We reviewed the clinical and radiological findings of 93 consecutive patients with 111 extracranial internal carotid (ICAD) and vertebral artery (VAD) dissections and one concomitant intracranial VAD; 83% of the patients had unilateral and 17% multiple vessel dissections. The diagnosis was made by intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography in 92 patients and MR angiography in one. Follow-up angiography was performed in 77 cases (83%): of 49 initially stenotic arteries, 40 became completely or almost completely normal, while three showed slight improvement. Of 30 initially occluded arteries, nine had completely or partly recanalised. Of 12 pseudoaneurysms eight were unchanged at follow-up. The proximal vertebral artery was involved as often as the C1-C2 level. Recurrences were rare: a new dissection in another vessel was found in three patients. Kinking or coiling was found in 23% of the dissected internal carotid arteries.
Surgery of neck paragangliomas carries inherent risks of excessive blood loss and cranial nerve injury. Preoperative embolization has been used to lessen the morbidity of surgery. We sought to characterize our experience with preoperative embolization by evaluating safety, efficacy, and surgical data. During a period of 22 years (1974 to 1996), 19 consecutive patients with 27 histopathologically confirmed neck paragangliomas were surgically treated at the Oulu University Hospital. All patients underwent preoperative arteriography and 17 patients had cervical ultrasonography (US). Eleven patients with 15 tumors were operated on without embolization and nine patients with 12 tumors were preoperatively embolized with 150- to 250-microm polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles. The mean blood loss during surgery in the nonembolized group was 1374 mL (range, 100 to 4500 mL) and the mean operation time was 4 hours and 48 minutes (range, 1.5 to 9 hours). In the embolized group the mean blood loss was significantly less (588 mL; range, 100 to 1800 mL; P = 0.04) and the mean operation time shorter (3 hours 24 minutes; range, 2 to 5 hours; P = 0.05). No embolic complications were recorded after the embolization. We conclude that preoperative embolization of neck paragangliomas 3 cm or greater in diameter with PVA particles is safe. Embolization to minimize operative bleeding facilitates surgery, shortens the operation time, and lessens the surgical risks.
We review the angiographic and CT findings, precipitating factors and clinical features in nine patients with ten intracranial arterial dissections. The internal carotid artery was involved in five cases, the vertebral artery in four and the posterior inferior cerebellar artery in one. Angiography revealed irregular stenosis in four cases, irregular stenosis and a pseudoaneurysm in two, irregular stenosis and irregular dilatation in one, arterial occlusion in two and a pseudoaneurysm in one. CT demonstrated an infarct in four cases, a dense middle cerebral artery in two and subarachnoid haemorrhage in one. A possible precipitating factor was identified in five cases. Six patients recovered well, while three had persisting neurological deficits.
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