No abstract available.
Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Prasugrel Hydrochloride

The aim of the study is to evaluate the hemodynamic changes and the parenchymal perfusion associated with carotid cavernous fistulas before and after embolization using two-dimensional (2D) parenchymal blood flow analysis. A 15-year-old boy presented with 2-month history of progressive right eye proptosis, chemosis, and diplopia after a motor vehicle accident. Intracranial liquid embolization using Onyx-18 through the inferior petrosal approach was done with balloon protection at the opening of the fistula in the internal carotid artery, resulting in complete occlusion of the fistula. Parenchymal blood flow analysis was done before and immediately after embolization. 2D parametric parenchymal blood flow analysis is newly introduced software that can provide data cannot be conveyed by conventional digital subtraction angiography alone. The software allows for objective assessment of the arterial steal and the parenchymal perfusion both pre, and post-embolization. Pre-embolization assessment may influence the therapeutic decision, while post-embolization assessment can evaluate the treatment efficacy.
Adolescent ; Angiography, Digital Subtraction ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Diplopia ; Embolization, Therapeutic ; Exophthalmos ; Fistula ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Male ; Motor Vehicles ; Perfusion ; Treatment Outcome

No abstract available.
Sclerotherapy

PURPOSE: We analyzed results of percutaneous sclerotherapy for venous malformations (VMs) in head, neck and extremities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-five patients with head and neck and extremities VM treated by sclerotherapy with bleomycin and sodium tetradecyl sulphate (STS) were retrospectively reviewed. A pre-treatment magnetic resonance imaging was done for all patients to diagnose the lesion. Each lesion received 1 to 11 sessions (average, 2.7; standard deviation [SD], 2.03). We evaluated percentage reduction in swelling size and a Likert scale review of subjective feelings of the patients. RESULTS: Sixteen had a complete obliteration; by sclerotherapy alone (n=13) and surgery after a 75% reduction (n=3). Ten patients had a significant reduction up to 75% and three patients by 50%. Four had a minimal decrease with reduction of 25% or less. Follow-up duration of the patients varied from a minimum of 6 months up to 3 years (average, 15.7 months; SD, 7.8 months). Of all patients, three refused further treatment and were lost to follow-up, while another two were referred to a dermatologist. Thirteen patients reported feeling excellent after the sessions. Eight patients claimed to feel slightly better compared to before the sessions started. Only three patients complained of feeling the same before and after the sessions. None of the patients still in follow-up have reported a recurrence of a lesion thus far. CONCLUSION: Sclerotherapy using bleomycin and STS as sclerosants is a safe and effective primary treatment for VMs in the head and neck as well as in extremities.
Bleomycin ; Extremities ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Humans ; Lost to Follow-Up ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Neck ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies ; Sclerosing Solutions ; Sclerotherapy ; Sodium ; Vascular Malformations

PURPOSE: Cigarette smoking (CS) is one of the major risk factors of cerebral atherosclerotic disease, however, its level of contribution to extracranial and intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ECAS and ICAS) was not fully revealed yet. The purpose of our study was to assess the association of CS to cerebral atherosclerosis along with other risk factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive patients who were angiographically confirmed with severe symptomatic cerebral atherosclerotic disease between January 2002 and December 2012 were included in this study. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for ECAS and ICAS. Thereafter, CS group were compared to non-CS group in the entire study population and in a propensity-score matched population with two different age-subgroups. RESULTS: Of 1709 enrolled patients, 794 (46.5%) had extracranial (EC) lesions and the other 915 (53.5%) had intracranial (IC) lesions. CS group had more EC lesions (55.8% vs. 35.3%, P<0.001) whereas young age group (<50 years) had more IC lesion (84.5% vs. 47.6%, P<0.001). In multivariate analysis, seven variables including CS, male, old age, coronary heart disease, higher erythrocyte sedimentation rate, multiple lesions, and anterior lesion were independently associated with ECAS. In the propensity-score matched CS group had significant more EC lesion compared to non-CS group (65.7% vs. 47.9%) only in the old age subgroup. CONCLUSION: In contrast to a significant association between CS and severe symptomatic ECAS shown in old population, young patients did not show this association and showed relatively higher preference of ICAS.
Atherosclerosis ; Blood Sedimentation ; Cerebrovascular Circulation ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Coronary Disease ; Humans ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Multivariate Analysis ; Risk Factors ; Smoking ; Tobacco Products

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to report the authors’ experience with external ventricular drainage (EVD) before endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) and to investigate its relation to hemorrhagic complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2010 and December 2017, a total of 122 patients were recruited who had an aSAH, underwent EVT to secure the ruptured aneurysm, and had EVD performed within 72 hours of rupture. The pre-embo EVD group (n=67) comprised patients who underwent EVD before EVT, and the post-embo EVD group (n=55) comprised those who underwent EVD after EVT. RESULTS: Overall, EVD-related hemorrhage occurred in 18 patients (14.8%): six (8.9%) in the pre-embo EVD group and 12 (21.8%) in the post-embo EVD group (P=0.065). No rebleeding occurred between EVD and EVT in the pre-embo EVD group. Clinical outcomes at discharge did not differ significantly between groups (P=0.384). At discharge, the final modified Rankin Scale score in patients who experienced pre-embo rebleeding was better in the pre-embo EVD group than in the post-embo EVD group (P=0.041). Current use of an antiplatelet agent or anticoagulant on admission (odds ratio [OR], 2.928; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.234–7.439; P=0.042) and stent use (OR, 2.430; 95% CI, 1.524–7.613; P=0.047) remained independent risk factors for EVD-related hemorrhagic complications. CONCLUSION: EVD before EVT in patients with aSAH in acute period did not increase the rate of rebleeding as well as EVD-related hemorrhagic complications. Thus, performing EVD before EVT may be beneficial by normalizing increased intracranial pressure. Especially in patients with rebleeding before the ruptured aneurysm is secured, pre-embo EVD may improve clinical outcomes at discharge.
Aneurysm ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; Drainage ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Intracranial Pressure ; Risk Factors ; Rupture ; Stents ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

PURPOSE: Complete removal of air bubbles from balloons for neurovascular angioplasty is cumbersome. We compared the preparation difficulty, air removal efficiency, and air collection pattern of six different balloon catheter preparation methods to propose a better preparation method for both initial and second balloon uses, especially for small-profile angioplasty balloon catheters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 18 neurovascular angioplasty balloon catheters with nominal diameters of 2 mm were prepared to test six different preparation methods: the instruction for use method (method A), simplified method using a syringe (method B) and four newly devised preparation methods using inflating devices (methods C–F). Serial radiographs were obtained while the balloons were gradually inflated. We measured the time for each preparation and the bubble number, analyzed their distribution in the balloon, and calculated the contrast filling ratio (contrast filling area/total balloon area) for initial and second ballooning. The whole process was repeated three times. RESULTS: The preparation time varied widely (11.5 seconds [method D] to 73.3 seconds [method A]). On initial inflation, the contrast filling ratio at 8 atm was the highest (100%) with methods A and F. On second inflation, the ratio was again highest with method A (99.5%), followed by method F (99.2%). Initial ballooning tended to show a uniform pattern of single bubble in the distal segment of the balloon; in contrast, second ballooning showed varying patterns in which the bubbles were multiple and randomly distributed. CONCLUSION: None of the six methods were able to completely exclude air bubbles from the balloon catheters including the second ballooning; however, the method of repeating aspiration with high-volume inflating device (method F) could be a practical option considering the simplicity and efficiency of preparation.
Angioplasty ; Angioplasty, Balloon ; Catheters ; Clothing ; Embolism, Air ; Equipment Failure ; Inflation, Economic ; Intracranial Arteriosclerosis ; Methods ; Syringes

PURPOSE: To assess clinical and angiographic outcomes after endovascular treatment (EVT) in ischemic stroke patients according to anesthesia types (general anesthesia vs. conscious sedation). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review through an online data base between January 1990 and September 2017 was performed. A fixed effect model was used in cases of <50% heterogeneity. The primary outcomes were good clinical outcome at the 3-month follow-up and successful recanalization. A meta-regression analysis was done to estimate primary outcomes of log odds ratio (OR) on onset-to-puncture time (OTP) differences. Publication bias was determined using Begg’s funnel plot and additional the Trim and Fill method. RESULTS: Sixteen articles including 2,662 patients (general anesthesia, n=1,275; conscious sedation, n=1,387) were included. General anesthesia significantly decreased good outcomes than conscious sedation (OR, 0.564; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.354–0.899). However, outcomes did not differ significantly in randomized controlled trials (RCTs; OR, 1.101; 95% CI, 0.395–3.071). Anesthesia type was not associated with successful recanalization (OR, 0.985; 95% CI, 0.787–1.233). General anesthesia increased the risk of mortality (OR, 1.532; 95% CI, 1.187–1.976) and pneumonia (OR, 1.613; 95% CI, 1.172–2.221), but not symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR, 1.125; 95% CI, 0.767–1.652). The meta-regression analysis showed no linear relationship between OTP differences and log OR of good outcome (coefficient, 0.0004; P=0.95) or successful recanalization (coefficient, 0.0005; P=0.94), respectively. CONCLUSION: General anesthesia seemed to be associated with adverse clinical outcome after EVT. However, its efficacy was not demonstrated in RCTs. Successful recanalization did not differ according to anesthesia type. Studies using individual patient data based on further RCTs are necessary to elucidate anesthesia effect on procedural and clinical outcomes.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesia, General ; Conscious Sedation ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Methods ; Mortality ; Odds Ratio ; Pneumonia ; Population Characteristics ; Publication Bias ; Stroke

Intracranial and spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) are vascular pathologies of the dural membrane with arteriovenous shunts. They are abnormal communications between arteries and veins or dural venous sinuses that sit between the two sheets of the dura mater. The dura propria faces the surface of brain, and the osteal dura faces the bone. The location of the shunt points is not distributed homogeneously on the surface of the dural membrane, but there are certain areas susceptible to DAVFs. The dura mater of the olfactory groove, falx cerebri, inferior sagittal sinus, tentorium cerebelli, and falx cerebelli, and the dura mater at the level of the spinal cord are composed only of dura propria, and these areas are derived from neural crest cells. The dura mater of the cavernous sinus, transverse sinus, sigmoid sinus, and anterior condylar confluence surrounding the hypoglossal canal are composed of both dura propria and osteal dura; this group is derived from mesoderm. Although the cause of this heterogeneity has not yet been determined, there are some specific characteristics and tendencies in terms of the embryological features. The possible reasons for the segmental susceptibility to DAVFs are summarized based on the embryology of the dura mater.
Arteries ; Brain ; Cavernous Sinus ; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations ; Colon, Sigmoid ; Dura Mater ; Embryology ; Membranes ; Mesoderm ; Neural Crest ; Pathology ; Population Characteristics ; Spinal Cord ; Veins

It aimed to present the definition of personal information based on Korean laws that protect personal information and the process of protection of personal information in journal publishing based on the guidelines of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and Committee of Publication Ethics. Two Korean laws relate to the protection of personal information in human subject research: the Personal Information Protection Act and the Bioethics and Safety Act. These laws were enacted to prevent the unauthorized use of Koreans’ personal information including medical information. Personal information can be divided into personally identifiable information including resident registration numbers and sensitive information including health information. To protect personal information in journal publishing, institutional review board (IRB) approval and obtaining informed consent from patients is recommended or mandatory in clinical studies. However, retrospective chart reviews may be exempted from IRB approval, while obtaining informed consent is recommended for all case reports. Journal policies may vary with regard to whether a copy of the informed consent form is collected from authors, since the Committee of Publication Ethics guideline does not specifically recommend collecting it. In discussions of adopting clinical data-sharing policies, transfer of data including nonidentifiable personal information to another country is an unresolved issue. Furthermore, a public data repository site should be established in Korea for data to be deposited. To protect subjects’ privacy and to prevent legal issues potentially arising from privacy concerns, editors and publishers should do their best to publish articles with appropriate oversight on subjects’ personal information.
Bioethics ; Computer Security ; Consent Forms ; Ethics ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Humans ; Informed Consent ; Jurisprudence ; Korea ; Personally Identifiable Information ; Privacy ; Publications ; Republic of Korea ; Retrospective Studies