BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: IAs are found in 2.3% of adults; the mean age at detection is 52 years. Prevalence is Ͻ0.5% in young adults. Early studies suggest that 10%-50% of patients with aortic coarctation have IAs. Screening recommendations are variable. We sought to examine the prevalence of IAs through screening with MRA.

Basilar artery occlusion is an infrequent form of acute stroke; clinical outcomes are heterogeneous, but the condition can be fatal. There is a lack of randomized controlled trial data in this field. Case series suggest that patients who are recanalized have much better outcomes than those who are not, and it is generally accepted that intra-arterial techniques achieve high rates of recanalization. Controversially, several studies, including a meta-analysis and registry-based investigation, that have compared intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and intra-arterial treatment suggest similar outcomes. However, there are many potential sources of bias in each of these studies, precluding a firm conclusion. Indeed, there are many confounding factors that can influence the outcome including severity of presentation, site of occlusion, clot load, degree of collateral flow, timing of therapy, agent used for recanalization and dose of thrombolytic agent. Additionally, pretreatment infarct core imaging using diffusion-weighted imaging and the posterior circulation Acute Stroke Prognosis Early CT Score (pc-ASPECTS) scoring systems have been shown to predict outcome and therefore may be useful in selecting patients for aggressive therapy. Protocols combining intravenous agents such as glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists or thombolytics agents with intra-arterial techniques ('bridging' therapy) have shown encouraging improvements in neurological outcome and survival. Furthermore, initial case series describing the use of mechanical clot extraction devices or aspiration catheters suggest high rates of recanalization. What would be useful is a randomized trial comparing IVT, endovascular approaches and a combined IVT/endovascular approach. However, the small numbers of patients and multiple confounding factors are barriers to the development of such a trial.

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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:There is controversy as to the best mode of treating MCA aneurysms. We report the results of a large endovascular series of patients treated at our center.

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Executive committeeA Algra, A Compter (trial coordinator), L J Kappelle (coprincipal investigator), W J Schonewille, and H B van der Worp (co-principal investigator). Data safety monitoring board M L Bots (chair, epidemiologist), L Defreyne (radiologist), and P J Koudstaal (neurologist). Outcome assessment committees E J van Dijk (neurologist), C J Frijns (neurologist), J Hofmeijer (neurologist), M A van Buchem (radiologist), D R Rutgers (radiologist), B K Velthuis (radiologist), and T D Witkamp (radiologist).

Background Despite the most recent surgical aids and tools, surgical removal of infiltrating brain tumors remains a challenge. Unclear margins, edematous areas, and infiltrative behavior are the main causes for failing gross total removals. Also, excessive resection of peri-tumoral tissue often carries risks of damaging the nearby functioning cortical and subcortical structures with an unacceptable decrease in patient's quality of life and postoperative functional status, and the risk of making patients not eligible to adjuvant treatments. Awake surgery and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (ioMRI) are among the most effective aids in preventing damage to functional brain while maximizing the extent of resection. Methods We present our series of 46 patients operated on at Southmead Hospital (North Bristol NHS Trust) in between July 2014 and February 2017 using ioMRI plus or minus awake surgery. Setting, patient features, indications, type and size of tumors, surgical times, extent of resection, morbidity, and survival are analyzed and discussed. Results Overall, ioMRI check led to a +43% resections in Group 1 and +58% in Group 2. In grade 2 tumors, GTR was 46% in Group 1 and 55% in Group 2 (41% in control group). In grade 3 tumors, GTR was 57% in Group 1 and 66% in Group 2 (30% in control group). In Grade 4 tumors, GTR was 63% in Group 1, 66% in Group 2 (36% in control group). In terms of theatre occupation, the use of ioMRI added 1/2 operative session; the addition of awake surgery implied the use of another 1/2 operative session. Morbidity did not differ among the groups, with low incidence of permanent post-operative deficits (<5%). Group 2 OS was statistically longer when compared to the control group. Conclusions Using ioMRI together with awake surgery is demanding for the anesthetic team, staff nurses, and for the patient. Nevertheless, low morbidity, greater total resections rates, and longer survival suggest its use is effective in making more approachable gliomas of all grades that we would consider “complex” due to their intrinsic features or locations.