Neurosurgery
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Primary central nervous system posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorder (PCNS-PTLD) is a rare complication after solid organ transplantation (SOT). With increasing rates of SOT, PCNS-PTLD incidence is increasing. ⋯ PCNS-PTLD must be considered in the differential diagnosis of any patient with prior SOT presenting with an intracranial lesion. Histological diagnosis with brain biopsy is imperative, given the risk for opportunistic infections that may have similar imaging findings and presentation. Prognosis is variable, although long-term survival has been reported.
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Trapping with distal revascularization is a therapeutic option for giant aneurysms that cannot be clipped or coiled. In skull base lesions such as meningiomas, arterial encasement is often present, requiring, in some cases, revascularization procedures: extracranial-to-intracranial bypass and more recently intracranial-to-intracranial techniques. These techniques are used only in exceptional cases of tumors in other localizations. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, this microsurgical reconstruction of the PcaAs has not been performed before in a meningioma or a complex aneurysm case. We think the use of a superficial temporal artery as an in situ graft is more straightforward compared with other interposition grafts such as the radial artery graft or saphenous vein graft. The use of intracranial-to-intracranial techniques is the proper evolution of the use of classic extracranial-to-intracranial cerebral revascularization techniques.
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: Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is a tryptophan catabolic enzyme involved in immune tolerance and tumor immune escape processes. Recently, IDO expression has been found to correlate with the prognosis of malignant tumors, but the implication of IDO in glioma progression remains unknown. ⋯ : IDO is expressed more strongly in both primary and secondary glioblastoma tissue than low-grade glioma and may affect clinical outcome. If IDO promotes glioma cells to escape from the immune system, IDO may be a crucial therapeutic target for malignant gliomas.
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Comparative Study
Treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms: comparison of stenting and balloon remodeling.
Stent-assisted coiling (SAC) and balloon-assisted coiling (BAC) are 2 well-established techniques for the treatment of complex and wide-necked intracranial aneurysms. Most clinicians are reluctant to perform SAC in the setting of subarachnoid hemorrhage because of the need for dual antiplatelet therapy. ⋯ In this study, procedural complications and clinical outcomes did not differ significantly between SAC and BAC in patients with acutely ruptured aneurysms. SAC may be an acceptable alternative to BAC for complex aneurysms in the acute phase of subarachnoid hemorrhage.
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Treatment of complex intracranial aneurysms with the pipeline embolization device (PED) has become common practice in neurovascular centers. Very few studies have assessed the safety and efficacy of PED treatment for posterior circulation aneurysms. ⋯ In our initial experience, it appears that PED treatment in select patients with vertebrobasilar aneurysms may have a reasonable safety-efficacy profile. Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.