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We report of a 15-year-old patient who initially presented to the specialist children's hospital with neurologic problems including developmental delay, behavioral difficulty and poor cognition. Upon organic acid testing, the patient received a diagnosis of L2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria (L2HGA).Serial MRI scans were performed throughout the patients childhood, demonstrating an evolution of imaging features as the disease progressed.A radiologist's recognition of the key findings associated with L2HGA can help prompt the diagnosis in cases of a nonspecific clinical presentation. This case report highlights the key radiological features associated with L2HGA, whilst illustrating how these changes may evolve and appear over the time course of a patient's journey.

We present the case of a 26-year-old male who was referred to the Emergency department with frank haemoptysis, fever and abdominal pain. He had suffered from an acute splenic rupture secondary to blunt abdominal trauma 3 weeks previously, when he was treated with transfemoral embolisation therapy. On this previous admission his splenic injury was initially not detected owing to CT scanning technique focussed on imaging the thorax rather than the abdomen. On readmission, the initial chest X-ray pointed towards a likely pneumonia or empyema. However, upon CT scanning, the cause was found to be a splenic abscess that had extended through the diaphragm, pleura and entered the bronchial space, forming a ‘splenobronchial’ fistula. This is a rare complication of splenic artery embolisation. The aim of this case report is to raise awareness of the complications that acute trauma and embolisation therapy may cause.

Objective: We report a novel method to provide excellent anatomical depiction of a dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) for surgical planning. Methods: A 78-year-old female presented with progressive back pain, deteriorating mobility and urinary incontinence with a background of obesity and severe osteoarthritis. Initial MRI suspected dAVF and subsequent spinal angiography encountered an extremely tortuous and arteriosclerotic aorta, hence catheterisation of the segmental-intercostal and lumbar vessels proved challenging. Contrast injection into the aortic arch via a pigtail catheter for arterial-phase CT angiogram of the descending aorta was performed. Results: This modality of imaging delineated the dAVF showing extensive involvement of the whole spine accounting for the patient’s symptoms. Furthermore this allowed characterisation of bony anatomy in relation to the fistula facilitating precise surgical approach. The dAVF was successfully disconnected through a localised laminectomy centred over the lesion. Conclusion: This specific technique for dAVF characterisation has not been previously reported, although trans-venous angiography has been used to some effect. In view of diagnostic and therapeutic technical difficulties that are often faced in such patients, this technique may be a useful alternative that is not only helpful in accurate diagnosis but helps in providing an invaluable guide for the surgical approach. Advances in knowledge: This case highlights the difficulties that one may be faced within cases of tortuous vasculature and the obese patient population. With this in mind we demonstrate how a unique hybridised technique may provide valuable alternative to the neurosciences team should such a future scenario arise.

Purpose Dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVF) account for approximately 10–15% of all intracranial arteriovenous abnormalities. dAVFs carry a significant risk of mortality, particularly in cases of acute hemorrhage, of up to 10%. A small proportion of these dAVFs are found in the anterior cranial fossa (ACF), of which the rate of hemorrhage can be as high as up to 91%. The Scepter Mini (SM) is the smallest dual-lumen micro-balloon (MB) available for neurointerventional practice. It consists of a 2.8 French outer diameter, with a 2.2 mm × 9 mm semi-compliant balloon providing a working length of 165 cm. The SM is navigated with a 0.008-inch wire making it a particularly attractive tool accessible to the pedicles normally reached with liquid embolization micro-catheters. Methods Five consecutive patients over a 1-year period between 2020 and 2021 were evaluated and treated for ACF dAVF using a liquid embolization approach using the SM balloon. All patients were treated using ethylene–vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), of which Squid 18 and/or Squid 12 were the chosen viscosities. Control angiograms were performed for all patients post-embolization. Results All patients demonstrated complete occlusion of the ACF dAVF on immediate post-treatment angiography. No immediate complications were encountered; particularly, there were no reports of visual field deficit in any of the patients. Conclusion The MB is a valuable adjunctive tool that can enhance the safety and efficacy of trans-ophthalmic embolization of ACF dAVFs, providing additional protection to the retinal and posterior ciliary arteries against unwanted reflux of liquid embolic agent.

Several recent randomised control trials have shown adjunctive endovascular mechanical thrombectomy to be an effective and safe treatment for acute stroke superior to medical therapy alone. Despite this, questions remain over certain groups of patients that have been excluded from these studies, such as pregnant women. We believe this is a topic of increasing clinical significance with minimal data in the literature. In this article we discuss stroke in pregnancy and highlight the important technical considerations of endovascular mechanical thrombectomy, including minimising radiation exposure to the mother and fetus.

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Over recent years with the development of increasingly efficient scanners, the computed tomography (CT) scan of the head has become one of the most commonly requested initial investigations, used to provide an overview of the brain and its surrounding structures. In particular, the CT head scan has become significant in the trauma setting. With short scanning time, an investigation to confirm or exclude intracranial haemorrhage, skull fracture or stroke can now be performed in a matter of seconds. This article provides physicians with a structure for reading a CT head scan, to help identify key findings that may warrant further specialist neurosurgical or stroke team referral.