Ichiro Kamata

Surgical treatment of moyamoya disease: operative technique for encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-synangiosis, its follow-up, clinical results, and angiograms.

Moyamoya syndrome is defined as the development of collateral anastomosis pathways at the base of the brain, associated with chronic progressive stenosis of the carotid fork. Both reconstructive vascular surgery and conservative strategies are used to treat this syndrome, but the latter cannot prevent the disease from progressing. We describe the procedure of encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-synangiosis (EDAMS), and report the results in 17 patients (28 sides) who underwent EDAMS. The clinical symptoms of moyamoya disease include transient ischemic attacks, reversible ischemic neurological deficits, stroke, seizures, Gerstmanns syndrome, involuntary movements, or mental retardation resulting from the lack of cerebral blood flow. The clinical results of EDAMS were poor in one patient, fair in two, good in five, excellent in eight, and fair on one side and excellent on the other side in one patient. Postoperative angiograms showed widespread collateral circulation on the ischemic brain surface in patients undergoing EDAMS.

Surgical Treatment of Moyamoya Disease

Abstract Moyamoya syndrome is defined as the development of collateral anastomosis pathways at the base of the brain, associated with chronic progressive stenosis of the carotid fork. Both reconstructive vascular surgery and conservative strategies are used to treat this syndrome, but the latter cannot prevent the disease from progressing. We describe the procedure of encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-synangiosis (EDAMS), and report the results in 17 patients (28 sides) who underwent EDAMS. The clinical symptoms of moyamoya disease include transient ischemic attacks, reversible ischemic neurological deficits, stroke, seizures, Gerstmanns syndrome, involuntary movements, or mental retardation resulting from the lack of cerebral blood flow. The clinical results of EDAMS were poor in one patient, fair in two, good in five, excellent in eight, and fair on one side and excellent on the other side in one patient. Postoperative angiograms showed widespread collateral circulation on the ischemic brain surface in patients undergoing EDAMS.

Prophylactic Thrombosis to Prevent New Bleeding and to Delay Aneurysm Surgery

Six aneurysms in five patients with acute aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages were treated with direct thrombosis using cellulose acetate polymer within 4 hours of rupture. The aneurysms involved the internal carotid and posterior communicating arteries (two patients), the anterior choroidal artery (one patient), the bifurcation of the basilar artery (one patient), and the middle cerebral artery (two patients). Four patients underwent aggressive volume expansion after direct thrombosis with cellulose acetate polymer. The aneurysms remained thrombosed until operations on the necks were performed 2 to 7 weeks after the subarachnoid hemorrhages. Three patients were given intrathecal tissue plasminogen activator. One patient, who remained at neurological Grade V, was not treated surgically and died from cardiac failure. Five aneurysms in the remaining four patients were successfully clipped. These preliminary data suggest that immediate aneurysmal thrombosis, then aggressive preoperative prophylactic volume expansion and/or administration of intrathecal tissue plasminogen activator, can help prevent new bleeding and reduce delayed cerebral ischemia in patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhages.

Direct Thrombosis of a Pseudoaneurysm after Obliteration of a Carotid-Cavernous Fistula with Cellulose Acetate Polymer

A 55-year-old man who suffered a head injury resulting in a left traumatic carotid-cavernous fistula was successfully treated with an intravascular detachable balloon. A pseudoaneurysm formed adjacent to the balloon. Seven months after the initial procedure, treatment with cellulose acetate polymer, a new liquid thrombotic material, occluded the pseudoaneurysm and preserved the internal carotid artery.

Selective posterior rhizotomy for painful spasticity in the lower limbs of hemiplegic patients after stroke: report of two cases.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE:Selective posterior rhizotomy (SPR) has been performed mainly in children with cerebral palsy. Seldom has the use of SPR been reported for reduction of spasticity after stroke. We describe two elderly patients with hemiplegia who underwent unilateral SPR for pain caused by spasticity after stroke. CLINICAL PRESENTATION:The first patient was a 68-year-old woman who experienced spasticity and pain in her right leg during the chronic stage of a left cerebral infarction. The second patient was an 89-year-old man who had intolerable spastic pain in his left hemiplegic leg 3 months after a right cerebral infarction. INTERVENTION:Both patients underwent unilateral SPR on the spastic side to reduce the pain. After surgery, the patients’ pain resolved. In the first patient, the ability to perform activities of daily living also improved. CONCLUSION:Antispastic medications are often sufficient for treatment of post-stroke spasticity. In selected cases, however, SPR can be beneficial for improving painful spasticity.