Interventional Neurology

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown a lack of agreement of computed tomography perfusion (CTP) in the selection of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients for endovascular treatment. PURPOSE: To demonstrate whether non-contrast computed tomography (CT) within 8 h of symptom onset is comparable to CTP imaging. METHODS: Prospective study of consecutive anterior circulation AIS patients with a National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score > 7 presenting within 8 h of symptom onset with endovascular treatment...

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIAs) increases rapidly in aging women compared with younger women. The impact of menopausal age on UIAs and treatment outcomes with endovascular therapy has not been well studied. We hypothesized that premenopausal age may have a protective effect on presentation size and treatment outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of menopause with UIA size and outcome with endovascular therapy. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of consecutive female patients with UIAs treated with endovascular therapy at our academic tertiary care center...

Background: Pediatric intracranial aneurysms tend to differ in etiology, size, and location from their adult counterparts, and they are often less amenable to microsurgical clip reconstruction techniques. Endovascular treatment with detachable coils is an accepted treatment technique for pediatric patients, though high recurrence rates have been reported with coil embolization of large and giant aneurysms in this population. While the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) is FDA-approved for adult intracranial aneurysms, the use of PEDs in pediatric patients is considered off-label...

Background: We aim to evaluate the speed and rates of reperfusion in tandem large vessel occlusion acute stroke patients undergoing upfront cervical lesion treatment (Neck-First: angioplasty and/or stent before thrombectomy) as compared to direct intracranial occlusion therapy (Head-First) in a large international multicenter cohort. Methods: The Thrombectomy In TANdem Lesions (TITAN) collaboration pooled individual data of prospectively collected thrombectomy international databases for all consecutive anterior circulation tandem patients who underwent emergent thrombectomy...

BACKGROUND: The use of Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat aneurysms located between the petrous and superior hypophyseal segments of the internal carotid artery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of treating aneurysms outside the FDA approved anatomical locations. Furthermore, we analyze the safety of our antiplatelet protocol. METHODS: Data on all patients treated with PED at our center from March 2015 to December 2017 were reviewed...

The road to Comprehensive Stroke Center (CSC) certification is challenging and requires full integration of neurological, neurosurgical, neurointerventional, and neurocritical care and rehabilitation services across the entire continuum of care. To successfully achieve this level of certification, centers must coordinate significant resources and services into an organized program. This paper is the first in a three-part series outlining common pitfalls facing many organizations during their journey to initial CSC certification and re-certification and offers a roadmap and pearls for success on this journey...

Background: Variations in aortic arch anatomy have been extensively described from multiple perspectives including gross anatomy, embryology, associated cardiac and other anomalies, early life presentation, and cross-sectional diagnosis. There is however a paucity of literature with an emphasis on safe and timely catheterization, particularly when the variants are found during emergent or other catheter angiographic procedures without benefit of prior cross-sectional vascular imaging...

Background and Purpose: The relative contribution of each Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) region to poststroke disability likely varies across regions. Determining the relative weights of each ASPECTS region may improve patient selection for endovascular stroke therapy (EST). Methods: In the combined Solitaire Flow Restoration with the Intention for Thrombectomy (SWIFT), Solitaire Flow Restoration Thrombectomy for Acute Revascularization (STAR), and Solitaire Flow Restoration with the Intention for Thrombectomy as Primary Endovascular Treatment (SWIFT PRIME) databases, we identified patients treated with the Solitaire stent retriever...

Background and Purpose: Intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is one of the major adverse events related to the endovascular management of acute ischemic stroke. It is important to evaluate the risk of ICH as it may result in clinical deterioration of the patients. Development of tools which can predict the risk of ICH after thrombectomy can reduce the procedure-related morbidity and mortality. 2D parenchymal blood flow could potentially act as an indicator for ICH. Methods: 2D parenchymal blood flow was used to evaluate pre- and postthrombectomy digital subtraction angiography series of patients with acute ischemic stroke in the anterior circulation...

BACKGROUND: Determining the size of infarct extent is crucial to elect patients for reperfusion therapies. Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) based on cerebral blood volume may overestimate infarct core on admission and consequently include ghost infarct core (GIC) in a definitive lesional area. PURPOSE: Our goal was to confirm and better characterize the GIC phenomenon using CTP cerebral blood flow (CBF) as the reference parameter to determine infarct core. METHODS: We performed a retrospective, single-center analysis of consecutive thrombectomies of middle cerebral or intracranial internal carotid artery occlusions considering noncontrast CT Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score ≥6 in patients with pretreatment CTP...

Objectives: To assess the delayed (15 days) histological and ultrastructural changes occurring following endovascular treatment with a direct aspiration first pass technique (ADAPT) or stent retrievers (SRs) and to compare the findings in order to determine which is the least harmful technique and what changes occur. Materials and Methods: Damage to the wall of swine extracranial arteries was evaluated after ADAPT with the Penumbra system or thrombectomy with various SRs...

Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is characterized by an elevated intracranial pressure without any identifiable causative factor such as an intracranial mass. Dural venous sinus stenosis (DVSS) has been suggested to be associated with IIH. Objective: We performed an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to determine clinical outcomes as well as stent survival and stent-adjacent stenosis rates in patients undergoing DVSS for the management of medically refractory IIH...

BACKGROUND: Although it is well characterized in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, vasospasm is exceedingly rare following cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM) rupture. Subsequently, this complication is poorly characterized with regard to delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI). We review cases of ruptured AVM to assess the frequency and severity of vasospasm on cerebral angiography, and DCI. SUMMARY: We reviewed our institutional database of acute intracranial hemorrhages between 2005 and 2014...

Background: Provision of stroke education to patients is a Centers for Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) requirement. However, little is known about retention of the educational content. Methods: Two pilot studies were conducted: Pilot A delivered CMS-required stroke education during hospitalization in a standardized manner and tested knowledge retention in patients returning to the Stroke Clinic for 1-month follow-up; Pilot B randomized patients to either a control group with standardized education or a test-enhanced learning group (target), with measurement of stroke knowledge retention at hospital discharge...

Background: Timely treatment of acute ischemic stroke is crucial to optimize outcomes. Mobile stroke units (MSU) have demonstrated ultrafast treatment compared to standard emergency care. Geospatial analysis of the distribution of MSU cases to optimize service delivery has not been reported. Methods: We aggregated all first-year MSU dispatch occurrences and all cases classified by clinical teams as true stroke by zip code and calculated dispatch and true stroke incidence rates...

Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), initially used for evaluation of intraprocedural complications such as hemorrhage, has evolved to provide details of implanted devices such as flow diverters. The study aim is to present our experience in using CBCT with intra-arterial injection and provide a step-by-step approach for postprocessing in a practical protocol for daily use. IRB approval was obtained, and the neurointerventional database was retrospectively reviewed from July 2012 to June 2017. Patients who underwent cone beam intra-arterial CT angiography for evaluation of implanted flow diverter devices were reviewed...

Background: The role of general anesthesia in precipitating aneurysm rupture is not clearly defined. In this study, we aimed to assess the natural history of unruptured aneurysms in patients undergoing non-aneurysm-related procedures requiring general anesthesia. Methods: Retrospective review of consecutive patients with untreated intracranial aneurysms that underwent unrelated surgery with operative note documentation of general anesthesia. Events of intraoperative and postoperative subarachnoid hemorrhage were recorded to determine the incidence of rupture...

Background: Acute ischemic stroke due to tandem occlusive lesions of the anterior circulation involves an intracranial large vessel occlusion as well as a concurrent occlusion or high-grade stenosis of the proximal carotid system. The vast majority of proximal lesions in tandem occlusive cases involve the extracranial internal carotid artery, although the lesion can theoretically exist anywhere along the carotid artery pathway, including the common carotid ostium. Summary: To the best of our knowledge, only 1 report describes common carotid artery ostial lesions in the setting of acute ischemic stroke due to tandem occlusions, in which the authors describe an anterograde treatment paradigm...

Background/Objective: Compliant dual-lumen balloon microcatheters have been used to perform balloon-assisted embolization (BAE) of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx). However, vessel rupture and microcatheter retention have been reported from BAE using these microcatheters. Using an extra-compliant balloon microcatheter (Scepter XC; Microvention, Tustin, CA, USA) could help avoid pial vessel rupture during BAE. We herein report our experience using this balloon microcatheter for BAE...

Background: In patients with large vessel occlusions, endovascular treatment (ET) has been shown to be superior to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in recent trials. However, it is currently unclear if patients with mild strokes also benefit from ET. Methods: We compared the discharge rates of good outcome (modified Rankin scale [mRS] ≤2), very good outcome (mRS 0-1), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhages (SICH), and infarct sizes in patients with mild strokes (admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≤10) and distal intracranial carotid artery, M1, and M2 occlusions during two time periods...