Almost one fourth of patients with apparently sporadic pheochromocytoma may be carriers of mutations; routine analysis for mutations of RET, VHL, SDHD, and SDHB is indicated to identify pheochromocytoma-associated syndromes that would otherwise be missed.

HEOCHROMOCYTOMA AND PARAganglioma are tumors of the autonomic nervous system. Terminology in science and clinical practice is divergent. Herein, we use the term pheochromocytoma for location in the adrenal glands, extraadrenal abdominal, and thoracic locations (eg, where nearly all tumors are endocrinologically active). In contrast, the term paraganglioma is only used for tumors in the head and neck area where most tumors are nonfunctioning. All these tumors have been described as sporadic and as hereditary entities. [1][2][3] Estimated yearly incidence of

Transvenous treatment of CS and transverse/sigmoid sinus AVFs can be effective if all transvenous approaches, including combined surgical/endovascular approaches, are considered.

BackgroundFlow disruption with the WEB is an innovative endovascular approach for treatment of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms. Initial studies have shown a low complication rate with good efficacy.PurposeTo report clinical and anatomical results of the WEB treatment in the cumulative population of three Good Clinical Practice (GCP) studies: WEBCAST (WEB Clinical Assessment of Intrasaccular Aneurysm), French Observatory, and WEBCAST-2.MethodsWEBCAST, French Observatory, and WEBCAST-2 are single-arm, prospective, multicenter, GCP studies dedicated to the evaluation of WEB treatment. Clinical data were independently evaluated. Postoperative and 1-year aneurysm occlusion was independently evaluated using the 3-grade scale: complete occlusion, neck remnant, and aneurysm remnant.ResultsThe cumulative population comprised 168 patients with 169 aneurysms, including 112 female subjects (66.7%). The patients' ages ranged between 27 and 77 years (mean 55.5±10.2 years). Aneurysm locations were middle cerebral artery in 86/169 aneurysms (50.9%), anterior communicating artery in 36/169 (21.3%), basilar artery in 30/169 (17.8%), and internal carotid artery terminus in 17/169 (10.1%). The aneurysm was ruptured in 14/169 (8.3%). There was no mortality at 1 month and procedure/device-related morbidity was 1.2% (2/168). At 1 year, complete aneurysm occlusion was observed in 81/153 aneurysms (52.9%), neck remnant in 40/153 aneurysms (26.1%), and aneurysm remnant in 32/153 aneurysms (20.9%). Re-treatment was carried out in 6.9%.ConclusionsThis series is at the moment the largest prospective, multicenter, GCP series of patients with aneurysms treated with WEB. It shows the high safety and good mid-term efficacy of this treatment.Clinical trial registrationFrench Observatory: Unique identifier (NCT18069); WEBCAST and WEBCAST-2: Unique identifier (NCT01778322).

E ndovascular treatment is now the first-line treatment for both ruptured and unruptured aneurysms. 1,7,17 However, aneurysms with a complex anatomy (singularly wide-neck aneurysms) are in some cases untreatable or difficult to treat with standard coiling. For this reason, more complex endovascular techniques have been developed, such as balloon-assisted coiling, stent-assisted coiling, and flow diversion. 18Flow disruption is a new endovascular approach, which involves placement of an endosaccular device (WEB), abbreviatioNs ACoA = anterior communicating artery; BA = basilar artery; CCT = Cerecyte Coil Trial; DSA = digital subtraction angiography; ICA = internal carotid artery; ITT = intention to treat; MCA = middle cerebral artery; mRS = modified Rankin Scale; WEBCAST = WEB Clinical Assessment of Intrasaccular Aneurysm Therapy. obJective WEB is an innovative intrasaccular treatment for intracranial aneurysms. Preliminary series have shown good safety and efficacy. The WEB Clinical Assessment of Intrasaccular Aneurysm Therapy (WEBCAST) trial is a prospective European trial evaluating the safety and efficacy of WEB in wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms. methods Patients with wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms for which WEB treatment was indicated were included in this multicenter good clinical practices study. Clinical data including adverse events and clinical status at 1 and 6 months were collected and independently analyzed by a medical monitor. Six-month follow-up digital subtraction angiography was also performed and independently analyzed by a core laboratory. Success was defined at 6 months as complete occlusion or stable neck remnant, no worsening in angiographic appearance from postprocedure, and no retreatment performed or planned. results Ten European neurointerventional centers enrolled 51 patients with 51 aneurysms. Treatment with WEB was achieved in 48 of 51 aneurysms (94.1%). Adjunctive implants (coils/stents) were used in 4 of 48 aneurysms (8.3%). Thromboembolic events were observed in 9 of 51 patients (17.6%), resulting in a permanent deficit (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] Score 1) in 1 patient (2.0%). Intraoperative rupture was not observed. Morbidity (mRS score > 2) and mortality were 2.0% (1 of 51 patients, related to rupture status on entry to study) and 0.0% at 1 month, respectively. Success was achieved at 6 months in 85.4% of patients treated with WEB: 23 of 41 patients (56.1%) had complete occlusion, 12 of 41 (29.3%) had a neck remnant, and 6 of 41 (14.6%) had an aneurysm remnant. coNclusioNs The WEBCAST study showed good procedural and short-term safety of aneurysm treatment with WEB and good 6-month anatomical results.Clinical trial registration no.: NCT01778322 (clinicaltrials.gov) http://thejns.org/doi/abs/10.3171/2015.2.JNS142634

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Flow disruption with the WEB-DL device has been used safely for the treatment of wide-neck bifurcation aneurysms, but the stability of aneurysm occlusion after this treatment is unknown. This retrospective multicenter European study analyzed short-and midterm data in patients treated with WEB-DL.

Introduction: Both for hemicraniectomy and for hypothermia, several reports describe a beneficial effect in patients with malignant supratentorial cerebral ischemia. We compared the safety and the clinical outcome in patients with a malignant supratentorial infarction who were treated with hemicraniectomy alone (HA) or received a combination therapy with hemicraniectomy and hypothermia of 35°C (HH), respectively. Methods: In a prospective and randomized study, 25 consecutive patients were treated after an ischemic infarction of more than two thirds of one hemisphere by HA (n = 13 patients) or the HH combination therapy (n = 12 patients). Safety parameters were compared between both treatment groups, the clinical outcome was assessed during treatment and after 6 months. Results: Age, cranial CT or MRI findings, initial National institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score (NIHSSS) and level of consciousness were not significantly different between both groups. Hemicraniectomy was performed within 15 ± 6 h after the ischemic event. Hypothermia was induced immediately after surgery. Overall mortality was 12% (2/13 vs. 1/12 in the two groups), but none of these 3 patients died due to treatment-related complications. There were no severe side effects of hypothermia. Duration of need for intensive care or for mechanical ventilation and infectious status did not differ significantly between both groups, but the need for catecholamine application was increased in the HH group. The clinical outcome showed a tendency for a better outcome in the HH compared with the HA group with respect to status after 6 months, as assessed by the NIHSSS (10 ± 1 vs. 11 ± 3, p < 0.08). Discussion: The present study suggests that a combined therapy of mild hypothermia and hemicraniectomy in malignant brain infarction does not imply additional risks by side effects and improves functional outcome as compared with hemicraniectomy alone.

Paragangliomas are tumours that arise within the sympathetic nervous system originating from the neural crest. These tumours can be found anywhere from the neck to the pelvis in locations of sympathetic ganglions. Although in the majority of paragangliomas the diagnosis is based on measuring catecholamines and metabolites in plasma or urine, imaging plays an important preoperative role. Today, there are several morphological and radionuclide imaging methods available that predict tumour localisation and tumour extent and give anatomic information to the surgeon. MRI is the morphological imaging modality of choice in localising pheochromocytomas and extra-adrenal paragangliomas. It provides excellent anatomic detail and has the advantage of lacking ionising radiation. The overall accuracy of computed tomography (CT) in detecting primary adrenal pheochromocytomas is very high, but CT lacks in specificity as difficulties may occur in distinguishing between paragangliomas and other tumour entities. The major advantages of radionuclide imaging are very high specificity and routinely performed whole-body scanning. Furthermore, metabolic imaging is not influenced by artifacts like scar tissue or metallic clips in post-surgical follow-up. Currently, a reported specificity of 99% and a cumulative sensitivity of about 90% in paragangliomas make (123)I-MIBG the most important nuclear imaging method. However, (18)F-DOPA-PET seems to be a very promising procedure which offers higher accuracy. The higher spatial resolution of PET-scanners enables the detection of small lesions not visualised with (123)I-MIBG. Both use of radiolabelled somatostatin analogue like (111)In-pentetreotide and (18)F-FDG is limited due to low specificity of the tracers and should be restricted to MIBG- and F-DOPA-negative cases.