Drug-coated balloon angioplasty for the treatment of intracranial arterial stenosis in a young stroke patient:A case report

BACKGROUND Intracranial arterial narrowing is a significant factor leading to brief episodes of reduced blood flow to the brain,known as transient ischemic attacks,or fullblown strokes.While atherosclerosis is commonly associated with intracranial arterial narrowing,it is frequently of a non-atherosclerotic nature in younger patients.CASE SUMMARY Here,we present the case of a young stroke patient with narrowing of the middle cerebral artery(MCA),characterized as non-atherosclerotic lesions,who experienced an ischemic stroke despite receiving standard drug therapy.The patient underwent digital subtraction angiography(DSA)to assess the entire network of blood vessels in the brain,revealing significant narrowing(approximately 80%)in the M1 segment of the right MCA.Subsequently,the patient underwent Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty to treat the stenosis in the right MCA's M1 segment.Follow-up DSA confirmed the resolution of stenosis in this segment.Although the remaining branches showed satisfactory blood flow,the vessel wall exhibited irregularities.A review of DSA conducted six months later showed no evident stenosis in the right MCA,with a smooth vessel wall.CONCLUSION The use of drug-coated balloon angioplasty demonstrated favorable outcomes in repairing and reshaping the blood vessel wall in young patients.Therefore,it may be considered a promising treatment option for similar cases.

Intracranial arterial stenosis in young adults:risk factors,diagnosis and treatment

Intracranial artery stenosis(ICAS)in youth is an under-explored condition.ICAS is one of the leading causes of stroke in young people worldwide and confers a higher risk of stroke recurrence,leading to a poor prognosis for individuals and a great burden to society.The etiology and risk factors of ICAS in youth differ from those of older patients,thus resulting in a difference in the progression and prognosis of the disease.Even though the diagnosis of ICAS is lumen-based,it is sometimes difficult to identify in young patients based on imaging alone.Notably,novel vessel wall imaging techniques play an important role in determining the cause of stenosis and screening patients at high risk of recurrence.Moreover,pharmacologic regimens and risk factor control goals for ICAS in young adults are largely consistent with those in older patients.Thus,considering the poor prognosis,there is an urgent need for high-quality studies in the young ICAS population to analyze the high-quality observational data collected.

INTRACRANIAL ARTERIAL OCCLUSIVE LESION IN PATIENTS WITH GRAVES DISEASE

Objective To investigate the distribution and clinical manifestations of intracranial arterial occlusive lesions （IA- OLs）, and their correlation with thyroid function. Methods We enrolled 7 patients who had Graves＇ disease （GD） with IAOLs screened and evidenced by transcranial Doppler, then further confirmed with digital substract angiography in 2 patients and magnetic resonance angiography in 5 patients. Brain magnetic resonance imaging （MRI） was performed in all 7 patients. Three patients were followed up. Results Among 7 patients, 1 was male and 6 were females. The mean age was 32.0 ± 5.5 （ range from 11 to 49） years old. Six of them had symptoms of GD but one was asymptomatic with abnormality of I3, T4, and thyroid stimulating hormone. The lesions of intracranial arteries were symmetrical bilaterally in the intemal carotid artery system in 6 patients, as well as asymmetrical in 1 patient. Terminal internal carotid artery （TICA） were involved in all 7 patients. Middle cerebral artery （MCA） were involved in 3, anterior cerebral artery in 2, and basilar artery in 1 patient. Net-like collateral vessels and mimic moyamoya disease were observed in the vicinity of the occlusive arteries in 2 patients. All patients presented symptoms of ischemic stroke including transient ischemic attack and/or infarction while IA- OLs were found. Three patients had obvious involuntary movements. Brain MRI revealed infarctions located in the cortex, basal ganglion, or hemiovular center in 5 patients. The remaining 2 patients had normal brain MRI. The neurological symptoms were improved concomitant with relief of the thyroid function in 2 patients, while IAOLs were aggravated with deterioration of the thyroid function in 1 patient. Conclusion IAOLs in patients with GD mainly involve intracranial arteries, especially the TICA and MCA, which is similar to moyamoya disease. The neurological symptoms and severity of involved arteries may relieve while the hyperthyroidism is gradually under control.

Impact of Perioperative Management for Intracranial Arterial Stenosis on Postoperative Stroke Incidence in Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery: A Propensity Matching and Multivariate Analyses

Background: Intracranial arterial steno-occlusive lesion (IAS) is the most common cause of stroke. We hypothesized that adequate perioperative management for IAS is useful to prevent stroke in coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: IAS was evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging/angiography (MRI/A, n = 216) in patients without a history of stroke or carotid stenosis (≥50%) in CABG between May 2005 and June 2018 (n = 424). Off-pump CABG was performed in most patients. Different perioperative managements of systolic arterial pressure (SAP) were applied for patients with and without MRI/A. SAP was strictly maintained at ≥80 mmHg in patients with significant IAS (≥50%, n = 28) and ≥90 mmHg for severe IAS (≥70%, n = 44) while SAP less than 80 mmHg (usually ≥70 mmHg) was allowed for patients without MRI/A. Intra-aortic balloon pumping was used for patients with multiple severe IAS and/or occlusion. Clinical outcomes were compared between patients with and without MRI/A. Propensity matching was performed (n = 181 each). Results: Complete revascularization was achieved in all patients. Nine patients (2.12%) had postoperative strokes;the incidence of stroke was signifi-cantly less in patients with preoperative MRI/A (n = 1, p = 0.016). There was no significant difference in the incidence of in-hospital mortality between patients with and without preoperative MRI/A (0.5% and 1.0%, respectively;p = 0.529). Multivariate analysis revealed that no preoperative MRI/A was the only significant predictors of postoperative stroke (p = 0.045). The incidence of stroke was not higher in patients with IAS who underwent MRI/A (p = 0.332). Conclusions: Preoperative evaluation of IAS using MRI/A and following our perioperative management significantly reduced perioperative stroke in patients undergoing CABG.

Matrix metalloproteinase 9 level as an indicator for restenosis following cervical and intracranial angioplasty and stenting

Cervical and intracranial angioplasty and stenting is an effective and safe method of reducing the risk of ischemic stroke, but it may be affected by in-stent restenosis. The present study in-vestigated serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 as a predictor of restenosis after 40 patients underwent cervical and/or intracranial angioplasty and stenting. Results showed that resteno-sis occurred in 30% （3/10） of patients when the serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 at 3 days after surgery was 2.5 times higher than preoperative level. No restenosis occurred when the serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 at 3 days after surgery was not 2.5 times higher than preoperative level. Restenosis occurred in 12% （2/17） of patients when the serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 was higher than preoperative level for more than 30 days after surgery, but only occurred in 4% （1/23） of patients when the serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 was higher than preoperative level for less than 30 days after surgery. However, the differences observed were not statistically signiifcant （P 〉 0.05）. Experimental ifndings indicate that when the serum level of matrix metalloproteinase 9 is 2.5 times higher than preoperative level at 3 days after cervi-cal and intracranial angioplasty and stenting, it may serve as a predictor of in-stent restenosis.

Effects of cilostazol on the progression and regression of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis:it reduces the risk of ischemic stroke

OBJeCTIve：To assess the efifcacy and safety of cilostazol on the progression and regression of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. DATA ReTRIvAL： We searched the main databases for eligible trials including Medline （from 1966 to June 2014）, Embase （from 1980 to June 2014）, Cochrane Library （Issue 6, 2014）, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure （from 1995 to June 2014）, Current Controlled Trials （http：//controlled-trials.com）, Clinical Trials.gov （http：//clinicaltrials.gov）, and Chinese Clinical Trial Registry （http：//www.chictr.org）. All studies regarding prevention and treatment of symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis by cilostazol were collected. The Mesh or text keywords were the En-glish words： “cilostazol, phosphodiesterase 3 inhibitor, atherosclerosis, and ischemic stroke.” No restrictions were put on publications or publication language. SeLeCTION CRITeRIA：Grade A or B randomized controlled trials were selected according to the quality of evaluation criteria from the Cochrane Collaboration, in which cilostazol and aspi-rin were used to evaluate the effects of cilostazol in the treatment of patients with symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis. The quality of study methodology was evaluated based on criteria de-scribed in Cochrane Reviewer’s Handbook 5.0.1. RevMan 5.2 software was used for data analysis. MAIN OUTCOMe MeASUReS： Clinical efifcacy and safety of cilostazol in stopping progression and promoting regression of symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis were measured by magnet-ic resonance angiography and transcranial Doppler. ReSULTS：Two randomized controlled trials with a total of 203 patients were included in this study. The results showed that while cilostazol was associated with a significantly reduced progression of intracranial artery stenosis （OR = 0.21, 95%CI： 0.09–0.47,P 〈 0.01）, it had no beneifcial effect on symptom regression （OR = 1.42, 95%CI： 0.80–2.51,P = 0.24）. During the follow-up period, although some adverse effects developed, including headache, gastrointestinal disturbance, and dizziness, incidences of bleeding were lower than in aspirin-treated patients. CONCLUSION：Cilostazol may prevent the progression of symptomatic intracranial artery ste-nosis, which could reduce the incidence of ischemic stroke.

Evaluation of changes of intracranial blood flow after carotid artery stenting using digital subtraction angiography flow assessment

AIM: To evaluate the changes of intracranial blood flow after carotid artery stenting(CAS), using the flow assessment application "Flow-Insight", which was developed in our department.METHODS: Twenty patients treated by CAS participated in this study. We analyzed the change in concentration of the contrast media at the anterior-posterior and profile view image with the flow assessment application "Flow-Insight". And we compared the results with N-isopropyl-p-[123I] iodoamphetamine-single-photon emission computed tomography(IMP SPECT) performed before and after the treatment. RESULTS: From this study, 200% of the parameter "blood flow" change in the post/pre-treatment is suggested as the critical line of the hyperperfusion syndrome arise. Although the observed blood flow increase in the digital subtraction angiography system did not strongly correlate with the rate of increase of SPECT, the "Flow-Insight" reflected the rate of change of the vessels well. However, for patients with reduced reserve blood flow before CAS, a highly elevated site was in agreement with the site analysis results. CONCLUSION: We concluded that the cerebral angiography flow assessment application was able to more finely reveal hyperperfusion regions in the brain after CAS compared to SPECT.

Superficial Temporal Artery to Middle Cerebral Artery Bypass and Endovascular Parent Artery Occlusion in the Treatment of Giant Intracranial Aneurysms

The authors are reporting on a study drawn from unpublished dissertation done by the corresponding author when he completed his neurosurgical training in Paris, France in 2004, few years before the advent of flow diverters. The study was a retrospective review of giant intracranial aneurysms treated by superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass combined with endovascular occlusion of the parent artery. From 1990 to 2003, 29 consecutive cases of giant cerebral aneurysms, not suitable to selective treatment were managed in that way. Twenty-one medical records had enough data to allow objective evaluation. Sixteen female and five male patients bearing 21 giant aneurysms were involved. Their mean age was 46 years. The aneurysm was revealed by mass effect in 13 cases and subarachnoid hemorrhage in one case. On admission 19 patients presented with unruptured aneurysms and two have sustained a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The balloon occlusion test before the bypass operation was not tolerated in 18 patients. The treatment was completed in 19 patients and 17 of them had parent artery occlusion with latex detachable balloons. The only death of the series occurred before the endovascular treatment. The mean follow-up period was 30 months. After completion of the treatment, 16 (84%) patients had no symptom. Aneurysm recanalization or rupture was not observed after the parent artery occlusion. With the combination of superficial temporal artery to middle cerebral artery bypass + endovascular parent artery occlusion, 90% of giant intracranial aneurysms untreatable selectively were permanently excluded with a good outcome in 95%.

A novel cerebrovascular drug-coated balloon catheter for treating symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis lesions:Study protocol for a prospective,multicenter,single-arm,target-value clinical trial

Background:Previous single-center studies have demonstrated that drug-coated balloons(DCBs)may reduce restenosis rates,which is an important factor affecting the prognosis for intracranial interventional therapy.However,currently available cardiac DCBs are not always suitable for the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis(ICAS).This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel DCB catheter designed for patients with severely symptomatic ICAS.Methods:This prospective,multicenter,single-arm,target-value clinical trial was conducted in 9 Chinese stroke centers to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel DCB catheter for treating symptomatic severe ICAS.Primary metrics and other indicators were collected and analyzed using SAS version 9.4(SAS Institute,Cary,NC,USA).Results:A total of 155 patients were enrolled in this study.The preliminary collection of follow-up data has been completed,while data quality control is ongoing.Conclusion:Results of this study demonstrated the patency rate,safety,and effectiveness of a novel on-label paclitaxel DCB designed for the treatment of ICAS.Ethics and dissemination:This study,involving human participants,was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Drugs(Devices)Clinical Experiment at Henan Provincial People’s Hospital(reference number:2020-145-03)and other research centers participating in the clinical trial.The results of this study will be presented at international conferences and sent to peer-reviewed journals for publication.Standard protocol items:The Recommendations for Interventional Trials checklist was used when drafting the study protocol.Trial registration number:Registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on June 11,2021(Chi CTR2100047223).

Association of bone turnover biomarkers with severe intracranial and extracranial artery stenosis in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

BACKGROUND Intracranial and extracranial artery stenosis is associated with cerebral infarction.Vascular calcification and atherosclerosis are the main causes of stenosis and major risk factors for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM).Bone turnover biomarkers(BTMs)are associated with vascular calcification,atherosclerosis,glucose,and lipid metabolism.AIM To investigate the association of circulating BTM levels with severe intracranial and extracranial artery stenosis in patients with T2DM.METHODS For this cross-sectional study including 257 T2DM patients,levels of the BTMs serum osteocalcin(OC),C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen(CTX),and procollagen type I N-peptide were measured by electrical chemiluminescent immunoassay,and artery stenosis was assessed by color Doppler and transcranial Doppler.Patients were grouped according to the existence and location(intracranial vs.extracranial)of artery stenosis.Correlations between BTM levels,previous stroke,stenosis location,and glucose and lipid metabolism were analyzed.RESULTS T2DM patients with severe artery stenosis had a higher frequency of previous stroke and levels of all three tested BTMs(all P<0.05)than patients without.Some differences in OC and CTX levels were observed according to the location of artery stenosis.Significant associations were also observed between BTM levels and some glucose and lipid homeostasis parameters.On multivariate logistic regression analysis,all BTMs were significant predictors of artery stenosis in T2DM patients with and without adjustment for confounding factors(all P<0.001),and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated the ability of BTM levels to predict artery stenosis in T2DM patients.CONCLUSION BTM levels were found to be independent risk factors for severe intracranial and extracranial artery stenosis and were differentially associated with glucose and lipid metabolism in patients with T2DM.Therefore,BTMs may be promising biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for artery stenosis.

Protective and Indicating Effect of Indirect Bilirubin in Intracranial or Extracranial Artery Atherosclerotic Stenosis Progresses

Background: Bilirubin is the metabolic end-product of heme degradation by heme oxy-genase (HO), which has recently been shown to act as an antioxidant which can protect against atherosclerosis. This study explored the relationship between serum bilirubin levels and different degrees of atherosclerotic stenosis in intracranial or extracranial arteries. Methods: The study included 189 patients undergoing digital subtraction angiography (DSA) diagnosed as being normal or having been confirmed as atherosc lerotic stenosis in the intracranial or extracranial arteries. The patients were allocated to normal, mild (Results: Indirect bilirubin (Ibil) concentrations increased in parallel with the increasing severity of atherosclerotic stenosis in the intracranial or extracranial arteries, but decreased in patients with occluded cranial vessels. Multivariate analysis showed that Ibil levels were significantly higher in patients with severe stenosis group than in those with mild stenosis (OR, 1.464;95% CI, 1.050 - 2.042;P = 0.024). However, Ibil levels were significantly lower in patients with occlusion than in those with severe stenosis (OR, 0.790;95% CI, 0.684 - 0.913;P = 0.001). Conclusions: Ibil appears to have a protective effect against the development of atherosclerotic stenosis in intracranial or extracranial arteries. The biosynthesis of Ibil increases with stenosis progresses but decreases once occlusion occurs.

Nomogram model for predicting oculomotor nerve palsy in patients with intracranial aneurysm

AIM:To explore the risk factors of oculomotor nerve palsy(ONP)in patients with intracranial aneurysm(IA)and develop a nomogram model for predicting ONP of IA patients.METHODS:A total of 329 IA patients were included.Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify independent factors,which were then integrated into the nomogram model.The performance of the nomogram model was evaluated by calibration cur ve,receiver operating curve(ROC),and decision curve analysis.RESULTS:Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated posterior communicating artery(PCo A)aneur ysm[hazard ratio(HR)=17.13,P<0.001]and aneurysm diameter(HR=1.31,P<0.001)were independent risk factors of ONP in IA patients.Based on the results of logistic regression analysis,a nomogram model for predicting the ONP in IA patients was constructed.The calibration curve indicated the nomogram had a good agreement between the predictions and observations.The nomogram showed a high predictive accuracy and discriminative ability with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.863.The decision curve analysis showed that the nomogram was powerful in the clinical decision.PCo A aneurysm(HR=3.38,P=0.015)was identified to be the only independent risk factor for ONP severity.CONCLUSION:PCo A aneurysm and aneurysm diameter are independent risk factors of ONP in IA patients.The nomogram established is performed reliably and accurately for predicting ONP.PCo A aneurysm is the only independent risk factor for ONP severity.

Efficacy of Willis covered stent of intracranial pseudoaneurysms in the internal carotid artery: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of a novel coated stent in the treatment of intracranial pseudoaneurysm.Methods:MEDLINE,EMBASE,and PubMed databases were searched for literature published between 1990 and April 2022 according to PRISMA guidelines.All studies with≥10 patients reporting successful implantation of Willis covered stent,therapeutic effect,complications,and postoperative follow-up were included.The combined incidence and corresponding 95%confidence intervals were assessed using a generalized linear mixed method and random effects model.Results:Five studies(116 patients with pseudoaneurysms)were included.The experimental groups in the selected studies showed a combined technical success rate of 81.03%(OR=18.31,95%CI=9.39-35.69,I^(2)=79%,P<0.001).Clinical follow-up showed that the complete cure rate was as high as 94.4%after the follow-up(OR=106.81,95%CI=39.08-291.88,I^(2)=0%,P=0.71).Conclusions:Willis covered stent is feasible,safe,and effective in the treatment of intracranial pseudoaneurysm.

Intracranial large artery embolism due to carotid thrombosis caused by a neck massager:A case report

BACKGROUND There are few reported cases of intracranial large artery embolism due to carotid thrombosis caused by a neck massager.Herein we report such a case.CASE SUMMARY A 49-year-old woman presented with left limb weakness and dysarthria after a history of neck massage for 1 mo.Neurological examination showed left central facial paralysis and left hemiparesis with a National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score of 12.Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed restricted diffusion on diffusion-weighted imaging in the right parietal and temporal lobes.Computed tomography angiography(CTA)indicated M3 segment embolism of the right middle cerebral artery.Neck CTA revealed thrombosis of the bilateral common carotid arteries.Carotid ultrasound showed thrombosis in the bilateral common carotid arteries(approximately 2 cm below the proximal end of the carotid sinus),and contrast-enhanced ultrasound did not suggest enhancement.No hypertension,diabetes,heart disease,vasculitis,or thrombophilia was found after admission.After 1 wk of treatment with aspirin 200 mg and atorvastatin 40 mg,a carotid ultrasound reexamination showed that the thrombosis had significantly reduced.CONCLUSION Neck massager may cause carotid artery thrombosis.

Stenting of Intracranial Artery Stenosis:Complications and Management

Background and Purpose Symptomatic intracranial artery stenosis is a high-risk factor of ipsilateral ischemic stroke. Angioplasty with stent has been introduced to treat patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor stroke attributed to intracranial stenosis since 1996. However, procedure-related neurological complications, either ischemic or hemorrhagic, could result in stroke and death, and benefits of stenting might be offset by higher disable stroke and death. So, the neurovascular angioplasty team should make great efforts to control procedural complications below an acceptable level, such as 10%, because it is impossible to avoid complication absolutely. The team should also be able to recognize, analyze and manage various procedure-related complications, to reduce the risk of disable stroke and death. The purposes of this article were to report our experiences of 20 complications, which occurred during the period of periprocedure.Methods Between September 5, 2001 and August 12, 2004, a total of 155 patients with 170 symptomatic intracranial stenoses of ≥ 50% received intracranial stenting. The management strategies for complication were as follow: ① intra-thrombus urokinase thrombolysis through micro-catheter for acute or subacute occlusion. ② another stenting for dissection. ③ antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy for penetrator events. ④ continuing nimodipine intravenously for vasospasm. ⑤ to control blood pressure below 110 / 70 mm Hg, to neutralize heparin with protamine sulfate and to discontinue antithrombotic agents, etc, for intracranial hemorrhage. Disable stroke was defined as one that led to a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of ≥2, 30 days after stroke. Results Procedure -related neurological complications occurred in 20 patients (12.9%, 20/ 155) and 20 lesions (11.7%, 20/ 170), including 6 intracranial hemorrhage (symptomatic, n=4; asymptomatic, n=2), 13 ischemic cerebral events (stroke, n=12; transient ischemic attacks, n=1) and 1 asymptomatic dissection. The probable causes, managements and outcomes of 20 complications are shown in table. Finally, by the means of aggressive endovascular and medical therapies, disable stroke and death within 30 days was 3.2% (5/155) and 1.3% (2/155), respectively. Conclusions Higher risk of procedure-related neurological complications may occur in stenting of intracranial stenosis. To reduce the possibility of disable stroke and death within 30 days, it is mandatory to develop strict procedural and periprocedural management strategies.

Subintimal recanalization for non-acute occlusion of intracranial vertebral artery in an emergency endovascular procedure:A case report

BACKGROUND Endovascular recanalization of non-acute intracranial artery occlusion is technically difficult,particularly when the microwire enters the subintima.Although the subintimal tracking and re-entry technique has been well established in the endovascular treatment of coronary artery occlusion,there is limited experience with its use in intracranial occlusion due to anatomical variations and a lack of dedicated devices.CASE SUMMARY A 74-year-old man was admitted to the hospital two days after experiencing acute weakness in both lower extremities,poor speech,and dizziness.After admission,imaging revealed acute ischemic stroke and non-acute occlusion of bilateral intracranial vertebral arteries(ICVAs).On the fourth day of admission,the patient's condition deteriorated and an emergency endovascular recanalization of the left ICVA was performed.During this procedure,a microwire was advanced in the subintima of the vessel wall and successfully reentered the distal true lumen.Two stents were implanted in the subintima.The patient's Modified Rankin Scale was 1 at three months postoperatively.CONCLUSION We present a technical case of subintimal recanalization for non-acute ICVA occlusion in an emergency endovascular procedure.However,we emphasize the necessity for caution when applying the subintimal tracking approach in intracranial occlusion due to the significant dangers involved.

Effect of Carotid Artery Stenting and Extracranial-Intracranial By-Pass on Cognitive Function: Preliminary Results

Background: To compare the neuropsychological consequences after carotid artery stenting (CAS) and extracranial-intracranial by-pass (EC-IC by-pass). Methods: A total of 43 patients referred to CAS, 32 patients referred to EC-IC by-pass and 43 control subjects were enrolled in the study. Neuropsychologic testing was performed before and three months after procedure. A paired Student t test was used to compare neuropsychologic test scores at baseline and three months after procedure in each group. Cognitive changes in a three-month follow-up were not normally distributed and compared among/between groups with Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: Three months after the treatment both the CAS and EC-IC by-pass groups showed improved cognitive performance compared to baseline, whereas the same improvement wasn’t seen in the control group. The scores from Activities of Daily Living also improved in all three groups in a three-month follow-up, and EC-IC group presented a more distinct increase in daily life abilities comparing to the other two groups. Conclusions: CAS and EC-IC by-pass in patients with a carotid or intracranial stenosis may result in cognitive improvement three months after surgery.

Endovascular coil embolization of parent artery for giant intracranial basilar dissection:a case report and literature review

Objective The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the method and result of endovascular treatment for a giant unruptured dissection of the basilar artery (BA) . Methods A 14-year-old boy underwent computed tomography (CT) scan following a minor head trauma was incidentally found a lesion located

Chinese specialist consensus on imaging diagnosis of intracranial arterial dissection

Intracranial arterial dissection is an important cause of stroke in young and middle-aged adults, but there are no domestic or globally-accepted criteria for the diagnosis and classification of intracranial arterial dissections. The evidence base for the benefits of diagnostic and interventional angiography techniques is lacking, and the imaging features of intracranial arterial dissections are not yet universally recognized or understood by clinicians. These issues influence the diagnosis and treatment of intracranial arterial dissection. Therefore, a consensus conference was convened by Neurointerventional Expert Committee of Chinese Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Chinese Interventional Neuroradiology Society of Chinese Stroke Association and Young Physicians Committee of Chinese Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The aim of this document is to report an expert consensus on the imaging diagnosis of intracranial arterial dissection. The participating clinical experts utilized their judgment and experience. Every effort was made to achieve consensus among the committee members. The expert consensus was intended to provide guidance, but they are not to be considered prescriptive for any individual patient and cannot replace the judgment of a clinician.

Effect of arteriosclerotic intracranial arterial vessel wall enhancement on downstream collateral flow

Background:The effect of arteriosclerotic intracranial arterial vessel wall enhancement(IAVWE)on downstream collateral flow found in vessel wall imaging(VWI)is not clear.Regardless of the mechanism underlying IAVWE on VWI,damage to the patient’s nervous system caused by IAVWE is likely achieved by affecting downstream cerebral blood flow.The present study aimed to investigate the effect of arteriosclerotic IAVWE on downstream collateral flow.Methods:The present study recruited 63 consecutive patients at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2021 to November 2021 with underlying atherosclerotic diseases and unilateral middle cerebral artery(MCA)M1-segment stenosis who underwent an magnetic resonance scan within 3 days of symptom onset.The patients were divided into 4 groups according to IAVWE and the stenosis ratio(Group 1,n=17;Group 2,n=19;Group 3,n=13;Group 4,n=14),and downstream collateral flow was analyzed using three-dimensional pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling(3D-pCASL)and RAPID software.The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale(NIHSS)scores of the patients were also recorded.Two-factor multivariate analysis of variance using Pillai’s trace was used as the main statistical method.Results:No statistically significant difference was found in baseline demographic characteristics among the groups.IAVWE,but not the stenosis ratio,had a statistically significant significance on the late-arriving retrograde flow proportion(LARFP),hypoperfusion intensity ratio(HIR),and NIHSS scores(F=20.941,P<0.001,Pillai’s trace statistic=0.567).The between-subject effects test showed that IAVWE had a significant effect on the three dependent variables:LARFP(R^(2)=0.088,F=10.899,P=0.002),HIR(R^(2)=0.234,F=29.354,P<0.001),and NIHSS(R^(2)=114.339,F=33.338,P<0.001).Conclusions:Arteriosclerotic IAVWE significantly reduced downstream collateral flow and affected relevant neurological deficits.It was an independent factor affecting downstream collateral flow and NIHSS scores,which should be a focus of future studies.Trial Registration:ChiCTR.org.cn,ChiCTR2100053661.