Degenerative Disc Disease of the Spine: From Anatomy to Pathophysiology and Radiological Appearance, with Morphological and Functional Considerations.

Degenerative disc disease is a common manifestation in routine imaging of the spine; this finding is partly attributable to physiological aging and partly to a pathological condition, and sometimes this distinction is simply not clear. In this review, we start focusing on disc anatomy and pathophysiology and try to correlate them with radiological aspects. Furthermore, there is a special focus on degenerative disc disease terminology, and, finally, some considerations regarding disc morphology and its specific function, as well as the way in which these aspects change in degenerative disease.

Endovascular Treatment of Cavernous Sinus Dural Arteriovenous Fistulas. Institutional Series, Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Endovascular treatment represents the first-line therapy for cavernous sinus dural arteriovenous fistulas (CS-dAVF); however, different approaches and embolic agents as well as occlusion rates, complications and clinical outcomes are reported among the published series. In this study we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis to investigate clinical and radiological outcomes after endovascular treatment of CS-dAVFs.

Methods: PubMed, Ovid Medline, Ovid EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science were screened for a comprehensive literature review from 1990 to 2020 regarding series of patients treated for CS-dAVF with endovascular approaches.

Mechanical thrombectomy beyond the circle of Willis: efficacy and safety of different techniques for M2 occlusions.

Background: M2 segment occlusions represent approximately one-third of non-lacunar ischemic stroke and can lead to permanent neurological deficits. Various techniques are available for mechanical thrombectomy beyond the circle of Willis, but data evaluating their effectiveness and safety are lacking.

Methods: A retrospective review of patients with ischemic stroke undergoing mechanical thrombectomy for M2 occlusions from 13 centers in North American and Europe was performed.

Pre-operative direct puncture embolization of head and neck hypervascular tumors using SQUID 12.

Objective: The authors have evaluated their experience in pre-operative direct puncture embolization of hypervascular tumors of the head and neck using SQUID 12, an embolic liquid agent.

Methods: Between July 2016 and March 2019, the authors retrospectively reviewed clinical, embolization and surgical data of 11 consecutive patients with 12 hypervascular head and neck tumors who had undergone pre-operative embolization using SQUID 12. Percutaneous embolizations were performed by inserting a 19-22 Gauge needle directly into the tumor under ultrasound, fluoroscopic and/or endoscopic guidance.

The role of cervical color Doppler ultrasound in the diagnosis of brain death.

Purpose: Brain death (BD) is defined as the irreversible destruction of all brain functions. It is usually diagnosed through a clinical examination, but in certain circumstances, ancillary examinations (such as digital subtraction angiography (DSA), transcranial color Doppler (TCD), computed tomography angiography (CTA), magnetic resonance angiography (MRA), or radionuclide scanning) are required as confirmatory tests. In many countries, cervical color Doppler sonography (CCD) is not recognized as a valid test.

Neuroform Atlas stent deployment through the Barrel vascular reconstruction device for the treatment of a wide-necked acutely ruptured basilar aneurysm.

Background: The Barrel vascular reconstruction device is an electrolytically detachable laser-cut closed-cell stent used for neck reconstruction in wide-necked bifurcation aneurysms to support coiling without necessitating dual stent implantation. The purpose is to lower the metal-to-artery ratio and its inherent risk of thromboembolic complications of multiple stents.

Case Description: A 53-year-old woman presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage due to acutely ruptured basilar tip aneurysm underwent emergency endovascular embolization with the Barrel vascular reconstruction device.