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Recanalisation of spontaneously occluded vertebral artery dissection after subarachnoid haemorrhage
Abstract
Spontaneous occlusion is a rare manifestation of ruptured vertebral artery dissection (VAD). Its natural history and treatment strategy have yet to be established due to its rarity. Here, we report five lesions involving spontaneous occlusion of VAD after subarachnoid haemorrhage, among which three lesions showed recanalisation. Based on our experience and previous reports, spontaneous occlusion of ruptured VAD can be classified into two groups-one group with occlusion in the acute stage with a high incidence of recanalisation and another group with occlusion in the chronic stage with a relatively low incidence of recanalisation. The underlying mechanism is likely different in each group, and treatment strategies should also be tailored depending on the pathophysiology.
... The superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA), first reported by Spetzler and Martin in 1986 (1), has been widely used in blood flow reconstruction for cerebral hemorrhages or ischemia and complex intracranial aneurysms (2)(3)(4)(5). STA-MCA alters the cerebral blood flow (CBF) perfusion of patients, so methods are needed to analyze the changes in blood flow before and after an operation to assist surgeons in adjusting followup therapeutic schedules at any time according to the operation effect. Raabe et al. (6,7) first demonstrated that the dynamic flow of indocyanine green (ICG) in anastomotic vessels can help in determining the patency and direction of intraoperative blood flow (8)(9)(10). ...
Microvascular imaging based on indocyanine green is an important tool for surgeons who carry out extracranial–intracranial arterial bypass surgery. In terms of blood perfusion, indocyanine green images contain abundant information, which cannot be effectively interpreted by humans or currently available commercial software. In this paper, an automatic processing framework for perfusion assessments based on indocyanine green videos is proposed and consists of three stages, namely, vessel segmentation based on the UNet deep neural network, preoperative and postoperative image registrations based on scale-invariant transform features, and blood flow evaluation based on the Horn–Schunck optical flow method. This automatic processing flow can reveal the blood flow direction and intensity curve of any vessel, as well as the blood perfusion changes before and after an operation. Commercial software embedded in a microscope is used as a reference to evaluate the effectiveness of the algorithm in this study. A total of 120 patients from multiple centers were sampled for the study. For blood vessel segmentation, a Dice coefficient of 0.80 and a Jaccard coefficient of 0.73 were obtained. For image registration, the success rate was 81%. In preoperative and postoperative video processing, the coincidence rates between the automatic processing method and commercial software were 89 and 87%, respectively. The proposed framework not only achieves blood perfusion analysis similar to that of commercial software but also automatically detects and matches blood vessels before and after an operation, thus quantifying the flow direction and enabling surgeons to intuitively evaluate the perfusion changes caused by bypass surgery.
A 51-year-old man presented with a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Initial computed tomography angiography revealed a ruptured right vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) 1 h post-SAH, which was spontaneously occluded as revealed by cerebral angiography 2 hours post-SAH. On day 3 when recanalization of the VADA was diagnosed, internal trapping of the VADA and parent artery was performed. The postoperative course was uneventful, leading to good outcomes. When a ruptured VADA is spontaneously occluded and conservatively treated in the acute stage of SAH, careful imaging follow-up is necessary while considering early recanalization.
Objective
Intracranial spontaneous vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms commonly occur in the third to fifth decades of life, and are mostly associated with hypertension. Patients present with intracranial haemorrhage or thromboembolic events. Patients who present with intracranial haemorrhage carry about a 70% risk of recurrent bleeding. Patients with a posterior-inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) or ipsilateral dominant vertebral artery involve selecting which parent vessel could not be sacrificed. Recent reconstructive techniques such as stent-assisted coiling embolisation and flow-diverting stents are effective treatments of choice.
Methods
Seventeen patients presented subarachnoid haemorrhage and nine patients with other symptoms. Sacrificing the parent vertebral artery was the first choice for surgical or endovascular methods. Endovascular reconstructive treatment by stent-assisted coiling embolisation was indicated in dissecting vertebral artery aneurysms with ipsilateral dominant vertebral artery or PICA involvement. Clinical outcomes were determined using the modified Rankin Score (mRS) at 90 days, with favourable outcomes defined as 0 to 2.
Results
Of the patients presenting with ruptured aneurysms, 11 (61.1%) had a good clinical outcome, with a mRS of 0–2. Favourable Hunt and Hess grading (65%), mild to moderate GCS (65%) and total occlusion of aneurysms after treatment (65%) were significantly good prognostic factors in patients with ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms.
Conclusion
Endovascular parent vessel sacrifice could be the first choice to treat a ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm. Stent-assisted coiling to preserve the patency of the parent artery and its branches is a promising treatment for vertebral artery dissections.
The first case of spontaneous dissection of the internal carotid artery (ICA) was reported in 1954 by Jentzer. Since then, other cases have been described (Bostrom and Liliequist 1967; Ehrenfeld and Wylie 1976; Fisher et al. 1978; Mokri et al. 1979; Anderson et al. 1980; Friedmann et al. 1980; Bradac et al. 1981a, b), and these have helped widen our understanding of the clinical and angiographic aspects of this disease. Spontaneous dissection is today a well-recognized pathology that is responsible for stroke in many cases. Its incidence is reported to be three to four cases per 100,000 persons yearly (Schievink 2001; Menon and Norris 2008; Redekop 2008). Young and middle-aged patients are predominantly affected.
A 34-year-old female presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a right vertebral artery (VA) dissecting aneurysm. The affected site, including the aneurysm and parent artery, was successfully occluded with detachable coils. Follow-up angiography performed 28 days after the endovascular treatment revealed recanalization of the parent artery. We decided to treat the patient conservatively without further intervention because the aneurysm had been completely occluded. Magnetic resonance imaging showed a normal VA configuration with a minor irregularity of the affected wall at 6 years after onset. Rebleeding tends to occur during the acute stage because spontaneous healing of the dissecting vascular wall typically occurs within one month after onset. Our case suggests that additional intervention is unnecessary during the chronic stage once the aneurysm has been occluded and no further signs of the development of VA dissection are found.
A 47-year-old man presented with a ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm manifesting as subarachnoid hemorrhage followed by acute occlusion and early recanalization of the affected artery. Cerebral angiography 2 hours after the onset of the symptom showed pearl-and-string sign in the right vertebral artery. Serial angiography showed that the affected artery was occluded at 12 hours but was recanalized on the 4th day. The dissecting aneurysm was resected with side-to-side anastomosis between the bilateral posterior inferior cerebellar arteries. Postoperative cerebral angiography demonstrated disappearance of the lesion and patency of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery via the anastomosis. Histological examination of the lesion showed hematoma between the media and adventitia, disrupting the internal elastica and intima. Acute occlusion and early recanalization of the affected artery may occur in ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysms. Serial neurological and neuroradiological examinations are essential to decide the timing and method of treatment.
Vertebral artery dissection has been recognized as an uncommon cause of ischemic stroke. However, it is less well known as a cause of subarachnoid hemorrhage. Even if dissecting aneurysms of the vertebral artery are rare, their importance arise from their high morbidity and mortality with rebleeding occurring more often than in cases of saccular aneurysms. Dissecting aneurysms of the vertebrobasilar system are a complex entity which requires a rapid and effective treatment to prevent rerupture. The sole stenting technique stands as a promising approach, allowing to occlude the aneurysm while preserving the vessel patency and reconstructing the diseased segment.
We report a rare case of a ruptured vertebral artery dissecting aneurysm (VADA) with affected vertebral artery (VA) occlusion. A 66-year-old hypertensive man presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage. No cerebeller sign or cranial nerve palsy was found on admission. Initial CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) revealed the right VA occlusion. On the three days after onset, the right VA was recanalized and visualized as a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA)-involved VADA. Endovascular internal trapping of the right VA including PICA origin was performed. In conclusion, it is essential that patients of VA occlusion associated with subarachnoid hemorrhage should be carefully diagnosed considering the possibility of VADA.
Five autopsied cases of dissecting aneurysms of the intracranial vertebral artery are reported and the literature is reviewed to clarify the clinicopathological correlations. In an autopsy series of 110 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), the incidence of this entity was 4.5%, with all five cases progressing rapidly to death from massive SAH. Cases of intracranial vertebral dissection can be divided clearly into two groups based on the clinical and pathological features. In the first group, the dissection is confined to the vertebral artery and a massive SAH develops caused by the rupture of the arterial wall. The plane of dissection is mainly subadventitial. In the second group, brain-stem infarction develops resulting from luminal occlusion by intramural hematoma. The plane of dissection is mainly subintimal, with the dissection extending to the basilar artery. The condition in the second group affects patients at a younger age. If the lesion is localized within the vertebral artery and does not extend to the basilar artery, the disease seems not to be fatal. The clinical features of the vertebral dissection are largely determined by the plane and extension of dissection. Vertebral artery dissection is due to many causative factors including hypertension, congenital or degenerative changes in the arterial wall, and anatomical and pathological characteristics of the vertebral artery.
Four young adults with spontaneous dissection of the vertebrobasilar system are reported. Clinically, two patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage and two with brain-stem ischemia. In two cases of ruptured arterial dissection of the posterior cerebral artery, angiography demonstrated fusiform and "sausage-like" dilatation of the involved vessel. In two cases of occlusive dissection of the basilar artery, angiography revealed the typical "string sign." All four patients were treated conservatively: three survive in good clinical condition and one remains disabled. Follow-up angiograms showed spontaneous healing of the lesion with return to an almost normal arterial configuration in two cases; residual narrowing corresponding to the dissection was the most notable finding in the other two. It is recommended that, in a subset of neurologically stable patients, angiographic monitoring is undertaken to assess the tendency for spontaneous repair before surgical intervention is planned.
A case of subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by the rupture of a dissecting aneurysm of the vertebral artery is reported. The initial angiogram was normal, and repeat angiography carried out 12 days later revealed a dissecting aneurysm of the right vertebral artery. This angiographic change seems to be due to the progression of minimal dissection that was not found at the time of first angiogram.
The clinical characteristics of vertebrobasilar dissecting aneurysms occurring with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) were reviewed in 42 patients, with particular focus on the time, incidence, and outcome in association with subsequent rupture. Twenty-nine patients underwent 31 surgical procedures, and the remaining 13 patients were managed without surgery. Surgical details included 19 proximal vertebral artery obliterations (including 1 case of endovascular surgery using balloon occlusion), 9 trappings, 1 wrapping, 1 bleb clipping, and 1 bleb clipping combined with wrapping. Surprisingly, subsequent rupture occurred in 30 (71.4%) of the 42 patients. Excluding one patient with postoperative rupture, 29 patients suffered a subsequent rupture in the unsecured stage. Of these 29 patients, 19 were operated on after the subsequent rupture and 10 were not operated on because of deteriorated clinical condition (9 patients) or anatomic considerations (1 patient). Of the 30 patients that suffered a subsequent rupture, 14 died. Twelve of the deaths were directly related to the second episode of rupture. Of the 12 patients who did not suffer a subsequent rupture, 10 underwent operations and there were no operative deaths. Only one patient died as the result of the initial critical SAH. The mortality (46.7%) of the patients with subsequent rupture was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that (8.3%) of the patients without subsequent rupture. Seventeen (56.7%) of the 30 subsequent ruptures occurred within 24 hours after the first SAH, and 24 (80%) occurred within the first week. Six (66.7%) of the 9 patients operated on within 24 hours after the first SAH and 11 (68.8%) of the 16 patients operated on within a week suffered preoperative subsequent ruptures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Generally speaking, occlusion of the vertebral artery is a finding of a dissecting aneurysm associated with completed stroke. We present a case of a vertebral dissecting aneurysm that produced subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Angiography on the day of hemorrhage, however, demonstrated complete occlusion of the vertebral artery.
A 44-year-old hypertensive woman suffered a sudden onset of headache and vomiting followed by loss of consciousness due to SAH. Angiography on the day of hemorrhage revealed a complete occlusion of the right vertebral artery just distal to the dissecting aneurysm. This is the first report of such a case. The patient was still considered to be at significant risk of rerupture. Craniotomy and clip occlusion of the right vertebral artery and the origin of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery were carried out to trap the thin-walled sac. At discharge, the patient had recovered completely except for some left limb ataxia, which subsequently disappeared.
Two options are available for the treatment of such a case: surgical or medical treatment. We employed surgery. Which is the preferred approach, however, is a difficult judgment to make at this juncture.
The relationship between reperfusion and hemorrhagic transformation (HT) remains uncertain. Therefore, we aimed to clarify the relationship between the time course of recanalization and the risk of HT in patients with cardioembolic stroke studied within 6 hours of symptom onset.
Fifty-three patients with atrial fibrillation and nonlacunar stroke in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory admitted within the first 6 hours after symptom onset were prospectively studied. Serial TCD examinations were performed on admission and at 6, 12, 24, and 48 hours. CT was performed within 6 hours after stroke onset and again at 36 to 48 hours.
Proximal and distal MCA occlusions were detected in 32 patients (60.4%) and 18 patients (34%), respectively. Early spontaneous recanalization occurring within 6 hours was identified in 10 patients (18.8%). Delayed recanalization (>6 hours) occurred in 28 patients (52.8%). HT on CT scan was detected in 17 patients (32%) within the first 48 hours. Only large parenchymal hemorrhage (PH2) was significantly associated with an increase (P=0.038, Kruskal-Wallis test) in the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score compared with the other subtypes of HT. Univariate analysis revealed that an NIHSS score of >14 on baseline (P=0.001), proximal MCA occlusion (P=0.004), hypodensity >33% of the MCA territory (P=0.012), and delayed recanalization occurring >6 hours of stroke onset (P=0.003) were significantly associated with HT. With a multiple logistic regression model, delayed recanalization (OR 8.9; 95% CI 2.1 to 33.3) emerged as independent predictor of HT.
Delayed recanalization occurring >6 hours after acute cardioembolic stroke is an independent predictor of HT.
This was a pathological study to investigate the healing process for cerebral dissecting aneurysms presenting with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).
Thirteen dissecting aneurysms that presented with SAH were obtained from 13 patients. Nine aneurysms arose from the vertebral artery, two arose from the anterior cerebral artery, one arose from the internal carotid artery, and one arose from the superior cerebellar artery. Eight aneurysm specimens were collected during autopsy and five were resected during surgery (trapping with or without bypass). The period between the onset of SAH and the time of specimen collection ranged from 6 hours to 35 days. All 13 aneurysms were pathologically examined with immunohistochemical staining, with a focus on the chronological healing process after SAH.
All dissecting aneurysms were generated with sudden widespread disruption of the internal elastic lamina and media. The healing process occurred with neointimal proliferation. The neointima, consisting mainly of newly synthesized smooth muscle cells and collagen fibers, extended from the disrupted ends of the media proper forward to the ruptured portion.
It is assumed that the healing process, with neointimal proliferation, begins after 1 week and may not be complete even after 1 month, depending on the extent of the wall injury.
Intracranial arterial dissections of the vertebrobasilar system are recognized as a cause of stroke. Although the pathogenic mechanism underlying this phenomenon is unknown, in some cases the stroke originates from subarachnoid hemorrhage, while in others ischemia is the cause. In cases where hemorrhage occurs, occlusion of the lesion is effective in reducing the risk of re-bleeding. However, deciding on treatment is difficult in uncommon cases in which occlusion occurs immediately after hemorrhage. Intracranial arterial dissections of the vertebrobasilar system often present as subarachnoid hemorrhage, and the most appropriate surgical treatment remains controversial. In this report, we describe a rare case of vertebral artery dissection in which occlusion occurred immediately after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Serial angiography revealed spontaneous recanalization of the right vertebral artery dissection, as well as enlargement. The progressive angiographic changes of the ruptured vertebral artery dissection and the endovascular treatment of such arterial dissections are discussed.
Dorsal variant blister aneurysm repair Germany This is an interesting report about a rare disease. The important issue of this publication is the 'relative' high number of cases that allows a classification according to the clinical course
- Couldwell Wt
- Chamoun
Couldwell WT, Chamoun R. Dorsal variant blister aneurysm repair. J Neurosurg. 2012; 32(Suppl):E7. Alexander Brawanski, Regensburg, Germany This is an interesting report about a rare disease. The important issue of this publication is the 'relative' high number of cases that allows a classification according to the clinical course. This is relevant information for the clinician.