Carotid Stenosis and Stroke: Historical Perspectives Leading to Current Challenges.

The carotid artery is unique; it is the only vessel to bifurcate into a bulb larger than itself. The history of its anatomic description, understanding of its pathophysiology and evolution of its imaging are relevant to current controversies regarding measurement of stenosis, surgical/endovascular therapies and medical management of carotid stenosis in stroke prevention. Treatment decisions on millions of symptomatic and asymptomatic patients are routinely based on information from clinical trials from over 30 years ago.

Safety Evaluation of Primary Carotid Stenting: Transcranial Doppler and MRI.

Background And Purpose: Cerebral emboli are generated by every step of standard carotid angioplasty and stenting. Primary carotid stenting (PCS) is a technique in which the use of balloon angioplasty (BA) is minimized to decrease the embolic load. The primary aim of this study is to establish the number of emboli generated by each step of primary stenting and determine the relationship to new diffusion (DWI) lesions on subsequent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

High-fidelity, simulation-based microsurgical training for neurosurgical residents.

Objective: Simulation is increasingly recognized as an important supplement to operative training. The live rat femoral artery model is a well-established model for microsurgical skills simulation. In this study, the authors present an 11-year experience incorporating a comprehensive, longitudinal microsurgical training curriculum into a Canadian neurosurgery program.

The Complex Relationship Between Cooling Parameters and Neuroprotection in a Model of Selective Hypothermia.

Background: Hypothermia remains the best studied neuroprotectant. Despite extensive positive large and small animal data, side effects continue to limit human applications. Selective hypothermia is an efficient way of applying neuroprotection to the brain without the systemic complications of global hypothermia.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, Delayed Cerebral Ischemia, and Milrinone Use in Canada.

Introduction: Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a complication of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. There is little high-quality evidence available to guide the management of DCI. The Canadian Neurosurgery Research Collaborative (CNRC) is comprised of resident physicians who are positioned to capture national, multi-site data.

Hemodynamic and Anatomical Factors in Arteriovenous Malformation Clinical Presentation: 45 Case Studies.

Background: Hemodynamic factors have been implicated in hemorrhage from cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The goal of this endovascular study is to analyze the hemodynamic variability in AVM feeders in a balanced group of ruptured and unruptured AVMs of various sizes and at both superficial and deep locations.

Methods: We monitored feeder artery pressure (FP) using microcatheters in 45 patients with AVMs (16 with hemorrhage, 29 without) during superselective angiography and AVM embolization.

Endovascular selective hypothermia facilitates giant aneurysm clipping: illustrative case.

Background: The authors present a case of selective hypothermia used for neuroprotection during clipping of a giant partially thrombosed middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysm. Although these cases have traditionally required deep hypothermic cardiac arrest, this case illustrates a novel and entirely endovascular solution that avoids cardiac standstill and whole-body cooling.

Observations: This is, to the authors' knowledge, the first case in human surgery of a catheter-based selective hypothermic circuit used to facilitate MCA trapping for almost 30 minutes.

Interventional Neuroradiology: A Review.

Interventional neuroradiology (INR) has evolved from a hybrid mixture of daring radiologists and iconoclastic neurosurgeons into a multidisciplinary specialty, which has become indispensable for cerebrovascular and neurological centers worldwide. This manuscript traces the origins of INR and describes its evolution to the present day. The focus will be on cerebrovascular disorders including aneurysms, stroke, brain arteriovenous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulae, and atherosclerotic disease, both intra- and extracranial.

Emergent Carotid Endarterectomy with Open Thrombectomy for Acute Carotid Stent Occlusion.

Acute occlusion of a carotid stent is a rare complication that necessitates rapid diagnosis and treatment to prevent devastating neurologic injury. Management options may include thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, or open surgical revascularization; however, the optimal treatment is unclear due to the low reported incidence of this complication. Video 1 illustrates the surgical technique for open revascularization with carotid stent removal, thrombectomy, and endarterectomy.

Determining blood flow direction from short neurovascular surgical microscope videos.

Neurovascular surgery aims to repair diseased or damaged blood vessels in the brain or spine. There are numerous procedures that fall under this category, and in all of them, the direction of blood flow through these vessels is crucial information. Current methods to determine this information intraoperatively include static pre-operative images combined with augmented reality, Doppler ultrasound, and injectable fluorescent dyes.

Cold blood perfusion for selective hypothermia in acute ischemic stroke.

Hypothermia is the most reliably effective neuroprotectant, and yet systemic complications limit application. A large body of animal data suggests that hypothermia is effective for focal cerebral ischemia, namely acute ischemic stroke. In order to apply hypothermia effectively, a selective approach is required to maximize the effect on the brain while minimizing systemic side effects.

Iatrogenic pseudoaneurysms associated with cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedures.

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedures, including ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt and external ventricular drain insertion, are common treatments for hydrocephalus. Common complications include obstruction, infection, and hemorrhage. Pseudoaneurysm formation secondary to catheter insertion is a distinctly rare complication, and usually involves the anterior cerebral artery or branches of the external carotid artery (superficial temporal artery or middle meningeal artery).

Neuroprotection by selective endovascular brain cooling - the TwinFlo™ Catheter.

The neuroprotective effects of hypothermia have been demonstrated in experimental models and clinical trials. Experimental studies indicate that improved efficacy and broadened indications can be achieved with moderate to deep hypothermia. The TwinFlo catheter was designed to provide very rapid, deep and selective brain cooling with faster cooling rates, and temperatures much lower than those which can be achieved by any other hypothermia device and technique.

Embolized cerebral arteriovenous malformations: a multivariate analysis of 101 excised specimens.

Objective: Endovascular approaches have evolved from a technique practiced at very few centers to a widely available option in the management of arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the central nervous system. Embolization can be employed as definitive therapy or as an adjunct to surgical excision. A wide variety of embolic agents have been successfully developed and used in the clinical setting.

Diagnosis and management of carotid free-floating thrombus: A systematic literature review.

Background: There is no consensus regarding the management of carotid free-floating thrombi in patients with acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack.

Aims: This systematic review aims to (1) describe the current imaging methods for diagnosis of carotid free-floating thrombi and its associated risk factors, (2) estimate the proportion of carotid free-floating thrombi diagnosed in stroke patients, (3) estimate the proportion of carotid free-floating thrombi patients treated medically and surgically, and (4) evaluate 30-day outcomes.

Methods: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and manually for references reporting carotid free-floating thrombi from 1960 until June 2017.

Incisional Seeding of Metastatic Squamous Cell Carcinoma Following Carotid Endarterectomy: An Unusual Case of an Unknown Primary Cancer Presenting as a Presumed Neck Abscess.

Background: Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a safe and effective procedure, with a low risk of complications when performed by experienced surgeons. Postoperative infections are particularly rare, reportedly affecting less than 1% of cases. Incisional metastases have not been described.