Reporting Standards for Angioplasty and Stent-Assisted Angioplasty for Intracranial Atherosclerosis

Self-expanding versus balloon expandable stent for intracranial arterial stenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

There are limited data regarding the comparison of balloon expandable stents (BES) and self-expanding stents (SES) for the treatment of intracranial arterial stenosis.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review to identify studies that compared SES and BES in patients with symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis. Data were extracted from relevant studies found through a search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science until from January 1, 2010 to September 28, 2023. Statistical pooling with random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to compare the rates/severity of postprocedure stenosis, technical success, 30-day stroke and/or death, cumulative clinical endpoints, and restenosis rates.

RESULTS

A total of 20 studies were included. The standardized mean difference (SMD) for postprocedure stenosis (%) was significantly lower (SMD: -0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.79 to -0.24, p < .001, 10 studies involving 1515 patients) with BES. The odds for 30-day stroke and/or death were significantly lower (odds ratio [OR] 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50-0.94, p = .019, 15 studies involving 2431 patients), and cumulative clinical endpoints on follow-up were nonsignificantly lower (OR 0.64, 95% CI: 0.30-1.37, p = .250, 10 studies involving 947 patients) with BES. The odds for restenosis during follow-up were significantly lower (OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.31-0.80, p = .004, 13 studies involving 1115 patients) with BES.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with SES, BES were associated with lower rates of postprocedure 30-day stroke and/or death with lower rates of restenosis during follow up and the treatment of symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis.

Intracranial Artery Injury in HIV-negative Tuberculous Meningitis : A High-Resolution Vessel Wall Imaging Study

PURPOSE

The features of intracranial arterial injury in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) are of important diagnostic and prognostic value. The study aimed to elucidate the high-resolution vessel wall imaging (HR-VWI) manifestations of intracranial arterial insults in TBM.

METHODS

The clinical data, routine cranial magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and HR-VWI before and after contrast enhancement of intracranial arteries in clinically diagnosed TBM patients were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS

In this study 27 TBM patients were included. Abnormalities in the intracranial arteries were detected in all patients using HR-VWI. Typical vessel insults included nodular or granular lesions, related thickness and prominent enhancement in the wall, and lumen narrowing or occlusion. The most frequently involved arteries were the C4 segment of the internal carotid artery and the P1 segment of the posterior cerebral artery. The lesions were consistent with disease stage and disease duration and correlated with infarction.

CONCLUSION

The use of HR-VWI revealed that cerebral artery involvement in patients with TBM is much more common and extensive than in previous radiological reports. The use of HR-VWI improves recognition of arterial pathologies and has diagnostic value in patients with TBM.

Implication of cerebral circulation time in intracranial stenosis measured by digital subtraction angiography on cerebral blood flow estimation measured by arterial spin labeling

PURPOSE

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging to assess cerebral blood flow (CBF) is of increasing interest in basic research and in diagnostic applications, since ASL provides similar information to positron emission tomography about perfusion in vascular territories. However, in patients with steno-occlusive arterial disease (SOAD), CBF as measured by ASL might be underestimated due to delayed bolus arrival, and thus increased spin relaxation. We aimed to estimate the extent to which bolus arrival time (BAT) was delayed in patients with SOAD and whether this resulted in underestimation of CBF.

METHODS

BAT was measured using digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in ten patients with high-grade stenosis of the middle carotid artery (MCA). Regional CBF was assessed with pseudocontinuous ASL.

RESULTS

BATs were nonsignificantly prolonged in the stenotic hemisphere 4.1±2.0 s compared with the healthy hemisphere 3.3±0.9 s; however, there were substantial individual differences on the stenotic side. CBF in the anterior and posterior MCA territories were significantly reduced on the stenotic hemisphere. Severe stenosis was correlated with longer BAT and lower quantified CBF.

CONCLUSION

ASL-based perfusion measurement involves a race between the decay of the spins and the delivery of labeled blood to the region of interest. Special caution is needed when interpreting CBF values quantified in individuals with altered blood flow and delayed circulation times. However, from a clinician's point of view, an accentuation of hypoperfusion (even if caused by underestimation of CBF due to prolonged BATs) might be desirable since it indexes potentially harmful physiologic deficits.

Superficial Temporal Artery-Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass Surgery for Refractory Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate blood flow changes after bypass surgery for refractory symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS).

METHODS

We examined a cohort of consecutive patients with symptomatic ICAS. Superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery (MCA) bypass was performed in refractory patients with poor perfusion. Angiograms were graded systematically for antegrade, collateral, and bypass flow, and clinical variables were collected preoperatively, at 7 days postoperatively, and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Among 185 consecutive cases with ICAS, 15 patients who were unsuitable for or did not respond to the best medical therapy or stenting underwent bypass surgery. No patients had new ischemic deficits within 7 days postoperatively. The mean follow-up period was 30.2 ± 12.3 months. Within this period, all anastomoses were patent by methods of ultrasound or computed tomography angiography. In 2 patients, stenotic lesions exhibited early postoperative occlusion conversion at 7 days on digital subtraction angiography. In 2 patients, stenotic lesions showed progression of occlusion at 6 and 8 months. The 2 lesions with early occlusion were both located in the MCA. The extent of retrograde blood flow via bypass anastomosis was correlated with early occlusion conversion.

CONCLUSIONS

For refractory ICAS in patients with compromised hemodynamics, direct bypass might induce early occlusion of a stenotic area. MCA lesions may have a greater tendency toward early occlusion conversion.

Impact of Target Arterial Residual Stenosis on Outcome After Endovascular Revascularization

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Acute intracranial occlusion can be associated with in situ thrombo-occlusion in relation to preexisting intracranial atherosclerotic disease. We aimed to assess residual stenosis at the site of a target arterial lesion (TAL) to determine whether residual stenosis at the TAL is associated with underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease.

METHODS

One hundred and sixty-three patients who underwent endovascular therapy for M1 middle cerebral artery occlusion and achieved angiographic reperfusion were selected for analysis. The presence of residual stenosis at the TAL was classified using the Arterial Occlusive Lesion (AOL) scale at postprocedural angiography, and the severity of stenosis was grouped into none, mild (<50%), moderate (50%-69%), severe (70%-99%), and occlusion on postprocedural and follow-up angiography. We also recorded the incidence of instant reocclusion occurring during the procedure and delayed reocclusion detected on follow-up angiography.

RESULTS

Seventy-four patients (45.5%) showed target arterial residual stenosis (AOL 2). As to the TAL pathogenesis, 40 patients were classified into in situ thrombo-occlusion (54.1% of AOL 2 and 24.5% of M1 occlusion). The occurrence of instant or delayed reocclusion was independently associated with a low chance of favorable 3-month outcome. Furthermore, the occurrence of delayed reocclusion was associated with excellent pretreatment collateral flow and early neurological worsening, but not the severity of residual stenosis at the TAL.

CONCLUSIONS

In population with a high prevalence of intracranial atherosclerotic disease, residual stenosis may be attributed to in situ thrombo-occlusion with underlying intracranial atherosclerotic disease in ≈25% of cases, hindering functional recovery via the occurrence of instant or delayed reocclusion.

Relationship between deep medullary veins in susceptibility-weighted imaging and ipsilateral cerebrovascular reactivity of middle cerebral artery in patients with ischemic stroke

Deep cerebral veins have been recently associated with the severity of hemodynamic impairment in moyamoya disease. The aim of the current study was to determine the correlation of deep medullary veins (DMVs) in susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) with ipsilateral cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) of and anterior cecebrocervical artery stenosis in patients with ischemic stroke. Patients with unilateral TIA or infarction who underwent 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging SWI, digital subtraction angiography and transcranial Doppler with CO₂ stimulation within the first 7 days of hospitalization were retrospectively selected. CVR and stenosis of anterior cerebrocervical arteries were compared between different DMVs stages in symptomatic hemispheres (SHs) and asymptomatic hemispheres (AHs). A total of 61 patients were subsequently included in the present study. A univariate analysis was conducted and results for age (P_AHs=0.004, P_SHs=0.006), hypertension (P_AHs=0.008, P_SHs=0.020), current smoking (P_AHs=0.006, P_SHs=0.021), CVR (P_AHs=0.000, P_SHs=0.000), and artery stenosis (P_AHs=0.000, P_SHs=0.000) were obtained. The results suggested statistically significant differences between DMVs grades in SHs and AHs. A subsequent multivariate analysis revealed that CVR (OR_AHs=0.925, 95% CI_AHs: 0.873–0.981; OR_SHs=0.945, 95% CI_SHs: 0.896–0.996), and artery stenosis (OR_AH=3.147, 95% CI_AH: 1.010–9.806; OR_SHs=2.882, 95% CI_SHs: 1.017–8.166) were independent risk factors of DMVs. In conclusion, 3.0 T SWI was useful in detecting the DMVs around the lateral ventricle in patients with atherosclerotic ischemic stroke. CVR and stenosis of anterior cerebrocervical arteries were independent risk factors for ipsilateral DMVs in SHs and AHs.

Higher Levels of Cystatin C Are Associated with Extracranial Carotid Artery Steno-Occlusive Disease in Patients with Noncardioembolic Ischemic Stroke

Background

Large artery atherosclerosis is a major cause of ischemic stroke worldwide. Differential biomarker profiles associated with extra- and intracranial atherosclerosis are a topic of considerable interest. Cystatin C (CysC), a marker of renal function, is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Aim

We sought to determine whether CysC levels were associated with extra- and intracranial large artery stenosis (LAS) in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed data of acute noncardioembolic ischemic stroke patients who were admitted to our stroke center within 5 days from symptom onset. Serum CysC levels were measured using latex agglutination turbidimetric immunoassay. Extra- and intracranial LAS were defined as ≥50% diameter stenosis or occlusion of the relevant internal carotid artery (ICA) and/or middle cerebral artery (MCA) using carotid echography and volume rendering on magnetic resonance angiography. Multivariate logistic analyses were used to assess the association between CysC levels and LAS after adjustment for potential confounders.

Results

Of 205 patients (mean age 70.2 years), 76 (37.1%) had LAS. The distribution of LAS was 29 extracranial ICA, 34 intracranial ICA/MCA (8 ICA only, 25 MCA only, 1 ICA+MCA) and 13 tandem stenosis (both extracranial ICA and intracranial ICA/MCA). Levels of CysC were higher in patients with extracranial ICA stenosis than in those with intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis (1.23 ± 0.33 vs. 0.97 ± 0.21 mg/l, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, the highest CysC tertile (>1.04 mg/l) was significantly associated with extracranial ICA stenosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 5.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-16.63, p = 0.009) after adjustment for age, sex, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, current smoking, systolic blood pressure, HDL cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and premorbid lipid-lowering drugs use. When CysC was considered as a continuous variable, 1 SD increase in CysC was significantly associated with extracranial ICA stenosis (adjusted OR 3.01, 95% CI 1.58-5.72, p = 0.001). However, there were no significant associations between CysC levels and intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis. In addition, CysC levels showed a weak but statistically significant correlation with hs-CRP levels (r = 0.195, p = 0.021). Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, CysC value displayed good performance in discriminating extracranial ICA stenosis (c-statistic 0.79, 95% CI 0.69-0.89, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

This preliminary study suggests that higher levels of CysC were independently associated with symptomatic extracranial ICA stenosis, but not with intracranial ICA/MCA stenosis in patients with noncardioembolic stroke. Our findings provide new insights into the link between serum CysC and carotid atherosclerosis.

Safety of low-dose aspirin in endovascular treatment for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis

Objectives

To evaluate the safety of low-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel versus high-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel in prevention of vascular risk within 90 days of duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients treated with intracranial endovascular treatment.

Methods

From January 2012 to December 2013, this prospective and observational study enrolled 370 patients with symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis of ≥70% with poor collateral undergoing intracranial endovascular treatment. Antiplatelet therapy consists of aspirin, at a low-dose of 100 mg or high-dose of 300 mg daily; clopidogrel, at a dose of 75 mg daily for 5 days before endovascular treatment. The dual antiplatelet therapy continued for 90 days after intervention. The study endpoints include acute thrombosis, subacute thrombosis, stroke or death within 90 days after intervention.

Results

Two hundred and seventy three patients received low-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel and 97 patients received high-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel before intracranial endovascular treatment. Within 90 days after intervention, there were 4 patients (1.5%) with acute thrombosis, 5 patients (1.8%) with subacute thrombosis, 17 patients (6.2%) with stroke, and 2 death (0.7%) in low-dose aspirin group, compared with no patient (0%) with acute thrombosis, 2 patient (2.1%) with subacute thrombosis, 6 patients (6.2%) with stroke, and 2 death (2.1%) in high-dose aspirin group, and there were no significant difference in all study endpoints between two groups.

Conclusion

Low-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel is comparative in safety with high-dose aspirin plus clopidogrel within 90 days of duration of dual antiplatelet therapy in patients treated with intracranial endovascular treatment.

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintense vessels in posterior cerebral artery infarction

Background

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintense vessels (FHVs) are known to reflect stagnant or slow blood flow within the cerebral artery. FHVs are frequently observed in patients with acute cerebral infarction accompanied by arterial occlusion or significant stenosis of the anterior cerebral circulation. However, FHVs have not been studied in the context of posterior cerebral circulation. Thus, we investigated the prevalence of FHVs and its clinical significance in patients with acute posterior cerebral artery (PCA) territory infarction.

Methods

In this retrospective study, consecutive patients with PCA territory infarction who underwent MRI within 1 week after symptom onset were enrolled. Two neurologists who were blinded to the angiographic findings read the images and determined the presence of FHVs. Afterwards, FHVs were graded according to the extent (subtle or prominent) and location (proximal or distal) of the hyperintense vessels. Neurologic deficits of the patients were assessed by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) upon admission and after 5 days. The clinical outcome between patient groups based on FHVs grading was compared using the NIHSS. Among the patients with PCA occlusion, infarction volume on the diffusion-weighted image was compared between the two groups with and without distal FHVs.

Results

FHVs were observed in 25 of the 87 patients (28.7%) with PCA territory infarction and in 65.7% of the 35 patients with significant arterial stenosis (10 patients) or occlusion (25 patients) in the posterior cerebral circulation. Among the 18 patients with PCA occlusion, the NIHSS score was significantly improved in patients with distal FHVs compared to the others (2.00 ± 2.18 vs. 0.56 ± 1.01, p = 0.04). The infarction volume was smaller in the distal FHV group than in the others (8.3 ± 8.7 vs. 16.8 ± 17.6 ml), but the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

FHVs are detected in patients with PCA territory infarction, especially in those with an occlusive lesion in the PCA. FHVs can be used as an imaging marker of PCA occlusion. Although this study showed a better clinical improvement in patients with distal FHVs, further study is needed to elucidate the clinical meaning of FHVs in PCA infarction.

Acute intracranial in-stent thrombosis after angioplasty of middle cerebral artery symptomatic stenosis: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease is one of the major risk factors of ischemic stroke. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stent deployment may be effective for the treatment of symptomatic intracranial stenosis, however its value is yet to be determined. High possibility of serious periprocedural complications, such as acute in-stent thrombosis or stroke, narrows the current recommendations for this treatment to patients with high-grade stenosis (>70%), and to experienced neurointerventional centers.

CASE REPORT

We present a 44-year-old male with symptomatic high-grade stenosis of the M1 segment of left middle cerebral artery, treated with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty with stenting. The procedure was complicated with acute in-stent thrombosis treated with intra-arterial thrombolysis, which resulted in a nondisabling stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

The procedure-related stroke in this patient was probably caused by middle cerebral artery perforator ostium occlusion with balloon predilatation and transient in-stent thrombosis related to insufficient antiplatelet pretreatment. Exhausted cerebrovascular reserve due to long-lasting high-grade intracranial stenosis should also be considered as a factor contributing to ischemic complications.

Anesthesia for endovascular neurosurgery and interventional neuroradiology

This article outlines the roles of the anesthesiologist in the management of patients undergoing invasive endovascular procedures to treat vascular diseases, primarily of the central nervous system. This practice is usually termed interventional neuroradiology or endovascular neurosurgery. The article emphasizes perioperative and anesthetic management strategies to prevent complications and minimize their effects if they occur. Planning the anesthetic and perioperative management is predicated on understanding the goals of the therapeutic intervention and anticipating potential problems.

Value of imaging lenticulostriate arteries before middle cerebral artery stenting for the prevention of perforator stroke

INTRODUCTION

In this study, we investigated whether pre-procedural imaging of LSAs would potentially be helpful for preventing LSAs from being covered.

METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the LSAs of 15 consecutive patients who underwent revascularization for symptomatic middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis. All patients underwent two- (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) digital subtraction angiography.

RESULTS

We found that 46.7 (7/15), 40 (6/15), and 13.3 % (2/15) of patients had stenotic lesions in the proximal, middle, and distal third of the M1 segment, respectively. There was a total of 32 LSAs that originated from the lesioned MCAs. Seven (21.9 %), 10 (31.3 %), 11 (34.4 %), and 4 (12.5 %) LSAs originated from the proximal third of the M1 segment, middle third of the M1 segment, distal third of the M1 segment, and starting segment of the superior M2 segment, respectively. Sixteen (76.2 %) of 22 LSAs in 13 patients were covered by stents. It would have been possible to avoid covering 43.8 % (7/16) of these LSAs with stents if they had been evaluated before stenting, and the stents had been accurately deployed. Among 16 LSAs which were covered by stent, only one (6.25 %) was occluded after coverage.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that evaluation of LSAs during MCA stenting would be potentially helpful for preventing LSAs from being covered and subsequently occluded by stents.

Treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease with a balloon-expandable paclitaxel eluting stent: procedural safety, efficacy and mid-term patency

Purpose

Procedural safety and high rates of in-stent recurrent stenotic lesions (ISR) remain a concern in the endovascular treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD). In the present study technical feasibility, safety and efficacy of the paclitaxel eluting balloon-expandable coronary stent Coroflex^® Please was assessed in the treatment of ICAD.

Methods

A total of 95 patients (79 male; median age 68 years) with 106 intracranial atherosclerotic stenotic lesions underwent endovascular treatment using Coroflex^® Please stents (B. Braun, Melsungen, Germany). Location and degree of target stenoses before and after treatment and at follow-up and adverse clinical sequelae of treatment were registered. Post-procedural medication included 100 mg acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and 75 mg clopidogrel for 1 year. Angiographic follow-up was scheduled for 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks after the treatment.

Results

The lesion locations were as follows: internal carotid artery (ICA) petrous (n = 44, 42%), ICA cavernous (n = 43, 41%), ICA paraclinoid (n = 4, 4%), intradural vertebral artery (VA; n = 11, 10%) and basilar artery (BA; n = 4, 4%). Of the lesions seven could not be treated due to difficult anatomy and stent stiffness (7% technical failure rate). The combined post-interventional neurological morbidity and mortality rate, including stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) was n = 4 (3.7%) within and n = 1 (0.9%) at and beyond 30 days, respectively. Angiographic and clinical follow-up examinations were carried out for 78 (78%) of the lesions (mean 16.1 months, maximum 48 months). Asymptomatic recurrent stenosis was seen in 3 out of 78 (3.8%) lesions and there was 1 case of late stent thrombosis (0.9%).

Conclusions

Treatment of ICAD using drug-eluting coronary stents is safe and effective but technical failure due to stent stiffness remains a problem. Application of the more flexible, newest generation thin-strut stents, however, shows promising results.

Intracranial stents for treatment of acute ischemic stroke: evolution and current status

BACKGROUND

Intravascular stents have been applied to treat a variety of pathophysiologic conditions. With advances in stent design and delivery, stenting has become a viable treatment option in neurovascular disease. Recently, intracranial arterial stenting has received increasing interest as a modality to rapidly and effectively recanalize affected vessels in the setting of acute ischemic stroke.

METHODS

To examine the potential of stenting procedures for stroke, we compiled and analyzed relevant experimental and clinical studies in the available databases.

RESULTS

Our resulting discussion covers the brief history of stents, from their initial inception in the 1960s, to the developments of interventional cardiology, and finally to the treatment of acute occlusions of the neurovasculature. We also detail technological advances that have improved stent delivery to intracranial arteries and review the several clinical studies that feature stenting for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSION

Numerous clinical studies have revealed that stents are a quick and efficacious endovascular tool for acute ischemic stroke treatment. It appears likely that issues regarding design, safety, and feasibility of stent-based devices will experience further improvement and refinement, and from fruitful criticism of existing technologies and techniques, along with lessons from past mistakes, will arise safer and more effective devices.

Point-of-care testing for anticoagulation monitoring in neuroendovascular procedures

POC testing is defined as diagnostic testing at or near the site of patient care. Rapid measurement of the intensity of anticoagulation and, more recently, platelet inhibition allows dose titration of adjuvant medications such a heparin and antiplatelet agents during neuroendovascular procedures. However, knowledge among practicing physicians regarding the pathophysiologic basis of these measurements and variations in knowledge about the differences among devices is often limited. This review discusses the role of anticoagulation in endovascular procedures and the currently available POC tests for anticoagulation monitoring.

Stenting versus medical treatment for severe symptomatic intracranial stenosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Intracranial atherosclerosis is especially prevalent in Asians, but intracranial stent placement and medical treatment for severe intracranial stenosis are controversial. Thus, we compared long-term outcomes of these 2 therapeutic approaches in an Asian population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients with angiographically proved severe (≥70%) symptomatic intracranial atherosclerosis, with or without stent placement, were retrospectively reviewed at a single center between 2002 and 2009, with adjustments for age, sex, vascular risk factors, degree of baseline stenosis, and baseline functional status.

RESULTS

Of the 114 patients followed from 3 to 36 months (mean, 17.3 months) after initial diagnosis, 53 received 56 stents in addition to medical treatment (stent-placement group), and 61 matched patients received only medical treatment (medical group). Total clinical events, including stroke, TIA, and vascular death, were 12 (22.6%) and 15 (24.6%) in the stent-placement and medical groups, respectively (P = .99). The stent-placement group had significantly better functional outcomes than the medical group (94.3% versus 78.7% for mRS scores of 0-3, P = .045). Most events in the stent-placement group occurred within the first week of the periprocedural period (17.0%) as minor embolic or perforator infarctions, and the rate of events decreased thereafter (5.7%, P = .07). Stent placement over the perforator-rich MCA and BA independently predicted periprocedural events on multivariate regression analysis. In the medical group, events increased in frequency (21.7%) and severity with time.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the total ischemic event rate was similar in the 2 groups during a 3-year follow-up, the stent-placement group had a more favorable functional outcome despite minor periprocedural strokes.

Hyperintense vessels on FLAIR: a useful non-invasive method for assessing intracerebral collaterals

OBJECTIVE

This study was aimed to evaluate relationship between hyperintense vessels (HV) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and artery steno-occlusion related intracerebral collaterals.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 233 patients with 260 atherosclerotic lesions in the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were examined with FLAIR and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). HV were graded as 0, 1, 2 and 3 by its distributions in the MCA territory. Grade 0 indicated no HV; Grade 1 indicated the HV limited in Sylvian fissure; Grade 2 indicated the HV limited in Sylvian fissure and the temporal-occipital junction; Grade 3 indicated the HV extended to frontal-parietal lobes. Collateral blood flows were classified by DSA results. The relationship between HV grades and patterns of collateral flows was analyzed.

RESULTS

HV were observed in 76 out of 260 hemispheres. For patients with Grade 1 HV, most of their collateral flows (80.8%) were antegrade; for patients with Grade 2, the retrograde leptomeningeal flows were commonly manifested as anterior cerebral artery to MCA (75%); for patients with Grade 3 HV, most of the retrograde leptomeningeal flows were manifested as posterior cerebral artery to MCA (81.8%). As the grade HV increased, the frequency of retrograde leptomeningeal collateral from ACA to MCA decreased (100% to 75% and to 18.2%), and increased (0% to 25% and to 81.8%) for the retrograde leptomeningeal collateral via PCA to MCA (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The HV could assess non-invasively intracerebral collaterals in patients with steno-occlusive lesions of M1 segment of MCA.

Decreased density of the platelet serotonin transporter in pathological gamblers

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The aim of this study was to investigate the serotonin transporter (SERT), by means of the 3H-paroxetine ([3H]-Par) binding to platelet membranes, in patients affected by pathological gambling (PG), as compared with a similar group of healthy control subjects.

METHODS

Seventeen PG patients were selected amongst those who were drug-free and at the first psychiatric interview in a Department of Addiction. The diagnosis was assessed according to DSM-IV criteria and PG severity was measured by means of the South Oaks Gambling Screen. The platelet [3H]-Par binding was carried out according to a standardized method. The binding parameters, the maximum binding capacity (B(max)) and the dissociation constant (K(d)), were obtained by means of the Scatchard analysis.

RESULTS

The B(max) values of PG patients were significantly lower than that of healthy subjects, while the K(d) values were not different in the two groups. No significant effect of age, sex or psychiatric comorbidity on B(max) or K(d) was observed; there were also no correlations between clinical and biological variables.

CONCLUSIONS

PG patients showed a dysfunction at the level of the platelet SERT that would suggest the involvement of the 5-HT system in this condition.