Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa Inhibitor Bridging and Subsequent Endovascular Therapy in Vertebrobasilar Occlusion in 120 Patients.

Purpose: The treatment mode in acute vertebrobasilar occlusion (VBO) remains uncertain. We analyzed efficacy and safety of intravenous glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (IV GPI) plus subsequent intra-arterial thrombolysis with or without additional endovascular mechanical therapy (percutaneous transluminal angioplasty/stenting or thrombus aspiration) and sought treatment factors that predict good clinical outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 120 cases of patients with angiographically proven acute VBO.

Single brain metastasis: whole-brain irradiation plus either radiosurgery or neurosurgical resection.

Background: The current study was conducted to compare neurosurgical resection (NR) followed by whole-brain irradiation (WBI) (NR + WBI) with WBI followed by radiosurgery (WBI + RS) in patients with a single brain metastasis.

Methods: The outcome of 41 patients treated with WBI + RS was retrospectively compared with 111 patients who received NR ;+ WBI with respect to local control of the treated metastasis and survival. Eleven additional potential prognostic factors were investigated, including WBI schedule, patient age, patient gender, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), primary tumor type, extracerebral metastases, recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) class, interval between the first diagnosis of cancer to the treatment of brain metastasis, metastatic site, maximum diameter of the metastasis, and graded prognostic assessment (GPA) score.

Older age and greater carotid intima-media thickness predict ischemic events associated with carotid-artery stenting.

Background: Carotid-artery stenting (CAS) may be complicated by stroke. We aimed to determine predictors of procedure-related ischemic events.

Methods: We analyzed new ischemic lesions in diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) after CAS in 147 patients with symptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis.

Proton beam therapy for loco-regional control of a recurrent mixed malignant germ cell tumor of the skull in a 22-month-old girl.

Background: Germ cell tumors (GCT) situated in the head and neck region are very rare and occur predominantely in newborns or young infants. Recurrent CTs are often resectable only by mutilating surgery and the need for alternative treatment strategies is obvious. In this situation radiation therapy is the most important treatment option for loco-regional tumor control, but bear in this area the risk of possible impairment of brain function and face deformation as long term effects.

Acute and prophylactic endovascular treatment of internal carotid artery stenosis.

Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the USA. Up to 20% of all strokes are caused by internal carotid artery (ICA) stenosis. This article reviews the treatment of ICA stenosis, its indication, and its relevance for stroke prevention.