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OBJECTIVE Tandem occlusions continue to represent a major challenge in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The anterograde approach with proximal to distal revascularization as well as the retrograde approach with distal to proximal revascularization have been reported without clear consensus or standard guidelines. METHODS The authors performed a comprehensive search of the PubMed database for studies including patients with carotid occlusions and tandem distal occlusions treated with endovascular therapy. They reviewed the type of approach employed for endovascular intervention and clinical outcomes reported with emphasis on the revascularization technique. They also present an illustrative case of AIS and concurrent proximal cervical carotid occlusion and distal middle cerebral artery occlusion from their own experience in order to outline the management dilemma for similar cases. RESULTS A total of 22 studies were identified, with a total of 790 patients with tandem occlusions in AIS. Eleven studies used the anterograde approach, 3 studies used the retrograde approach, 4 studies used both, and in 4 studies the approach was not specified. In the studies that reported Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) grades, an average of 79% of patients with tandem occlusions were reported to have an outcome of TICI 2b or better. One study found good clinical outcome in 52.5% of the thrombectomy-first group versus 33.3% in the stent-first group, as measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). No study evaluated the difference in time to reperfusion for the anterograde and retrograde approach and its association with clinical outcome. The patient in the illustrative case had AIS and tandem occlusion of the internal carotid and middle cerebral arteries and underwent distal revascularization using a Solitaire stent retrieval device followed by angioplasty and stent treatment of the proximal cervical carotid occlusion. The revascularization was graded as TICI 2b; the postintervention National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 17, and the discharge NIHSS score was 7. The admitting, postoperative, and 30-day mRS scores were 5, 1, and 1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In stroke patients with tandem occlusions, distal to proximal revascularization represents a reasonable treatment approach and may offer the advantage of decreased time to reperfusion, which is associated with better functional outcome. Further studies are warranted to determine the best techniques in endovascular therapy to use in this subset of patients in order to improve clinical outcome.

Background and Study Aims/Objective Metastatic brain tumors are the most common type of adult brain tumors. Treatment involves surgery and/or radiation therapy. Surgery is typically reserved for patients with good neurologic function, solitary and accessible lesions, symptomatic lesions, and/or those with good systemic control of their primary cancer. Deep-seated lesions, however, are typically treated with palliative options including radiation and medical therapies. We summarize our personal experience with minimally invasive surgical approaches for these deep-seated metastatic brain tumors using tubular retractors with exoscopic visualization. Material and Methods Patients with deep-seated metastatic brain tumors who were operated on from January 2016 to December 2017 by the senior author were collected prospectively. “Deep seated” was defined as any subcortical location below the deepest adjacent sulcus in close proximity to the basal ganglia and/or thalamus. “Minimally invasive” was defined as the use of tubular retractors with exoscopic visualization. Results A total of 15 consecutive patients with an average ± standard deviation age of 63 ± 12 years underwent surgical resection of a deep-seated metastasis. The tumor was located in the centrum semiovale in seven (47%) (3 corticospinal tract, 2 superior longitudinal fasciculus, 1 visual tract, 1 inferior frontal occipital fasciculus), basal ganglia in three (20%), thalamus in two (13%), and cerebellum in three (20%). Median percentage resection was 100% (interquartile range:100–100%), and, following surgery, seven (47%), seven (47%), and one (7%) had an improved, stable, and worse Karnofsky Performance Score, respectively. No patients had notable local complications including stroke, infection, hemorrhage, and/or seizure. All patients underwent postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery. Conclusion This minimally invasive approach can be used to achieve extensive resection with minimal morbidity for arguably the highest risk metastatic brain tumors.