Meningeal metastasis has been reported as a very rare cause of chronic subdural hematoma (CSH). Here, we report a female patient who had undergone initial burr hole drainage of a CSH at an outside hospital. Postoperatively, the patient additionally suffered from visual impairment due to bilateral papilledema and the patient was eventually transferred to our neurosurgical department for additional treatment. A craniotomy was performed and due to intraoperative suspicious findings, histopathologic samples were obtained that revealed a metastasis of thus far undiagnosed triple negative breast cancer. Furthermore, the patient was suspected to have a partial cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). Our case report addresses this extremely rare clinical constellation. We provide a detailed overview on our patient's clinical and radiologic course, and discuss the potential association of CSH with meningeal metastasis and bilateral papilledema.

The Tigertriever is a novel, radially adjustable stentriever that addresses limitations in traditional mechanical thrombectomy devices by providing enhanced user control over clot integration. This provides the ability to adapt to patient-specific factors such as varying vessel sizes and clot compositions and may be particularly crucial for ensuring efficacy and safety in distal locations. This consensus paper synthesizes the clinical techniques from a consortium of experienced international operators. It outlines the current data on the Tigertriever, discusses the new operator-controlled capabilities, and provides a recommended approach for both proximal and distal mechanical thrombectomy, emphasizing the "FLEX" approach (Fast Controlled Expansion with Relaxation) for optimal integration and reduced clot disruption.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:Endovascular treatment of cerebral aneurysms has tremendously advanced over the past decades. Nevertheless, aneurysm residual and recurrence remain challenges after embolization. The objective of this study was to elucidate the portion of embolized aneurysms requiring open surgery and evaluate whether newer endovascular treatments have changed the need for open surgery after failed embolization. METHODS:All 15 cerebrovascular centers in Austria and the Czech Republic provided overall aneurysm treatment frequency data and retrospectively reviewed consecutive cerebral aneurysms treated with open surgical treatment after failure of embolization from 2000 to 2022. All endovascular modalities were included. RESULTS:On average, 1362 aneurysms were treated annually in the 2 countries. The incidence increased from 0.006% in 2005 to 0.008% in 2020 in the overall population. Open surgery after failed endovascular intervention was necessary in 128 aneurysms (0.8%), a proportion that remained constant over time. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was the initial presentation in 70.3% of aneurysms. The most common location was the anterior communicating artery region (40.6%), followed by the middle cerebral artery (25.0%). The median diameter was 6 mm (2-32). Initial endovascular treatment included coiling (107 aneurysms), balloon-assist (10), stent-assist (4), intrasaccular device (3), flow diversion (2), and others (2). Complete occlusion after initial embolization was recorded in 40.6%. Seventy-one percent of aneurysms were operated within 3 years after embolization. In 7%, the indication for surgery was (re-)rupture and, in 88.3%, reperfusion. Device removal was performed in 16.4%. Symptomatic intraoperative and postoperative complications occurred in 10.2%. Complete aneurysm occlusion after open surgery was achieved in 94%. CONCLUSION:Open surgery remains a rare indication for cerebral aneurysms after failed endovascular embolization even in the age of novel endovascular technology, such as flow diverters and intrasaccular devices. Regardless, it is mostly performed for ruptured aneurysms initially treated with primary coiling that are in the anterior circulation.

BackgroundArterial vasospasm has been ascribed as the responsible etiology of delayed cerebral infarction in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH), but other neurovascular structures may be involved. We present the protocol for a multicenter, prospective, observational study focused on analyzing morphological changes in cerebral veins of patients with aSAH.Methods and AnalysisIn a retrospective arm, we will collect head arterial and venous CT angiograms (CTA) of 50 patients with aSAH and 50 matching healthy controls at days 0–2 and 7–10, comparing morphological venous changes. A multicenter prospective observational study will follow. Patients aged ≥18 years of any gender with aSAH will be enrolled at 9 participating centers based on the predetermined eligibility criteria. A sample size of 52 aSAH patients is expected, and 52 healthy controls matched per age, gender, and comorbidities will be identified. For each patient, sequential CTA will be conducted upon admission (day 0–2), at 7–10 days, and at 14–21 days after aSAH, evaluating volumes and morphology of the cerebral deep veins and main cortical veins. One specialized image collecting center will analyze all anonymized CTA scans, performing volumetric calculation of targeted veins. Morphological venous changes over time will be evaluated using the Dice coefficient and the Jaccard index and scored using the Boeckh–Behrens system. Morphological venous changes will be correlated to clinical outcomes and compared between patients with aSAH and healthy-controls, and among groups based on surgical/endovascular treatments for aSAH.Ethics and DisseminationThis protocol has been approved by the ethics committee and institutional review board of Ethikkommission, SALK, Salzburg, Austria, and will be approved at all participating sites. The study will comply with the Declaration of Helsinki. Written informed consent will be obtained from all enrolled patients or their legal tutors. We will present our findings at academic conferences and peer-reviewed journals.Approved Protocol Version and RegistrationVersion 2, 09 June 2021.

Background In Europe, aneurysm treatment performed by dually trained neurosurgeons is extremely scarce. We provide outcome data for un-ruptured aneurysm patients treated at a European hybrid center to prove that hybrid neurosurgeons achieve clinical and angiographical results allowing to integrate hybrid neurosurgery into routine aneurysm treatment. This will not only help to maintain neurovascular microsurgical skills but will influence staff costs in related hospitals. Methods We retrospectively analyzed all consecutively treated un-ruptured aneurysm patients between 2000 and 2016. The decision-making took into account the pros and cons of both modalities and considered patient and aneurysm characteristics. Clinical outcome was assessed by the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Occlusion rates were stratified into grade I for 100%, grade II for 99–90%, and grade III for <90% occlusion. To account for the introduction of stents, two treatment periods (p1, 2000 to 2008; p2, 2009 to 2016) were defined. Results The study population consisted of 274 patients (median age 55 years) harboring 338 un-ruptured aneurysms. Microsurgery (MS) was performed in 51.8% and endovascular therapy (EVT) in 43.1%; 5.1% required combined treatment. Overall, 93% showed a favorable clinical outcome (mRS 0–2), 94.3% after MS and 91.5% after EVT. Grade I aneurysm occlusion was achieved in 82.6% patients, 91.9% after MS and 72.9% after EVT. Procedure-related complications occurred after MS in 5.6% and after EVT in 4.4% patients. Mortality was recorded for five (1.8%) patients, one patient after MS and four after EVT. For the EVT cohort, significant improvement from p1 to p2 was seen with clinical outcomes ( P =0.030, RR = 0.905, CI: 0.8351–0.9802) and occlusion rates ( P =0.039, RR = 0.6790, CI: 0.499–0.923). Conclusion Hybrid neurosurgeons achieve qualified clinical and angiographic results. Dual training will allow to maintain neurovascular caseloads and preserve future aneurysm treatment within neurosurgery. Furthermore economic benefits could be observed in hospital management.

Background The rate of intracranial aneurysm remnants/recurrences after microsurgical clipping varies widely. The optimal management for these patients remains a matter of debate. Repeat surgery in particular bears a high risk of periprocedural complications due to anatomical distortion from prior procedures. This study aims to evaluate the risk–benefit profile of flow-diverter stents in these patients. Methods The patient database of our neurovascular centre was queried to identify patients with clipped aneurysms who subsequently underwent endovascular treatment with intraluminal flow-diverter stents. The outcome analysis consisted of an assessment of clinical parameters (modified Rankin scale) and the post-interventional angiographic occlusion status (according to the Raymond–Roy occlusion classification). Results Six patients underwent endovascular treatment with flow-diverter stents of recurrent aneurysms after clipping. Treatment was necessary in two patients due to progressive neurological deficits, and due to angiographic proof of an increasing aneurysm size in the other four patients. Median aneurysm size was 0.45 cm. All patients had a prior history of subarachnoid haemorrhage. The time from primary clipping to recurrence was 10.6 years. Complete radiological aneurysm occlusion was feasible in five out of six cases. Two patients who had experienced pre-interventional neurological deficits showed a complete remission of symptoms on last follow-up. No periprocedural morbidity or mortality was recorded and no patient required retreatment within the median follow-up. Conclusion This case series suggests that endovascular treatment with flow-diverter stents of aneurysm remnants after previous microsurgical clipping is a feasible treatment concept with a low-risk profile, which might prevent the treatment burden and risks of repeat surgery.

Endovascular thrombectomy is now the standard of care for large vessel occlusion stroke. The aim is to achieve rapid and complete recanalisation while avoiding complications. Apart from the conventional complications of neurointerventional procedures, mechanical thrombectomy has its unique set of complications, inherent to the disease pathophysiology. We describe an unusual complication of catheter fracture and subsequent distal embolisation into the cerebral vasculature, which was noticed 24 hours after the procedure. Due to a lack of clinical consequences, we decided to manage it conservatively. The patient died within the following few days from respiratory complications unrelated to the stroke or the endovascular thrombectomy procedure. Consequently, we were able to retrieve the fractured segment and carry out histopathological analysis, which helped us to identify exactly its origin from the guide catheter. We believe that systematic reporting and database compilation of such device-related complications will aid in the design and development of neurointerventional devices in the future.

OBJECTIVE:Treatment of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms has been historically considered as the almost exclusive domain of microsurgical clipping. This retrospective single-center study assesses whether microsurgical clipping or endovascular treatment (i.e. coiling and/or stenting) for MCA aneurysms yielded better occlusion rates and clinical outcome. METHODS:We identified patients with a minimum clinical follow-up of 12 months who had undergone MCA aneurysm repair either by clipping or by endovascular treatment between 2005 and 2015. Aneurysm occlusion rates were assessed by the Raymond-Roy Occlusion Classification (RROC) and patients' clinical outcome was measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). All patients had been treated in an interdisciplinary treatment concept at a large neurovascular center; both treatment modalities were available at all times. RESULTS:Ninety-two eligible patients with MCA aneurysms, of whom 21.7% patients were treated for subarachnoid hemorrhages, were included; 38 patients underwent endovascular therapy and 54 clipping. The median age at treatment was 53.5 years (range, 25-79 years) and the median clinical follow-up was 98.5 months (range, 18-213 months). Occlusion rates were significantly higher in the clipping cohort (RROC = 1: 96.3% vs 78.9%; p = 0.04), long-term clinical outcome was better in the endovascular treatment cohort (mRS ≤ 1: 100.0% vs 90.8%; p < 0.01). Permanent treatment-associated morbidity was seen more commonly in the clipping cohort (9.3% vs 0.0%). CONCLUSIONS:Both treatment modalities are associated with excellent clinical and radiological outcome if applied within an interdisciplinary treatment concept. Endovascular aneurysm repair appears to be an attractive treatment alternative compared to clipping with low complication rates for well-selected patients.

BACKGROUND:In recent years, the number of ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt insertions has decreased worldwide, the major cause being the risk of shunt infection. VA shunts remain as an alternative option to ventriculoperitoneal shunts. We describe our 10-year experience with VA shunts by analyzing the incidence of shunt infections and predisposing cofactors. METHODS:During a median follow-up of 15.3 months, 259 shunt insertions, performed on 255 patients, were analyzed. The infection rate was calculated and the predisposing cofactors age, gender, cause of the hydrocephalus, previous external ventricle drainage, antibiotic-impregnated catheters, the number of revisions, the educational level of the surgeons, and the duration of the operations were analyzed. Two observation times were stratified. RESULTS:We found overall infections in 18 patients (7.1%), 16 deep infections (6.3%) including 1 shunt nephritis (0.4%) and 2 superficial infections (0.8%). Wound dehiscence occurred in 17 patients (6. 6%). Analyzing follow-up time, the infection rate was 3.65% (95% confidence interval, 0.9%-5.9%) at survival time 1, 3.38% (95% confidence interval, 1.1%-6.2%) at survival time 2. In the first 6 months, 95% of patients were free of infection. Only the number of revision procedures was associated with the number of infections (P value < 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS:In our patient cohort, the infection rate related to VA shunt insertion is low; the only statistically significant risk factor was the number of revisions. If the VA shunt is applied following a standardized protocol, the infection risk does not represent an argument for reluctance towards the VA draining concept.

A man had weakness in the distal right hand and leg; and sudden, severe neck pain that progressed to neck stiffness and shoulder pain; magnetic resonance imaging revealed abnormal signals throughout the brain and a lesion at the level of the fifth cervical vertebra. What is your diagnosis?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The computerized occlusion rating to estimate angiographic occlusion of embolized aneurysms is superior to the subjective occlusion rating. In this study, we compared the 2 methods in the analysis of aneurysms clipped after subarachnoid hemorrhage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The pre- and postoperative angiographic images (DSA) of 95 selected patients were analyzed and stratified in 4 grades (grade 0 for 100%, grade I for <99%–90%, grade II for <89%–70%, grade III for <70% occlusion) by using the subjective (angiographic) occlusion rating and the computerized (angiographic) occlusion rating. For the subjective occlusion rating, the occlusion rate was estimated; for the computerized occlusion rating, the “occluded” and “nonoccluded” aneurysm areas were automatically calculated in square millimeters after outlining the ideal occlusion line. RESULTS: With the subjective occlusion rating, 75 (78.9%), 12 (12.6%), 7 (7.4%), and 1 (1.1%) and with the computerized occlusion rating 45 (47.4%), 24 (25.3%), 20 (21.0%), and 6 (6.3%) patients had aneurysms stratified to grades 0, I, II and III, respectively. The interobserver variation was significant with the subjective occlusion rating but not with the computerized occlusion rating. The subjective occlusion rating overestimated aneurysm occlusion in 30 (31.6%) patients. Mean values were the following: subjective occlusion rating of 97.5 ± 6.3% and computerized occlusion rating of 93.5 ± 9.7%; P = < .001. No patient rebled, and 4 patients underwent retreatment during 36 ± 38.9 months; the predictive value (log-rank, Kaplan-Meier) of the subjective and computerized occlusion ratings with respect to retreatment was highly significant for both methods (subjective occlusion rating: χ2, 29.65; P < .001; computerized occlusion rating: χ2, 35.57, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The 2 methods showed remarkable differences in the estimation of the angiographic occlusion rates of clipped aneurysms. The clearly lower interobserver variation of the computerized versus subjective occlusion rating may indicate a superiority of the computerized occlusion rating.

Stent misplacement during endovascular treatment of middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms can cause challenges and be problematic, if clipping becomes necessary. This article reports on a 56-year-old woman with an unruptured, multi-lobulated MCA aneurysm, whom primarily refused surgery; therefore, she was scheduled for stent-assisted coiling. After successful deployment of the stent, it unfortunately then became snagged by the microcatheter and was pulled backwards. The subsequent surgical procedure (i.e. clipping of the MCA aneurysm) was challenging, due to the position of the dislodged stent. Such as misplacement of the stent is rarely documented: It resulted in the difficult handling of a MCA aneurysm. Aneurysms of the MCA should primarily be considered for surgical clipping. In conclusion, an increased risk for eventual surgery should be considered, in cases where endovascular treatments with stents are performed.

Chronic subdural hematoma (cSDH) is a common neurosurgical disease. It is often considered to be a rather benign entity. In spite of well established surgical procedures cSDH is complicated by a recurrence rate up to 30%. Since glucocorticoids have been used for treatment of cSDH in 1962 their role is still discussed controversially in lack of evident data. On the basis of the ascertained inflammation cycle in cSDH dexamethasone will be an ideal substance for a short lasting, concomitant treatment protocol.

Visualization of the tumor is crucial for differentiating malignant tissue from healthy brain during surgery, especially in the tumor marginal zone. The aim of the study was to introduce a fluorescence spectroscopy-based hand-held probe (HHF-probe) for tumor identification in combination with the fluorescence guided resection surgical microscope (FGR-microscope), and evaluate them in terms of diagnostic performance and practical aspects of fluorescence detection.Eighteen operations were performed on 16 patients with suspected high-grade glioma. The HHF-probe and the FGR-microscope were used for detection of protoporphyrin (PpIX) fluorescence induced by 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) and evaluated against histopathological analysis and visual grading done through the FGR-microscope by the surgeon. A ratio of PpIX fluorescence intensity to the autofluorescence intensity (fluorescence ratio) was used to quantify the spectra detected by the probe.Fluorescence ratio medians (range 0 – 40) measured by the probe were related to the intensity of the fluorescence in the FGR-microscope, categorized as “none” (0.3, n = 131), “weak” (1.6, n = 34) and “strong” (5.4, n = 28). Of 131 “none” points in the FGR-microscope, 88 (67%) exhibited fluorescence with the HHF-probe. For the tumor marginal zone, the area under the receiver operator characteristics (ROC) curve was 0.49 for the FGR-microscope and 0.65 for the HHF-probe.The probe was integrated in the established routine of tumor resection using the FGR-microscope. The HHF-probe was superior to the FGR-microscope in sensitivity; it detected tumor remnants after debulking under the FGR-microscope. The combination of the HHF-probe and the FGR-microscope was beneficial especially in the tumor marginal zone.

Implants for Endovascular Neuro- intervention: From Serbinenko's Balloon to Flow Diverters. Endovascular neurointervention has continuously evolved since its first descrip- tion in the early 20 th century, and so have endo- vascular implants. After first sporadic reports, im- portant developments were made by the intro- duction of liquid and particle-embolizing sub- stances and finally of detachable micro-balloons for the treatment of brain aneurysms. The presen- tation of platinum coils fixed on guidewires with a

To better understand the development of hydrocephalus of different origins, we evaluated cytokine and growth factor concentration in cerebrospinal fluid from patients with hydrocephalus. CSF was collected from patients developing hydrocephalus following hemorrhage (n = 15), patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus (n = 10), and following the embolization of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (n = 9). Myelography patients (n = 15) served as controls. Quantification of 11 molecules relating angiogenesis, inflammation, and wound healing in the CSF was performed using ELISA. All three hydrocephalus groups had decreased concentration of TIMP-4 compared to the normal group. The hemorrhage group showed increased concentration of IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 compared to the control group. The unruptured aneurysm group had increased concentration of IL-6 and decreased concentration of TIMP-2 compared to the control group. Compared to the normal patients, increased concentrations of wound healing molecules were evident in all three groups. Increased inflammation was evident in the hemorrhage and unruptured aneurysm groups.