Hervey D. Segall

Anomalous Branches of the Internal Cartoid Artery

Anomalous branches of the internal carotid artery are rarely demonstrated angiographically. Cases of the ascending pharyngeal, occipital, Vidian (pterygoid canal), and posterior inferior cerebellar arteries arising from the internal carotid artery are presented. A case of anomalous origin of the anterior cerebral artery from the internal carotid artery at the level of origin of the ophthalmic artery is also described. Brief embryological explanations of the vascular anomalies are given.

Cerebral Vascular Changes Secondary to Amphetamine Abuse in the Experimental Animal

Five adult Rhesus monkeys were given intravenous methamphetamine during a two-week period and then sacrificed. Immediately following injection, 3 animals showed decreased caliber of some of the small cerebral arteries with slow flow or absence of flow in some vessels. In 2 animals severe generalized arterial spasm developed during the two-week period. All 5 animals at necropsy demonstrated extensive brain damage. There were focal areas of ischemia and infarction and generalized areas of cerebral edema and ischemic nerve cell changes. The drug dose was in the range followed by some addicts.

MR Imaging of Neurocysticercosis

Magnetic resonance (MR) was performed in 50 patients with neurocysticercosis. Comparison was made with other neuroradiological imaging modalities including CT, myelography, CT ventriculography, and CT myelocisternography. Eighteen patients were found to have intraventricular cysts. In several patients, these were multiple and 22 intraventricular cysts were discovered. Although 4 of the 22 ventricular cysts were missed by MR, T1-weighted images can play a significant role in the early detection of intraventricular cysticercosis cysts, showing the cyst wall (9 of 22), a high intensity mural nodule (6 of 22), and increased signal intensity of the cyst fluid (5 of 22). Cisternal cysts (14 cysts in 10 patients) could be identified; they appear similar to intraventricular cysts, but mural nodules are infrequently seen (1 of 14). Twenty-nine patients had 69 parenchymal cysts. An attempt was made to assess the viability of these parenchymal lesions by matching the CT and MR findings with the Escobar pathologic staging system. Neuroimaging findings seemed compatible with early parenchymal lesions in the vesicular stage in 11 instances. Findings in cases with later stage cysts tend to support the concept that a dying larva provokes pronounced inflammatory reaction in the adjacent brain. Computed tomography remains the superior modality for depicting parenchymal calcifications within dead larvae. A case of a spinal cysticercosis cyst demonstrated with MR (in a patient with extensive intracranial cisternal cysts and a fourth ventricular cyst) is described.

Angiographic Demonstration of Fenestrations of the Intradural Intracranial Arteries

Fenestration or partial duplication of intracranial arteries is noted occasionally during anatomical dissection. Since the phenomenon is rarely described in the literature, the authors present 5 recently observed cases, with a brief explanation of the proposed embryology and potential clinical significance.

Computed tomography of posterior fossa trauma.

Abstract A group of 1,700 cases of head trauma were reviewed to determine the incidence of posterior fossa injuries and to assess the value of computed tomography (CT) in their diagnosis and management. In 57 cases (3.3%), the most significant and primary injuries were within the posterior fossa. These included epidural hematoma (EDH), acute and chronic subdural hematoma (SDH), and parenchymal hemorrhage and contusion of the cerebellum and brainstem. The prognosis varies with the location and severity of the injury. Brainstem injuries are associated with a high mortality rate. Computed tomography proves particularly useful in the early recognition of brainstem injury. The demonstration by CT of obliteration of the cisterns surrounding the brainstem is a reliable sign of a grave prognosis in brainstem injury. Contrast enhancement is useful in demonstrating whether the dural sinuses are displaced, thus differentiating EDH from SDH. Except in the rare case of vascular injury unassociated with EDH, CT correlated with the neurological examination is an accurate method of determining the nature, location, and extent of significant posterior fossa injury. Scans of high quality are mandatory, and frequent supplementary contrast studies are recommended.

Management of Hydrocephalus Secondary to Intraventricular Hemorrhage in the Preterm Infant with a Subcutaneous Ventricular Catheter Reservoir

To control hydrocephalus resulting from massive intraventricular hemorrhage in premature neonates with respiratory distress syndrome, we inserted a specially designed low profile subcutaneous ventricular catheter reservoir (reservoir) by the 12th day of life (average; range, 3 to 30 days) in 20 neonates whose mean birth weight was 1110 +/- 270 g (28.7 +/- 1.6 weeks of gestation). The reservoir was repeatedly aspirated over 10 to 48 days. No cerebrospinal fluid infection, reservoir obstruction, or breakdown of the skin overlying the reservoir occurred. Serial computed tomographic scans documented control of the hydrocephalus and an increase in the thickness of the cortical mantle of the survivors. No mortality was associated with placement of the reservoir or its subsequent conversion, if necessary, to a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. However, only 7 of the 20 infants survived. On follow-up 3 to 5 years later, 2 of the 7 have normal intellectual and motor development. Two infants are normal intellectually, but have a motor deficit. The remaining 3 patients have both significant intellectual and motor developmental delay. The use of the reservoir is offered as a safe and effective alternative to repeated ventricular punctures, external ventricular drainage, or initial shunting. Aggressive management of hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular hemorrhage may improve neurological function in some surviving neonates.

Persistent Carotid-Superior Cerebellar Artery Anastomosis: A Variant of Persistent Trigeminal Artery

Abstract The embryology and anatomy of the trigeminal artery are reviewed, and one case of persistent carotid-superior cerebellar artery anastomosis without an interposed segment of basilar artery is demonstrated angiographically. This anomaly apparently has not been reported previously, either angiographically or anatomically. An embryological explanation for this anomalous anastomosis is proposed. Two more typical presentations of persistent trigeminal artery are also included.

Magnetic resonance imaging of cystic meningiomas and its surgical implications

Our purpose was to document the incidence and imaging features of cystic meningiomas, to correlate the imaging features of cystic meningiomas with the histopathological findings, and to analyze the surgical implications of the imaging features of cystic meningiomas. The imaging studies, clinical histories, operative findings, and histopathological findings of a total of 128 patients with meningiomas were reviewed retrospectively. The 15 cystic meningiomas in our series could be morphologically divided into three major types: cystic areas contained wholly within the tumor (6 meningiomas), cystic areas at the periphery of, but wholly within, the margins of the tumor (5 meningiomas), and cystic areas peripheral to the tumor, lying on the adjacent brain (4 meningiomas). A majority of cystic meningiomas were histopathologically diagnosed to be meningothelial (8 of 15 meningiomas). Cellular atypia was seen in many patients. Meningiomas may simulate astrocytomas or metastatic lesions on imaging studies. Magnetic resonance imaging had a diagnostic accuracy of 80% (12 of 15 patients), which was significantly better than the computed tomography diagnostic accuracy of 50% or less. Magnetic resonance imaging with contrast enhancement could distinguish Type 2 (cyst wall containing tumor cells) and Type 3 (cyst wall containing gliotic tissue without tumor invasion) cystic meningiomas. Cyst wall enhancement was seen in Type 2, but not in Type 3, cystic meningiomas. Cystic meningiomas represented approximately 10% of all meningiomas in our series. Histiologically, they were usually relatively aggressive, which probably partly explains why cystic changes may be secondary to tumor necrosis or hemorrhage. Recognition of the diagnostic features of cystic meningiomas is important, because they may mimic metastatic neoplasms or primary gliomas.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diagnostic and prognostic implications of computed tomography of head trauma.

A total of 210 cases of head trauma were examined using noncontrast enhanced and contrast enhanced computed tomography scans. Evidence of contrast enhancement was seen in 97 cases (46%). Subdural hematoma and focal contusion were the most frequent entities demonstrating contrast enhancement. This finding was also frequently seen in patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) (5 of 17). Every one of the five patients in this series with IVH whose scans showed enhancement died, whereas out of the 12 whose scans showed no enhancement, five survived. Illustrative cases are presented. The authors feel that contrast enhanced scans are valuable in the evaluation of the full extent of head trauma.

MR IMAGING OF PINEAL REGION NEOPLASMS

Twenty-eight patients with tumor of the pineal region underwent magnetic resonance (MR) examination. Gadolinium DTPA was given to 13 patients. Histologic confirmation was obtained in all patients, including 10 germinomas, 4 pineocytomas, 4 pineoblastomas, 5 astrocytomas, 2 teratomas, 1 choriocarcinoma, 1 mixed germ cell tumor, and 1 metastasis from breast carcinoma. Pineal region neoplasms have remarkable heterogeneity in both histopathologic and MR appearances. Gadolinium DTPA enhanced MR increases the specificity of diagnosing pineal region neoplasms. In addition, Gd-DTPA provides better delineation of the tumor margin and demonstrates cystic components of the neoplasm. Our approach to pineal region neoplasms is to make a decision about whether stereotaxic biopsy or surgery should be performed on a certain patient. When a pineal region neoplasm is diagnosed as benign, such as a benign teratoma, on the basis of imaging, surgery is performed to resect the entire lesion. When a definitive diagnosis is not possible, sterotaxic biopsy is performed to obtain histological diagnosis for treatment planning. Gadolinium DTPA enhanced MR plays an extremely important role in target selection in stereotaxic biopsy of pineal region neoplasms and is also useful in the early detection of intracranial seeding. Spinal seeding is demonstrated on MR as well, thus alleviating the need for a contrast myelogram. Finally, Gd-DTPA enhanced MR can be used to monitor the effects of the various treatment modalities employed for pineal region neoplasms.