• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.199-203
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• 2010

Infected aortic aneurysms are rare, but the mortality of patients with infected aortic aneurysms remains high. Open surgical procedures are the standard of care for infected aneurysms of aorta, but the surgical results are often disappointing. The risk factors related to the high mortality include aneurysm rupture and a suprarenal aneurysm location. The classic method for treating infected aneurysms has been aneurysm resection, soft tissue debridement, remote arterial reconstruction out of the field of infection and antibiotics. Infected anuerysms located in the suprarenal aorta are highly lethal because of the need to reimplant the visceral or renal arteries and the graft related complications. We reported here on a case of suprarenal infected aortic aneurysm in a 55-years-old man. We also include a review of the relevant medical literature.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.226-231
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• 2009

Objective : We describe our clinical experiences and outcomes in patients who had thromboembolic complications occurring during endovascular treatment of intracerebral aneurysms with a review of the literature. The types of thromboembolic complications were divided and the treatment modalities for each type were described. Methods : Between August 2004 and March 2009 we performed endovascular embolization with Guglielmi detachable coils for 173 patients with 189 cerebral aneurysms, including ruptured and unruptured aneurysms at our hospital. Sixty-eight patients were males and 105 patients were females. The age of patients ranged from 22-82 years (average, 58.8 years). We retrospectively evaluated this group with regard to complication rates and outcomes. The types of thromboembolic complications were classified into the following three categories: mechanical obstruction, distal embolic stroke, and stent-induced complications, which corresponded to types I, II, and III, respectively. A comparison of the clinical results was made for each type of complication. Results : Only eight patients had a thromboembolic complication during or after a procedure (4.6%). Of the eight patients, two had a mechanical obstruction as the causative factor; the other three patients had distal embolic stroke as the causative factor. The remaining three patients had stent-induced complications. In cases of mechanical obstruction, recanalization occurred due to the use of intra-arterial thrombolytic agents in one of two patients. Nevertheless, a poor prognosis was seen. In the cases of stent-induced complications, in one of three patients in whom a thrombus developed following stent insertion, a middle cerebral artery territory infarct developed with a poor prognosis despite the use of wiring and an intra-arterial thrombolytic agent. In the cases of distal embolic stroke, all three patients achieved good results following the use of antiplatelet agents. Conclusion : Treatment for thromboemboic complications due to mechanical obstruction and stent-induced complications include antiplatelet and intra-arterial thrombolytic agents; however, this cannot guarantee a sufficient extent of effectiveness. Therefore, active treatments, such as balloon angioplasty, stent insertion, and clot extraction, are helpful.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.480-484
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• 2010

Objective : To evaluate the role of lumbar drainage in the prevention of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus after treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms by coil embolization in good-grade patients. Methods : One-hundred-thirty consecutive patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in good-grade patients (Hunt & Hess grades I-III), who were treated by coil embolization between August 2004 and April 2010 were retrospectively evaluated. Poor-grade patients (Hunt & Hess grades IV and V), a history of head trauma preceding the development of headache, negative angiograms, primary subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and loss to follow-up were excluded from the study. We assessed the effects on lumbar drainage on the risk of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus related to coil embolization in patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Results : One-hundred-twenty-six patients (96.9%) did not develop shunt-dependent hydrocephalus. The 2 patients (1.5%) who developed acute hydrocephalus treated with temporary external ventricular drainage did not require permanent shunt diversion. Overall, 4 patients (3.1%) required permanent shunt diversion; acute hydrocephalus developed in 2 patients (50%). There was no morbidity or mortality amongst the patients who underwent a permanent shunt procedure. Conclusion : Coil embolization of ruptured intracranial aneurysms may be associated with a lower risk for developing shunt-dependent hydrocephalus, possibly by active management of lumbar drainage, which may reflect less damage for cisternal anatomy than surgical clipping. Coil embolization might have an effect the long-term outcome and decision-making for ruptured intracranial aneurysms.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.816-822
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• 1989

Aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta can be caused by various etiologies. So, its abrupt rupture leads life-threatening state, it must be operated as soon as possible. Surgical treatment of the descending thoracic aortic aneurysm requires temporary cross-clamping of major artery. The obligatory occlusion of the descending thoracic aorta during management causes proximal arterial hypertension and distal arterial hypotension. The former may leads to left ventricular failure, or cerebrovascular accident, whereas the latter may leads to spinal cord ischemia or renal injury. Some have recommended insertion of temporary shunt around the occluded descending aorta to prevent above problems. Still others would favor expeditious operation employing simple aortic occlusion during the repair of the descending aorta. Recently we had experienced two cases of dissecting aneurysms of descending thoracic aorta which performed aortoplasty with Gore-Tex conduit under simple aortic occlusion. The one was 34-year-old female patient with traumatic dissecting aortic aneurysm [5 em X 5 cm] on the descending thoracic aorta distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery and the other was 58-year-old female patient with atherosclerotic dissecting descending thoracic aortic aneurysm [6 cmX7 cm] and diffuse abdominal aortic aneurysms [3X5 cm]. Both patients performed standard left posterolateral thoracotomy. After the aneurysmal sac was mobilized, occluding vascular clamps were placed on the transverse aorta proximal to the origin of the left subclavian artery, and on the distal descending aorta without adjuvant bypass procedures for 31 and 32 minutes, respectively, and the aneurysmal sac was repaired with 18 mm ringed Gore-Tex conduit graft. Both patients postoperative courses were uneventful.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.62 no.1
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• pp.27-34
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• 2019

Objective : Stent-assisted coil embolization of intracranial wide-necked aneurysm requires long-term postoperative antiplatelet therapy to prevent in-stent thrombosis. This study aimed to demonstrate results of temporary stent placement for coiling wide necked small intracranial aneurysms, which eliminated need for antiplatelet agents, and to discuss its feasibility and safety. Methods : Data of 156 patients who underwent stent-assisted coil embolization between 2011 and 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Thirteen cases of temporary stent-assisted coil embolization were included, and their clinical and radiological results were evaluated. Results : The aneurysms treated were all unruptured except one case. All of them had wide neck with mean dome-to-neck ratio of 0.96 and were small-sized aneurysms with mean maximal diameter of 4.2 mm. There was no technical failure in retrieval of stent after completion of embolization of the target aneurysm. Immediate angiography revealed 11 complete and two partial embolization (one residual neck and one residual aneurysm). Two cases encountered thrombosis complication, and they were managed without neurological sequelae. The mean follow-up period was 43 months, angiographic follow-up revealed two cases with minor recurrence, and clinical outcome was good with modified Rankin scale score of 0. Conclusion : Temporary stent-assisted coil embolization of small wide-necked intracranial aneurysm using fully retrievable stent appears safe and effective. Further application and evaluation of this technique in more cases with larger size aneurysm is warranted.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.1
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• pp.39-50
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• 2021

Objective : The treatment of large aneurysms of the posterior circulation is complicated and remains challenging. We here analyzed our institutional clinical outcomes of large unruptured aneurysms of the posterior circulation. Methods : This study included 56 patients who presented with a large (>10 mm) unruptured aneurysm of the posterior circulation between 2002 and 2018. Results : There were 18 (32.1%) male and 38 (67.9%) female patients, with a mean age of 53.4 years. The most common location was the vertebral artery, followed by the basilar tip and posterior cerebral artery. The median follow-up duration was 29 months. Eighteen patients (32.1%) were treated by transcranial surgery and 38 (67.9%) were treated by endovascular treatment (EVT). Post-treatment complications occurred in 16 patients (28.6%), with there being no significant difference between the transcranial surgery and EVT groups. Complete obliteration was achieved in 30 patients (53.6%), with there being no statistically significant difference between the transcranial surgery and EVT groups. Recurrence occurred in 17 patients (30.4%), and the rate of recurrence was higher in the EVT group than in the transcranial surgery group (39.5% vs. 11.1%, p=0.03). Forty-four (84%) of 56 patients showed a favorable functional outcome. In saccular aneurysm, EVT was negative predictor of worsening of functional status. Conclusion : Treatment of these aneurysms harbors an inherent high risk of morbidity. No superiority was found between transcranial surgery and EVT in terms of complications and complete obliteration, but transcranial surgery showed a higher treatment durability than EVT.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.64 no.4
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• pp.524-533
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• 2021

Objective : When treating high-positioned anterior communicating artery (ACoA) aneurysms, pterional-transsylvian and interhemispheric approaches are both viable options, yet comparative studies of these two surgical approaches are rare. Accordingly, this retrospective study investigated the surgical results of both approaches. Methods : Twenty-four patients underwent a pterional approach (n=11) or interhemispheric approach (n=13), including a unilateral low anterior interhemispheric approach or bifrontal interhemispheric approach, for high-positioned ACoA aneurysms with an aneurysm dome height >15 mm and aneurysm neck height >10 mm both measured from the level of the anterior clinoid process. The clinical and radiological data were reviewed to investigate the surgical results and risk factors of incomplete clipping. Results : The pterional patient group showed a significantly higher incidence of incomplete clipping than the interhemispheric patient group (p=0.031). Four patients (36.4%) who underwent a pterional approach showed a postclipping aneurysm remnant, whereas all the patients who experienced an interhemispheric approach showed complete clipping. In one case, the aneurysm remnant was obliterated by coiling, while follow-up of the other three cases showed the remnants remained limited to the aneurysm base. A multivariate analysis revealed that a pterional approach for a large aneurysm with a diameter >8 mm presented a statistically significant risk factor for incomplete clipping. Conclusion : For high-positioned ACoA aneurysms with a dome height >15 mm and neck height >10 mm above the level of the anterior clinoid process, a large aneurysm with a diameter >8 mm can be clipped more completely via an interhemispheric approach than via a pterional approach.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.65 no.5
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• pp.710-718
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• 2022

Objective : Although endovascular treatment for intracranial aneurysms is considered effective and safe, its durability is still debated. Also, few studies have described angiographic follow-up plan after endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysm, especially in ruptured cases. Hence, we report the long-term results of follow-up angiography protocol. Methods : Radiological records of 639 cases of coil embolization with ruptured aneurysms from March 2003 to December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients who received treatment of a saccular aneurysm less than 7 mm resulted with near complete occlusion were included. Two hundred thirty-eight aneuryms which received the follow-up angiography at least once were enrolled. We classified four periods of follow-up as follows : post-treatment 1 year (defined as the first period), from 1 to 2 years (the second period), 2 to 5 years (the third period), and over 5 years (long-term). Results : We identified 14 cases (6.4%) of recurrence from 218 aneurysms in follow-up angiography in the first period. Among 143 aneurysms in the second period, five cases (3.5%) of recurrence were identified. There were no findings suspicious of recanalization in 97 patients in the third period. Of the total 238 cases, there were 19 recurrences, for a recurrence rate of 8.0%. Six (31.6%) out of 19 recurrences showed a tendency toward repeat recurrences even after additional treatment. Twenty-eight received long-term follow-up over 5 years and there was no recurrence. Conclusion : Most of the recurrence were found during the first and the second year. We suggest that at least one digital subtraction angiography examination may be necessary around post-treatment 2 years, especially in ruptured cases. If the angiographic results are favorable at 2 years post-treatment, long-term result should be favorable.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.66 no.4
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• pp.418-425
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• 2023

Objective : Deciphering the anatomy of posterior communicating artery (PCoA) aneurysms in relation to surrounding structures is essential to determine adjuvant surgical procedures. However, it is difficult to predict surgical structures through preoperative imaging studies. We aimed to present anatomical structures using preoperative high-resolution three-dimensional proton density-weighted turbo spin-echo magnetic resonance (PDMR) imaging with simple classification. Methods : From January 2020 to April 2022, 30 patients underwent PDMR before microsurgical clipping for unruptured PCoA aneurysms in a single tertiary institute. We retrospectively reviewed the radiographic images and operative data of these patients. The structural relationship described by PDMR and intraoperative findings were compared. Subsequently, we classified aneurysms into two groups and analyzed the rate of adjuvant surgical procedures and contact with the surrounding structures. Results : Correlations between preoperative PDMR predictions and actual intraoperative findings for PCoA aneurysm contact to the oculomotor nerve, temporal uncus, and anterior petroclinoid fold (APCF) reported a diagnostic accuracy of 0.90, 0.87, and 0.90, respectively. In 12 patients (40.0%), an aneurysm dome was located on the plane of the oculomotor triangle and was classified as the infratentorial type. Compared to the supratentorial type PCoA aneurysm, adjuvant procedures were required more frequently (66.7% vs. 22.2%, p=0.024) for infratentorial type PCoA aneurysm clipping. Conclusion : Preoperative PCoA aneurysm categorization using PDMR can be helpful for predicting surgical complexity and planning of microsurgical clipping.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.81 no.3
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• pp.549-561
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• 2020

Since the endosaccular coil embolization technique was introduced as an alternative for treating selected patients with aneurysms, it has become a mainstay of treatment for cerebral aneurysms. In lesions with a neck larger than the aneurysmal body, an irregular shape, or arterial branches incorporated within the sac, endovascular treatment using detachable coils are traditionally contraindicated because of technical difficulties. Coil embolization has evolved as a result of both the development of related devices and the introduction of technical improvements using various devices. Use of various technical and device options can make endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms safer and can widen the treatment indications. Various technical options, including the technical modification of device-assisted techniques, will be presented, and the related practical points will be discussed in this issue.