Mariangela Lombardi

Endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms with flow-diverter stents: preliminary single-centre experience

PurposeThis paper reports our preliminary experience with the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms using flow-diverter stents (FDs) and compares it with the literature data.Materials and methodsFrom May 2009 to April 2012, 28 patients (6 men and 22 women; mean age, 54 years) with a total of 35 aneurysms were treated with FDs. We evaluated postprocedural technical success and long-term efficacy, with follow-up examinations performed at 3–7 days [computed tomography (CT)/magnetic resonance (MR) angiography] and at 3, 6 and 12 months (digital subtraction angiography, DSA). A total of 43 FDs were placed, 36 Pipeline and 7 Silk.ResultsA total of 30 procedures were performed (two patients were treated twice). Technical success was 96.6%, with one case of postprocedural death; the aneurysm exclusion rate at 3, 6 and 12 months was 60%, 73% and 89%, respectively. There was no case of acute stent thrombosis, and only two cases of nonsignificant stenosis. All covered side branches were patent, except one case of steno-occlusion of the ophthalmic artery.ConclusionsOur results are consistent with the literature and demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of FDs in selected cases of cerebral aneurysm (wide neck, fusiform, blister-like).RiassuntoObiettivoScopo del presente lavoro è riportare la nostra esperienza nel trattamento endovascolare degli aneurismi cerebrali mediante stent a diversione di flusso (FD), confrontandola con i dati della letteratura.Materiali e metodiDa maggio 2009 ad aprile 2012 sono stati trattati mediante FD 28 pazienti (6 maschi e 22 femmine; età media 54 anni) portatori di 35 aneurismi cerebrali. Abbiamo valutato il successo tecnico procedurale e l’efficacia a distanza mediante angiotomografia computerizzata (TC) o angio-risonanza magnetica (RM) a 3–7 giorni, quindi angiografia digitale a sottrazione (DSA) a 3, 6 e 12 mesi. Sono stati posizionati complessivamente 43 FD, 36 Pipeline e 7 Silk.RisultatiComplessivamente sono stati eseguiti 30 interventi (due ritrattamenti a 3 mesi per copertura parziale del colletto aneurismatico). Abbiamo ottenuto il successo tecnico nel 96,6% dei casi, con un caso (3,4%) di insuccesso esitato in decesso post-operatorio. L’esclusione dal circolo dell’aneurisma è stata a 3, 6 e 12 mesi rispettivamente del 60%, 73% ed 89%. Non abbiamo osservato nessun caso di trombosi intra-stent, solo due casi di stenosi lieve intra-stent, risoltesi poi al followup; in tutti i casi i vasi collaterali ricoperti dagli stent sono risultati pervi, eccetto un caso di steno-occlusione dell’arteria oftalmica.ConclusioniI risultati da noi ottenuti, in linea con i dati della letteratura, documentano che il trattamento degli aneurismi cerebrali mediante FD rappresenta un’opzione sicura ed efficace in casi selezionati (aneurismi a largo colletto, fusiformi, blister-like), con buoni risultati nel tempo.

Staging of Primary Abdominal Lymphomas: Comparison of Whole-Body MRI with Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and 18F-FDG-PET/CT

Background. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of whole-body MRI with diffusion-weighted sequences (WB-DW-MRI) with that of 18F-FDG-PET/CT in the staging of patients with primary gastrointestinal lymphoma. Methods. This retrospective study involved 17 untreated patients with primary abdominal gastrointestinal lymphoma. All patients underwent 18F-FDG-PET/CT and WB-DW-MRI. Histopathology findings or at least 6 months of clinical and radiological follow-up was the gold standard. The Musshoff-modified Ann Arbor system was used for staging, and diagnostic accuracy was evaluated on a per-node basis. Results. WB-DW-MRI exhibited 100% sensitivity, 96.3% specificity, and 96.1% and 100% positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and PPV and NPV of PET/CT were 95.9%, 100%, and 100% and 96.4%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two techniques (p = 0.05). The weighted kappa agreement statistics with a 95% confidence interval were 0.97 (0.95–0.99) between the two MRI readers and 0.87 (0.82–0.92) between the two methods. Conclusions. WB-DW-MRI appears to have a comparable diagnostic value to 18F-FDG-PET/CT in staging patients with gastrointestinal lymphoma.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Stem Cells Transplant

1 month after transplant: D6–D8 laminotomy and stem cells injection in fluid solution through microinjectors

High-grade Residual Tumor

71-year-old patient affected by right parietal gemistocytic astrocytoma treated with subtotal resection and subsequent combined radiation therapy-chemotherapy Morphofunctional MR follow-up performed with morphologic study, perfusion and spectroscopy preoperatively and at 3 months after surgery and radiation therapy-chemotherapy

Medium-low-grade Residual Tumor

58-year-old patient with right frontal-temporal-parietal-insular anaplastic oligodendroglioma treated with surgery and subsequent combined radiation therapy-chemotherapy and second-line chemotherapy Morphofunctional MR follow-up performed with morphologic study, perfusion and spectroscopy preoperatively and at 10, 15 and 19 months after surgery and combined chemotherapy

Tumor Progression/Recurrence

53-year-old patient affected by right temporal glioblastoma multiforme treated with subtotal surgery, combined radiation therapy-chemotherapy, and second- and third-line adjuvant chemotherapy Multimodal CT/MR follow-up with morphologic and perfusion studies performed preoperatively and at 1, 4 and 8 months after surgery and combined radiation therapy-chemotherapy

Low-grade Residual Tumor

45-year-old patient with bilateral frontal anaplastic oligoastrocytoma treated with subtotal resection and subsequent combined radiation therapy-chemotherapy Morphofunctional MR follow-up performed with morphologic study, perfusion and spectroscopy preoperatively and at 3 months after surgery and radiation therapy-chemotherapy

Late Complications: Subdural Empyema

30-year-old patient with right frontal glioblastoma multiforme treated with surgery and combined radiation therapy-chemotherapy Morphologic CT/MR studies performed at 5 months (following diastasis of the craniotomy bone flap with underlying purulent collection and subsequent acrylic resin cranioplasty) and at 12 months after resection