Challenging Case

Background: A spontaneous cervical epidural hematoma (SCEH) is a rare occurrence, with < 500 cases reported to date. Clinically, it usually presents with quadriparesis, but in extremely rare cases it can present with hemiparesis or hemiplegia, and can easily be misdiagnosed as stroke. The cervical epidural hematoma by itself is an urgent condition that requires a quick and accurate diagnosis and a prompt surgical treatment. Case Report: We present a case where an SCEH mimicked the much more frequent condition of a stroke, and discuss the importance of diagnostics procedures that help differentiate SCEH from acute cerebral infarction. The patient's history of neck pain and spondylosis render this case more challenging. Why Should an Emergency Physician Be Aware of This?: Considering that the emergency tissue plasminogen activator treatment for acute cerebral infarction can worsen the state of an SCEH patient, or even lead to permanent damage or death, it is of great importance to rapidly and accurately differentiate these two conditions

Synchronous malignant multicentric cerebral glioma with atypical neuroradiological presentation and comparatively long survival: Case report and literature review

Introduction. Synchronous multicentric cerebral gliomas are uncommon brain tumors, mostly malignant, with unknown pathogenesis, unfavorable prognosis and still controversial management. Preoperative differentiation from other multiple brain pathologies by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is often difficult, but supplemental use of advanced magnetic resonance techniques should allow the tumor biology to be predicted and an appropriate treatment strategy planned. Case report. We reported a 59-yearold man with double synchronous multicentric cerebral lesions, which had initial MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging presentation as left parietal metastasis and ipsilateral amygdalo- hippocampal low-grade glioma. However, magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of both lesions showed different metabolite profiles of malignant glioma. En bloc resection of the easily accessible parietal lesion revealed glioblastoma with methylated O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) gene promoter. Subsequently, the patient was treated with temozolomide (TMZ)-based chemoradiation according to Stupp’s protocol, with continuous standard (5/28) adjuvant TMZ in 12 courses. Despite prolonged stabilization of the disease with good life-quality during treatment, the patient died 19 months after diagnosis. The time to tumor progression estimated by MRI was 17 months. Conclusion. MRS significantly improved the differential diagnostic accuracy of conventional MRI in our patient. In accordance with reviewed literature data, the younger age, good initial performance status and methylated MGMT gene promoter were all favorable predictors of longer survival in the reported case. Resection of at least one easily accessible tumor lesion, followed by TMZ-based chemoradiation, with continuous adjuvant TMZ in more than 6 standard courses, seems currently to be the most beneficial therapeutic option for such cases