Nichols, Douglas A.

Abstract OBJECTIVE Pulmonary complications challenge the medical management of patients who have sustained aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We assessed the frequency and types of pulmonary complications after aneurysmal SAH and analyzed the impact of pulmonary complications on patient outcome. METHODS We reviewed the records of all patients with acute SAH treated at our institution between 1990 and 1997. Three hundred five consecutive patients with an aneurysmal hemorrhage source documented by angiography and treated within 7 days of ictus were analyzed. Outcomes at longest follow-up (mean, 16 mo) were measured by use of the Glasgow Outcome Scale. RESULTS Pulmonary complications were documented in 66 patients (22%). The pulmonary complications were nosocomial pneumonia in 26 patients (9%), congestive heart failure in 23 (8%), aspiration pneumonia in 17 (6%), neurogenic pulmonary edema in 5 (2%), pulmonary embolus in 2 (<1%), and other pulmonary disorders in 4 (1%); 11 patients had two pulmonary complications. The incidence of symptomatic vasospasm was greater in patients with pulmonary complications (63%) than in patients without pulmonary complications (31%) (P= 0.001), and this association was independent of age and clinical grade at admission (odds ratio, 3.68; P< 0.001). Overall clinical outcomes were worse in patients with pulmonary complications (mean Glasgow Outcome Scale score, 3.3) than in patients without pulmonary complications (mean Glasgow Outcome Scale score, 4.0; P= 0.0001), but pulmonary complications were not an independent predictor of worse outcome when adjusted for age and clinical grade at admission (odds ratio, 1.38; P= 0.315). CONCLUSION Patients who experience pulmonary complications after aneurysmal SAH have a higher incidence of symptomatic vasospasm than do patients without pulmonary complications. This most likely reflects both the failure to maintain aggressive hypervolemic and hyperdynamic therapy in patients with pulmonary compromise and the possible precipitation of congestive heart failure by hypervolemic therapy in patients with preexisting delayed ischemic neurological deficit. Although patients with pulmonary complications have worse overall clinical outcomes than do patients without pulmonary complications, this is attributable to older age and worse clinical grades at admission.

Abstract The natural history of postirradiation extracranial cerebrovascular disease is uncertain. Previous reported cases spanning 20 years of carotid surgery are difficult to evaluate, because patients may sometimes have unspecified symptoms, physical examinations, postoperative results, and follow-up. Also, the evolution of carotid surgery over the past two decades makes it impossible to compare earlier operative technique with the state-of-the-art technique of today. Our series of 7 patients underwent 9 carotid endarterectomies with an average follow-up period of 46 months. The number of patients is small, and although technically this is a more difficult operation, we feel the results are favorable and may be comparable with endarterectomy procedures in nonirradiated patients. These patients should be approached as if radiation changes are not a major factor when they are considered for reconstructive arterial surgery.

Abstract Twenty surgically verified pituitary adenomas were imaged in a systematic comparative fashion with high field strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) before operation. The study group included 11 microadenomas, 4 macroadenomas, 2 recurrent microadenomas, and 3 recurrent macroadenomas. The MRI and CT examinations were evaluated for lesion detection, pituitary stalk displacement, cavernous sinus displacement or invasion, hemorrhage, cystic degeneration within the adenoma, bony erosion, detection of suprasellar extension, and displacement of suprasellar structures. T1 and T2 relaxation characteristics of the adenomas were evaluated on MRI examinations, and contrast enhancement characteristics were evaluated on CT examinations. MRI was superior to CT for detecting the extrasellar extent of tumor. Within the sella turcica, MRI and CT were equivalent with regard to lesion detection, except for 1 patient in whom CT was able to detect a surgically confirmed 3-mm microadenoma that was not visualized on the MRI examination. (Neurosurgery 22:380-385, 1988)

Introduction — The presence of an aneurysm remnant after incomplete or unsuccessful surgical clipping is associated with persistent risk of regrowth and rupture, and additional treatment is generally recommended. Attempts at surgical re-exploration are technically difficult and carry significant risk. Endovascular therapy can represent a valuable therapeutic alterative in these cases. Methods — We reviewed the information on 21 patients with postsurgical aneurysm remnants treated at our institution with endovascular coil occlusion between 1991 and 2000. Clinical outcome was measured using the modified Rankin scale. Statistical analysis of outcome predictors was performed using the two-tailed Fisher exact test. Results — Sixty-seven percent of the aneurysms were located in the anterior circulation. The median aneurysm size at the time of surgery was 9.9 mm (range 3 to 35 mm). The mean size of the aneurysm remnants before coiling was 6.4 mm (range 3 to 14 mm). Endovascular coiling resulted in total occlusion of the remnants in 81% of the cases. No major complications were associated with the endovascular treatment. Seventy-two percent of patients left the hospital without any functional impairment (modified Rankin scale 0 to 1). No cases of subarachnoid hemorrhage or symptomatic aneurysmal regrowth were noted after endovascular treatment over a mean follow-up of 22 months. Presence of disability or death was associated with an initial (presurgical) presentation with subarachnoid hemorrhage ( P =0.04) and an interval between incomplete clipping and endovascular coil embolization ≤1 month ( P = 0.0005). Conclusion — Endovascular coil occlusion of postsurgical aneurysm remnants is a safe and efficacious therapeutic alternative in selected cases. Postoperative angiography to identify aneurysm remnants that may be amenable to endovascular treatment should be considered in all patients.