This study evaluated clinical and neuroradiological results in 13 consecutive patients with spontaneous and traumatic direct carotid cavernous fistulas treated at our center between January 2006 and September 2012. All patients were treated by coiling of the cavernous sinus. Coiling was always performed while a semi-compliant non-detachable balloon was temporarily inflated in the internal carotid artery. This technique (balloon-assisted coiling) permitted a clear visualization of the fistula, facilitated coil positioning and protected the patency of the artery. All patients' clinical data and radiological examinations were reviewed; nine patients underwent radiological and clinical follow-up, with a mean duration of 3.8 years (range: six months-six years). Overall results at discharge showed a complete occlusion of the fistula in seven patients (7/13, 54%) and a resolution of symptoms in eight patients (8/12, 67%). Radiological follow-up showed complete occlusion of the fistula in all patients (9/9, 100%) and clinical follow-up showed a resolution of symptoms in eight patients (8/9, 89%) and persistent symptoms in one (1/9, 11%). No procedure-related complications occurred. Balloon-assisted coiling of the cavernous sinus for the treatment of direct carotid cavernous fistulas proved an effective and safe technique, both in angiographic and clinical terms, and may be considered a technical improvement.

Despite the encouraging results obtained with the endovascular treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, few data are available on the effects of the timing of this approach on clinical outcome. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of the hyper-early timing of treatment and of pre-treatment and treatment-related variables on the clinical outcome of patients with ruptured intracranial aneurysms. Five hundred and ten patients (167 M, 343 F; mean age 56.45 years) with 557 ruptured intracranial aneurysms were treated at our institution from 2000 to 2011 immediately after their admission. The total population was divided into three groups: patients treated within 12 hours (hyper-early, group A), between 12–48 hours (early, group B) and after 48 hours (delayed, group C). A statistical analysis was carried out for global population and subgroups. Two hundred and thirty-four patients (46%) were included in group A, 172 (34%) in group B and 104 (20%) in group C. Pre-treatment variables (Hunt&Hess, Fisher grades, older age) and procedure-related variable (ischaemic/haemorrhagic complications) showed a significant correlation with worse clinical outcomes. The hyper-early treatment showed no correlation with good clinical outcomes. The incidence of intraprocedural complications was not significantly different between the three groups; 1.2% of pre-treatment rebleedings were observed. The hyper-early endovascular treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysm does not seem to be statistically correlated with good clinical outcomes although it may reduce the incidence of pre-treatment spontaneous rebleedings without being associated with a higher risk of intraprocedural complications. However, since no significant differences in terms of clinical outcome and pre-treatment rebleeding rate were observed, a hyper-early treatment is not be supported by our data.