Cerebrovascular Flashcards
SAH Overview
General principles:
- Endovascular vs Clipping
- Parent artery preservation
- Proximal control
- Stent-assisted not favorable in rupture
Complications of SAH and peri-operative management
Give the Hunt and Hess Grading
- Asymptomatic or minimal headache
- Severe headache, non-focal deficit
- Drowsiness, confusion, mild focal deficit
- Stupor, hemiparesis, early decerebrate posturing
- Deep coma, moribund appearance
Give the World Federation of Neurosurgery grading
I. GCS15 with no motor deficit
II. GCS13-14 with no motor deficit
III. GCS13-14 with motor deficit
IV. GCS7-12
V. GCS3-6
Give the Radiographic Fisher grade
(% predictive of vasospasm risk)
1. No SAH present (21%)
2. SAH in cistern <1mm thickness (25%)
3. SAH in cistern >1mm thickness (37%)
4. IVH or IPH (31%)
Give the Radiographic MODIFIED Fisher grade
(% predictive of vasospasm risk)
0. No SAH present (0%)
1. Focal or diffuse thin SAH, no IVH (24%)
2. Focal or diffuse thin SAH, with IVH (33%)
3. Thick SAH, no IVH (33%)
4. Thick SAH, with IVH (40%)
What are complications of SAH?
Hydrocephalus: EVD and VP shunt
Vasospasm:
- Screen (daily TCD, hyponatremia, serial neurological exams)
- Treatment (induced hypertension, endovascular therapy)
Seizures: Keppra, phenytoin
Management of high grade SAH
- EVD (keep open at 25)
- SBP management (arterial line, SBP<140)
- Daily TCDs, nimodipine for 21 days
Rule out SAH
- Non contrast CT scan
- Lumbar puncture (elevated RBCs with no clearance tubes 1-4 and xanthochromia)
ISUIA natural history: cavernous aneurysm
0/0/0/3/6%
(<7mm, <7mm, 7-12, 13-24, >25)
ISUIA natural history: anterior circulation
0/1/2/14/40
7/7/7-12/13-24/25
ISUIA natural history: posterior circulation
2/3/14/18/50
7/7/7-12/13-24/25
ISAT trial (Lancet 2002)
Multi-center clip vs coil of ruptured aneurysm
Confirmed SAH CT or LP within 28 days, IA by angio/CTA
Equipoise
Majority (9559) treated outside trial, and almost all were anterior circulation (97.3%). MCA underrepresented
23% coiling vs 30% clipping poor outcome (mRS3-6) at 1 year
Aneurysm Conclusions
No single treatment can work for all aneurysms. Patient selection critical.
Preop planning critical.
Don’t force one treatment modality over another.
NASCET (1991)
2885 patients with TIA/minor stroke within 4 months: Best Medical vs. CEA
70-99%: 26% vs 9% (17%) after 2 years
50-69%: 6.5% after 5 years
<50%: no benefit
ECST
3024 pts with TIA, retinal infarct, non-disabling strokes within 6 months
70-99%: 21% ARR/5 years
50-69% 5.7% ARR/5 years
<50%: no benefit
ACAS (JAMA 1995)
1662 pts with angio or doppler>60%
11% vs 5% after 5 years
Low surgical M&M (1.5%)
No statistical benefit in women
ACST (Lancet 2004)
3120 pts /w doppler>60%
11% vs 6% after 5 years
Results more robust than ACAS
Surgical M&M at 3%
Walk through Carotid Endarterectomy steps
Set up:
General anesthesia, SBP<140, aspirin preop
Neuromonitoring (motor/ssep)
Shunt ready
Positioning:
Supine slight head turn away from surgical site
Incision: longitudinal incision anterior border of SCM
Dissect down platysma
Careful superiorly avoid CN12, vagus nerve
Expose bifurcation, ICA, ECA
Loop around ICA and CCA in case we need to use shunt
Induce burst suppression during cross clamping (EEG, motor and step)
Clamp: distal ICA, CCA, and then ECA, and superior thyroid
Make arteriotomy from CCA to proximal ICA under microscope
Excise plaque circumferentially
Close sutures
Unclamp ECA, CCA, ICA
Confirm careful hemostasis
Considerations: positioning, accessible, spinal level, mandible, neuomonitoring, clamp order, and shunt/patch
Post op SBP90-140 (concern for reperfusion hemorrhage)
High risk criteria for CEA
(Commit to memory)
Patient factors: age>80, heart failure, active CAD, Severe COPD
Carotid factors: high anatomical lesion, contralateral carotid lesion, prior neck radiation or surgery, tandem intracranial stenosis
CAS vs CEA data (CREST, NEJM 2010)
Overall rate of CVA, MI or death not differ between CEA or CAS
Stroke higher in CAS, MI higher in CEA
CAS more effective in younger, CEA more effective in older
Post op complications after CEA
- Vigilance for neck hematoma/airway
- Blood pressure control/perfusion breakthrough hemorrhage
- Carotid occlusion with stroke symptoms
Natural history of AVM and high risk angiographic features
2-4% annual risk of hemorrhage
Elevated for prior rupture
High risk angiographic feature
- Feeding artery/intranidal aneurysms
- Restricted venous outflow
Spetzler-Martin Grade
Size (<3, 3-6, >): 1-3
Venous drainage (superficial or deep): 0-1
Eloquence: 0-1
Total 1-5
Adverse outcome: <1% in SM1-2
14% in grade 3
30% in grade 4
50% in grade 5
AVM Treatment Options
Conservative
Primary Surgery
Endovascular embolization
Gamma knife radio surgery (<3cm)