Oushy, Soliman

Aneurysms associated with a vertebrobasilar fenestration are rare lesions and can grow to a giant size, presenting significant therapeutic challenges. Endovascular treatment of these aneurysms has traditionally been with coiling; however, flow diverter placement within the fenestration arms has recently proven to be a viable treatment strategy. The authors present a case of a giant vertebrobasilar fenestration aneurysm in a patient presenting with a cranial nerve VI palsy. The lesion was treated by using a combination of flow diverter placement and vertebral artery sacrifice. The nuances of flow diversion therapy for these aneurysms and the management of intra- and postoperative complications are discussed. The video can be found here: https://stream.cadmore.media/r10.3171/2022.7.FOCVID2256

OBJECTIVE Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are a major cause of intracerebral hemorrhage in children, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Moreover, the rate of AVM recurrence in children is significantly higher than in adults. The aim of this study was to define the risk of delayed pediatric AVM (pAVM) recurrence following confirmed radiological obliteration. Further understanding of this risk could inform the role of long-term radiological surveillance. METHODS The authors conducted a retrospective review of ruptured and unruptured pAVM cases treated at a single tertiary care referral center between 1994 and 2019. Demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment modalities, and AVM recurrence were analyzed. RESULTS A total of 102 pediatric patients with intracranial AVMs, including 52 (51%) ruptured cases, were identified. The mean patient age at presentation was 11.2 ± 4.4 years, and 51 (50%) patients were female. The mean nidus size was 2.66 ± 1.44 cm. The most common Spetzler-Martin grades were III (32%) and II (31%). Stereotactic radiosurgery was performed in 69.6% of patients. AVM obliteration was radiologically confirmed in 68 (72.3%) of 94 patients with follow-up imaging, on angiography in 50 (73.5%) patients and on magnetic resonance imaging in 18 (26.5%). AVM recurrence was identified in 1 (2.3%) of 43 patients with long-term surveillance imaging over a mean follow-up of 54.7 ± 38.9 months (range 2–153 months). This recurrence was identified in a boy who had presented with a ruptured AVM and had been surgically treated at 5 years of age. The AVM recurred 54 months after confirmed obliteration on surveillance digital subtraction angiography. Two other cases of presumed AVM recurrence following resection in young children were excluded from recurrence analysis because of incomplete sets of imaging available for review. CONCLUSIONS AVM recurrence following confirmed obliteration on imaging is a rare phenomenon, though it occurs more frequently in the pediatric population. Regular long-term follow-up with dedicated surveillance angiography is recommended even after obliteration following resection.

Transvenous Onyx embolization was recently described as an effective treatment of spontaneous intracranial hypotension caused by CSF-venous fistulas. Patients with CSF-venous fistulas can present with a wide spectrum of clinical and imaging findings, sometimes including spontaneous subdural hematomas, subdural hygromas, or a combination of both. Here, we describe four patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension complicated by subdural fluid collections caused by CSF-venous fistulas. The patients were treated with transvenous Onyx embolization of their CSF-venous fistulas and transarterial particle embolization of the bilateral middle meningeal arteries, with both procedures performed in a single treatment session. All four patients had clinical improvement and decreased size or resolution of their subdural fluid collections. Based on our findings, we believe that middle meningeal embolization could be a useful adjunct to CSF-venous fistula embolization. A case-control study comparing patients who did or did not undergo middle meningeal embolization will be necessary to validate this supposition.

A Carotid web (CaW) is defined as a focal shelf-like projection of non-atheromatous, fibrous tissue along the posterior wall of the carotid bulb. CaW are rare and commonly overlooked lesions increasingly recognized as a cause of stroke in otherwise healthy patients. Intravascular imaging modalities such as intravascular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography (OCT) have been proposed as an adjunct to digital subtraction angiography for the evaluation of CaW. However, the use of OCT in CaW has yet to be described. This report investigated the utility of OCT as an adjunct imaging modality in the evaluation of CaW morphology in a young patient with recurrent ischemic strokes.

Cerebrospinal fluid–venous fistula is an increasingly recognized cause of spontaneous intracranial hypotension.1 The site of the leak is between the dural sleeve around a spinal nerve root and the surrounding foraminal veins. In appropriately investigated patients, transvenous embolization of the draining foraminal and paraspinal veins has been shown to be an effective way of treating the disease, with low periprocedural morbidity, improvement in symptoms and radiological appearances.2 Video 1 shows the technique employed in a typical case using Onyx (Medtronic, Minnesota, USA) to embolize a CSF–venous fistula at the right T10 neural foramen. Video 1 Video showing the technique for trans-venous embolization of a right T10 CSF-venous fistula for the treatment of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. The first section covers patient selection and work up, before then focusing on the technical aspects of navigating through the azygos system to the target foramen and completely occluding the pathway for CSF outflow.

Abstract Tinnitus is an abnormal perception of a sound without external stimulation. Venous pulsatile tinnitus (VPT) is a specific form of tinnitus characterized by an objective and often subjective bruit that occurs as a result of localized venous abnormalities. Clinical evaluation relies on sound quality, duration, and precipitating factors. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and transverse sinus stenosis (TSS) are among the most common causes of VPT. Other causes include sigmoid sinus wall abnormalities (SSWAs), jugular vein anomalies (JVAs), and emissary veins anomalies. These anomalies can be detected on magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography/magnetic resonance venography, and high-resolution temporal bone computed tomography. The pathogenesis behind the VPT includes turbulent blood flow as a result of luminal stenosis or abnormal dilation, amplification of internal sound due to temporal bone defects, and abnormal position of the venous sinus system structures adjacent to the bony structures of the auditive apparatus. Based on these theories, different interventional treatment modalities can be applied to treat the underlying causes. Endovascular treatments have shown high efficacy and safety among those treatments which include stenting of the lateral sinus stenosis in IIH and TSS, coiling of the SSWA and JVA, and embolization of emissary veins anomalies. Further studies are needed to understand the natural history of these anomalies and the efficacy of treatments of VPT, which—unlike other types of tinnitus—can be cured with proper treatment.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE Progressive episodic spells of altered levels of consciousness, often advancing to include paroxysmal autonomic instability, may be indicative of a diencephalic dysfunction underlying spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH). A rare, and often indolent, etiology may be spinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak—an elusive diagnosis, especially in cases of CSF-venous fistula (CVF) that are often missed on routine computed tomography (CT) myelography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CLINICAL PRESENTATION We report an unusual case of a 50-yr-old woman who presented with rapidly progressive cyclical, self-resolving episodes of altered mentation and decreased arousal later in the day. Scrutiny of serial brain MRIs led to a diagnosis of SIH, with severe downward diencephalic and brain stem displacement—resulting in cerebral aqueduct occlusion with obstructive hydrocephalus. Initial clinical improvement occurred with CSF diversion, but the patient quickly deteriorated—developing diencephalic spells, including extensor posturing and severely depressed levels of consciousness. Clinical improvement was seen with stopping CSF diversion and Trendelenburg-positioning. After intensive spinal imaging, dynamic CT myelography identified a left T10 nerve root diverticula and CSF-venous fistula. Surgical obliteration resulted in rapid, profound neurological improvement, and ultimately full neurological recovery by 1 yr. CONCLUSION In our patient, worsening episodes of confusion, postural headaches, and autonomic instability developed due to SIH, which induced profound downward displacement and compression of the diencephalon and brain stem, and accompanied by subsequent obstructive hydrocephalus. Diagnostic persistence identified the CVF, which had caused the complex multifold pathophysiology and clinical presentation. If suspicion remains high for CVF, persistent spinal imaging, particularly with dynamic myelography, may be crucial.