Venous sinus stenting for reduction of intracranial pressure in IIH: a prospective pilot study.

OBJECTIVE Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may cause blindness due to elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). Venous sinus stenosis has been identified in select patients, leading to stenting as a potential treatment, but its effects on global ICP have not been completely defined. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the effects of venous sinus stenting on ICP in a small group of patients with IIH.

Preoperative Embolization of Cerebral Arteriovenous Malformations with Silk Suture and Particles: Technical Considerations and Outcomes.

Objective: Embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is commonly performed prior to surgical resection in order to reduce intraoperative bleeding and improve the safety of resection. Although most modern embolization procedures utilize permanent embolic agents, silk suture and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles may offer unique advantages for preoperative devascularization. The aims of this retrospective cohort study are to describe the technical considerations and determine the outcomes for preoperative silk suture and PVA particle embolization (SPE) of AVMs.

Detection of parathyroid adenomas using a monophasic dual-energy computed tomography acquisition: diagnostic performance and potential radiation dose reduction.

Introduction: The aims of the study were to compare the diagnostic performance of a combination of virtual non-contrast (VNC) images and arterial images obtained from a single-phase dual-energy CT (DECT) acquisition and standard non-contrast and arterial images from a biphasic protocol and to study the potential radiation dose reduction of the former approach.

Methods: All DECT examinations performed for evaluation of parathyroid adenomas during a 13-month period were retrospectively reviewed. An initial single-energy unenhanced acquisition was followed by a dual-energy arterial phase acquisition.

Time-delayed contrast-enhanced MRI improves detection of brain metastases: a prospective validation of diagnostic yield.

The radiological detection of brain metastases (BMs) is essential for optimizing a patient's treatment. This statement is even more valid when stereotactic radiosurgery, a noninvasive image guided treatment that can target BM as small as 1-2 mm, is delivered as part of that care. The timing of image acquisition after contrast administration can influence the diagnostic sensitivity of contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for BM.

Clinical efficacy of 2-phase versus 4-phase computed tomography for localization in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Background: Four-dimensional computed tomography is being used increasingly for localization of abnormal glands in primary hyperparathyroidism. We hypothesized that compared with traditional 4-phase imaging, 2-phase imaging would halve the radiation dose without compromising parathyroid localization and clinical outcomes.

Methods: A transition from 4-phase to 2-phase imaging was instituted between 2009 and 2010.

Prevalence of dural venous sinus stenosis and hypoplasia in a generalized population.

Background And Purpose: While recent literature has described the prevalence of transverse sinus stenosis in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, tinnitus, and refractory headaches, it is unclear what the prevalence is in the general population. This study evaluates the prevalence of venous sinus stenosis and hypoplasia in the general patient population.

Materials And Methods: 355 of 600 consecutive patients who underwent CT angiography of the head met the inclusion criteria.

Endovascular Treatment of a Fusiform Aneurysm at the M3-M4 Junction of the Middle Cerebral Artery Using the Pipeline Embolization Device.

Background: Peripheral fusiform cerebral aneurysms remain difficult to treat. Current surgical approaches to the treatment of fusiform aneurysms include wrapping, clip occlusion or vessel reconstruction without parent vessel sacrifice, and aneurysm trapping with or without bypass, although these may carry high morbidity (36%). Classic endovascular approaches to the treatment of peripheral aneurysms include selective or parent artery occlusion, which imparts the risk of distal infarction.

Endovascular treatment of ophthalmic artery aneurysms: ophthalmic artery patency following flow diversion versus coil embolization.

Background And Purpose: The Pipeline Embolization Device (PED) has been shown to effectively treat complex internal carotid artery aneurysms while maintaining patency of covered side branches. The purpose of this retrospective matched cohort study is to evaluate the effect of flow diversion on the patency of the ophthalmic artery when treating ophthalmic artery aneurysms.

Methods: A retrospective review of our prospectively collected institutional database identified 19 ophthalmic artery aneurysms treated with a PED.

Embolization of cerebral arteriovenous malformations with silk suture particles prior to stereotactic radiosurgery.

We aimed to determine the long term durability of silk suture and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particle embolization (SPE) of arteriovenous malformations (AVM), and to evaluate the outcomes following multimodality management of AVM with combined SPE and stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS). A general supposition among neurointerventionalists is that embolization of cerebral AVM with silk sutures and PVA particles does not yield a durable occlusion. We performed a retrospective review of all AVM patients treated at our institution with combined SPE and SRS.

Endovascular Treatment of Venous Sinus Stenosis in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Complications, Neurological Outcomes, and Radiographic Results.

Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may result in a chronic debilitating disease. Dural venous sinus stenosis with a physiologic venous pressure gradient has been identified as a potential etiology in a number of IIH patients. Intracranial venous stenting has emerged as a potential treatment alternative.

Noninvasive evaluation of the regional variations of GABA using magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 Tesla.

Purpose: Rapid regional fluctuations in GABA may result in inhomogeneous concentrations throughout the brain parenchyma. The goal of this study is to provide further insight into the natural distribution of GABA throughout the brain and thus determine if a surrogate site may be used for spectroscopy when evaluating motor diseases, neurological disorders, or psychiatric dysfunction.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study, eight healthy volunteers underwent spectroscopic evaluation of the frontal lobe, occipital lobe, lateral temporal lobe, basal ganglia, and both hippocampi using a spin echo variant of a J-difference editing method.

Combined microsurgical PICA-PICA bypass and endovascular parent artery occlusion for a ruptured dissecting vertebral artery aneurysm.

Dissecting vertebral artery (VA) aneurysms are difficult to obliterate when the parent artery cannot be safely occluded. In this video, we demonstrate a combined microsurgical and endovascular treatment technique for a ruptured, dissecting VA aneurysm incorporating the origin of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). We first performed a PICA-PICA side-to-side bypass to preserve flow through the right PICA.

Modification of a Braided Support Catheter into a Rapid Exchange System for Navigation of a Distal Protection Device through Significant Vascular Tortuosity.

Cerebral embolic protection devices (EPD) reduce the rate of periprocedural thromboembolic complications and are currently used in all carotid artery stenting (CAS) procedures. However, tortuous vascular anatomy of the internal carotid artery (ICA) may prevent navigation of distal EPDs, thereby leading to inadequate cerebral protection. We present a case in which significant tortuosity of the ICA distal to the stenotic lesion precluded navigation of currently available distal EPDs.

The Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (BRATS).

In this paper we report the set-up and results of the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark (BRATS) organized in conjunction with the MICCAI 2012 and 2013 conferences. Twenty state-of-the-art tumor segmentation algorithms were applied to a set of 65 multi-contrast MR scans of low- and high-grade glioma patients-manually annotated by up to four raters-and to 65 comparable scans generated using tumor image simulation software. Quantitative evaluations revealed considerable disagreement between the human raters in segmenting various tumor sub-regions (Dice scores in the range 74%-85%), illustrating the difficulty of this task.

A method for complete angiographic obliteration of a brain arteriovenous malformation in a single session through a single pedicle.

Historically, the endovascular treatment of arteriovenous malformations (AVM) has largely been relegated to an adjunctive role to open surgical and radiosurgical methods. In this article, we describe a novel endovascular approach to the treatment of brain AVM using Onyx (ev3 Endovascular, Plymouth, MN, USA), which may allow for a complete angiographic obliteration in a single treatment session. Twelve patients underwent Onyx embolization of an AVM using a novel "reverse plug and push" technique in which a plug is formed around the treatment catheter prior to injecting Onyx into the AVM.

Optimal Symmetric Multimodal Templates and Concatenated Random Forests for Supervised Brain Tumor Segmentation (Simplified) with ANTsR.

Segmenting and quantifying gliomas from MRI is an important task for diagnosis, planning intervention, and for tracking tumor changes over time. However, this task is complicated by the lack of prior knowledge concerning tumor location, spatial extent, shape, possible displacement of normal tissue, and intensity signature. To accommodate such complications, we introduce a framework for supervised segmentation based on multiple modality intensity, geometry, and asymmetry feature sets.

Technology developments in endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Advances in the management and endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms are progressing at a tremendous rate. Developments in novel imaging technology may improve diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment planning, intraprocedural assessment, and follow-up evaluation. Evolution of devices, including microwires, microcatheters, balloons, stents, and novel scaffolding devices, has greatly expanded the potential to treat difficult aneurysms.

Evolution of endovascular mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke.

Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a common medical problem associated with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of AIS patients meet eligibility criteria for intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, and its efficacy for large vessel occlusion is poor. Therefore, an increasing number of patients with AIS are being treated with endovascular mechanical thrombectomy when IVT is ineffective or contraindicated.

Single-center experience with a dual microcatheter technique for the endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms.

Object: The endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms can be technically challenging due to distal coil migration or impingement of the parent vessel. In this paper, the authors illustrate an alternative method for the treatment of wide-necked intracranial aneurysms using a dual microcatheter technique.

Methods: The authors' first 100 consecutive patients who underwent coil embolization of a wide-necked aneurysm using a dual microcatheter technique are reported.

Venous stenting with concurrent intracranial pressure monitoring for the treatment of pseudotumor cerebri.

Increasing evidence supports dural venous sinus stenosis as the patho-etiology of pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) in a subset of affected patients. In this video, we demonstrate our technique for 1) diagnostic venous manometry to identify a flow-limiting stenosis of the transverse sinus in a PTC patient; and 2) successful treatment of the patient with venous stenting across the structural and physiological stricture in the dural sinus. The pressure gradient decreased from 20 mmHg pre-stent to 3 mmHg post-stent.

DynaCT imaging for intraprocedural evaluation of flow-diverting stent apposition during endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

The treatment of large, complex intracranial aneurysms is being increasingly performed using flow-diverting stents (FDS) such as the Pipeline Embolization Device (PED; ev3, Irvine, CA, USA). Malapposition of a FDS to the parent artery wall decreases the likelihood of aneurysm obliteration and increases the risk of both immediate and delayed complications. DynaCT scanning (Siemens Medical Solutions, Erlangen, Germany) is a novel imaging modality which uses a flat plane detector to generate CT images using the same C-arm employed for digital subtraction angiography.

Endovascular treatment of unruptured wide-necked intracranial aneurysms: comparison of dual microcatheter technique and stent-assisted coil embolization.

Background: Endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms is challenging. Stent-assisted coiling (SAC) is associated with increased complications and requires dual antiplatelet therapy.

Objective: To compare treatment of unruptured, wide-necked aneurysms with a dual-microcatheter technique (DMT) versus SAC.

Stenting of symptomatic intracranial stenosis using balloon mounted coronary stents: a single center experience.

Objective: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is the cause of up to 10% of ischemic strokes and transient ischemic attacks. Intracranial stenting with off-label balloon mounted coronary stents (BMCS) may be a viable alternative for patients with symptomatic intracranial stenosis who fail best medical therapy.

Design: Between December 2005 and June 2012, 42 symptomatic intracranial stenoses were treated with a BMCS after failing medical management.

Persistent trigeminal artery: in situ thrombosis and associated perforating vessel infarction.

We report a patient with progressive brainstem infarction despite medical therapy. The patient was transferred to our institution for potential angioplasty of basilar stenosis. Imaging review demonstrated persistent trigeminal artery in situ thrombosis and associated perforating vessel infarction.