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Biomedical subjects

Arnd Doerfler

Publications and source records attributed to Arnd Doerfler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Imaging of sellar and parasellar lesions.

The sellar and parasellar region is an anatomically complex area where a number of neoplastic, infectious, inflammatory, developmental and vascular pathologies can occur. Differentiation among various etiologies may not always be easy, since many of these lesions may mimic the clinical, endocrinologic and radiologic presentations of pituitary adenomas. The diagnosis of sellar lesions involves a multidisciplinary effort, and detailed endocrinologic, ophthalmologic and neurologic testing are essential. CT and, mainly, MRI are the imaging modalities to study and characterise normal anatomy and the majority of pathologic processes in this region. We here provide an overview of the most relevant MRI and CT characteristics together with clinical findings of pituitary tumors, vascular, inflammatory and infectious lesions found in the sellar/parasellar region in order to propose an appropriate differential diagnosis.

Adenoma↗

Whole-body MR vascular screening detects unsuspected concomitant vascular disease in coronary heart disease patients.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) patients often show atherosclerotic vascular disease in other vascular territories. We evaluated how often whole-body MR imaging detects concomitant arterial pathologies in CHD patients, and how often these pathologies were not known to the patients previously. Of 4,814 participants in the population-based Heinz Nixdorf Recall Study, 327 reported CHD (i.e., previous coronary bypass surgery, angioplasty); of those, 160 patients (mean age 66.4 years) were examined using MR of the brain, the heart (excluding the coronary arteries), and whole-body MR angiography. The prevalence of each vascular pathology was assessed, correlated to the others and compared to patients' histories. Of the 160 CHD patients, 16 (10%) showed MR signs of stroke, and 77 (48.1%) had a stenosis >50% in at least one extracerebral peripheral artery (other than the coronaries), including 28 (17.5%) with relevant renal artery stenoses, and 20 (12.5%) with relevant extracerebral internal carotid artery stenoses. False negative histories were reported in 12 of 81 cases with myocardial infarctions, and in 11 of 16 cases with cerebrovascular infarctions. This whole-body atherosclerosis MR screening program allows previously unknown concomitant vascular disease to be detected in coronary heart disease patients. Its prospective value should be assessed in further studies.

Aged↗

Balloon-assisted coil embolization of a posterior cerebral artery aneurysm via a persistent primitive trigeminal artery: technical note.

INTRODUCTION: We present a patient with an acutely ruptured, wide-necked aneurysm of the left posterior cerebral artery (PCA) treated with Guglielmi detachable coils using the remodeling technique. METHODS: Since the left vertebral artery was compressed due to a tumor in the cerebellopontine angle and the right vertebral artery was hypoplastic, we used a carotid artery approach via a persistent primitive trigeminal artery (PPTA) to selectively catheterize the aneurysm. RESULTS: The aneurysm was occluded completely. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge this is the first case of a wide-necked PCA aneurysm treated via a PPTA and using the remodeling technique. In patients with hypoplastic vertebral arteries and a PPTA, this approach may represent an alternative for selective embolization of posterior circulation aneurysms not amenable to the conventional approach.

Adult↗

Reduction of cerebral infarct size by the AT1-receptor blocker candesartan, the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor rosuvastatin and their combination. An experimental study in rats.

Our purpose was to test the impact of single and/or combined treatment with the AT(1)-receptor blocker candesartan and the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor rosuvastatin on infarct size and neuroscore in transient cerebral ischemia in rats. L-NAME was used to test whether any potential effect was due to activation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). Therefore, the middle cerebral artery was occluded for 1 h (MCAO) followed by 7 days reperfusion. Rats received candesartan 2h before and daily after MCAO (pretreatment) or daily after MCAO (posttreatment); rosuvastatin was given daily for 7 days before MCAO without or with candesartan pre- and posttreatment. In addition, candesartan and rosuvastatin were combined with L-NAME. Infarct size and neuroscore at day 7 were compared to those of controls. As result, compared to controls (109+/-12 mm(3)) infarct size with candesartan (pretreatment: 21+/-5 mm(3); posttreatment: 68+/-29 mm(3); P<0.05) or rosuvastatin (69+/-14 mm(3); P<0.05) was smaller. Combined treatment also reduced infarct size (pretreatment: 37+/-15 mm(3); posttreatment 57+/-20mm(3); P<0.05); but there was no benefit of combined treatment over candesartan pretreatment alone. Compared to controls (2.08+/-0.28) only candesartan pretreatment and combined treatment improved the neuroscore (0.97+/-0.05, 1.10+/-0.33; P<0.05). L-NAME abolished the reduction in infarct size and improvement in neuroscore. In conclusion, both, candesartan or rosuvastatin treatment alone reduced infarct size in transient cerebral ischemia, and the best result was achieved with candesartan pretreatment. Combined treatment was superior to rosuvastatin alone, but not to candesartan. The therapeutic benefit of both agents was at least in parts mediated by eNOS-activation.

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers↗

Usefulness of 1H-MRS in the diagnosis of contrast enhancing cystic lesions: A case report.

The clinical and radiological features of brain abscesses can sometimes imitate those of necrotic tumors or metastasis. Whereas the approach and urgency of surgical intervention differs enormously, further diagnostic features are necessary in order to establish the correct preoperative diagnosis. We report on two patients who presented with septated ring-enhancing lesions in the right parieto-temporat hemisphere with perifocal edema and discuss the role of 1H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the diagnosis of contrast enhancing cystic lesions.

Adult↗

A novel flexible, retrievable endovascular stent system for small-vessel anatomy: preliminary in vivo data.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study assessed the in vivo delivery, retrievability, short-term patency, and cellular response to a new flexible endovascular stent system in a rabbit model. The stent is designed for delivery through a microcatheter and is fully retrievable with electrolytic detachment from a delivery wire. METHODS: We successfully deployed nine stents (range of sizes, 2.5-4 mm diameter, 15-35 mm length) in six straight (carotid) and three angled (subclavian) arteries of six Chinchilla Bastard rabbits. Serial imaging was performed by using intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IVDSA), contrast-enhanced MR angiography (CEMRA), time-of-flight MR angiography (TOF), and CT-angiography 3 days and 4 weeks after stent deployment. Subjects were euthenized after 4 weeks (n = 5), and stents were removed for histologic analysis. RESULTS: Stent deployment was feasible in all cases. After initial deployment, all stents could be fully retrieved within the microcatheter. The detachment zone and the distal stent marker were easily visible under fluoroscopy, and final detachment occurred reliably in all cases. We observed no procedural complications. Noninvasive imaging by using IVDSA, MR angiography, and CT angiography was feasible in this stent system and demonstrated all arteries patent and not narrowed at 3 days and 4 weeks, findings that were confirmed by histologic analysis. CONCLUSION: This electrolytically detachable stent is promising as a treatment for intracranial arteries, because it can be delivered through microcatheters small enough for intracranial navigation. It is fully retrievable, thus providing greater control than currently available stents. Noninvasive imaging by using IVDSA, MR angiography, and CT angiography is feasible in this stent system and may be useful for follow-up. Further long-term data are needed.

Animals↗

Does a relative perfusion measure predict cerebral infarct size?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) has been extensively used to quantify cerebral perfusion deficits after the onset of focal ischemia. The present study tested whether a relative measure of cerebral blood flow such as is obtained with PWI is sufficient to predict irreversible tissue damage following focal cerebral ischemia and reperfusion in the rat suture model. METHODS: In rats, the middle cerebral artery was occluded (MCAO) for 1 hour followed by 1-hour reperfusion. Microspheres labeled with different tracers were injected into the left ventricle to permit measurement of blood flow at different time points: before MCAO, 30 minutes post-MCAO and 30 minutes postreperfusion. Absolute cerebral blood flow (CBF) was determined and relative CBF was calculated by comparing absolute CBF at each time point to baseline values before MCAO (relative CBF(B)) or to corresponding contralateral areas in the noninfarcted hemisphere (relative CBF(C)). Infarct size was assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. RESULTS: Absolute CBF in vital tissue was 0.69 +/- 0.07 mL/g/min. In partially and completely necrotic tissue, absolute CBF was 0.39 +/- 0.05 mL/g/min and 0.30 +/- 0.09 mL/g/min, respectively. Although there was a close inverse correlation between infarct volume and absolute CBF (r = 0.79), the correlations between infarct volume and relative CBF(C) were poor (r = 0.21). CONCLUSION: The present study revealed that absolute CBF is superior to relative CBF in predicting irreversible tissue damage following ischemia and reperfusion.

Animals↗

Decompressive craniectomy in acute cerebral ischemia in rats. Is there any benefit in smaller thromboembolic infarcts?

Early craniectomy has shown to reduce infarction size in experimental large MCA infarction probably due to improved leptomeningeal perfusion. Based on the hypothesis that craniectomy may also be beneficial in smaller MCA infarction we evaluated the effects of craniectomy on infarction size in small thromboembolic cerebral infarction in rats. Therefore, thromboembolic cerebral ischemia was induced in 40 rats by endovascular injection of autologous, fibrin-rich emboli. Twenty-one animals with a diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI)-derived infarction size of 50-100 mm3 (involving one- to two-third of the MCA territory) at 1 h after injection were randomly assigned to two groups. Eleven animals of group 1 immediately underwent craniectomy, ten animals of group 2 (controls) were not treated. Serial DWI was performed at 4 and 24 h. Infarction size was assessed by TTC-staining at 48 h after emboli injection. As result, prior to treatment, at 1 h after emboli injection, infarction size in groups 1 and 2 was 65.9 +/- 16.0 mm3 and 67.9 +/- 17.8 mm3, respectively. At 4 and 24 h, infarction size in group 1 was 73.5 +/- 22.1 mm3 and 85.2 +/- 24.7 mm3, and 76.3 +/- 21.0 mm3 and 83.4 +/- 22.9 mm3 in group 2, respectively. TTC-derived infarction size was 84.0 +/- 23.3 mm3 and 82.7 +/- 21.5 mm3, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.79). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that for small thromboembolic MCA infarction early craniectomy is not beneficial.

Animals↗

The angiotensin II type 1-receptor blocker candesartan increases cerebral blood flow, reduces infarct size, and improves neurologic outcome after transient cerebral ischemia in rats.

The goal of the present study was to test the impact of administration time of the angiotensin II type 1-receptor blocker candesartan on cerebral blood flow (CBF), infarct size, and neuroscore in transient cerebral ischemia. Therefore, 1-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was followed by reperfusion. Rats received 0.5-mg/kg candesartan intravenously 2 hours before MCAO (pretreatment), 24 hours after MCAO, every 24 hours after MCAO, or 2 hours before and every 24 hours after MCAO. Infarct size (mm3) and a neuroscore at day 7 were compared with controls. CBF was quantified by radiolabeled microspheres and laser-Doppler flowmetry. Compared with controls (95 +/- 8), infarct size in candesartan-treated groups was smaller (59 +/- 5, 68 +/- 10, 28 +/- 3, and 15 +/- 3, respectively; P<0.05). Although there was no difference in neuroscore between pretreatment and controls (1.55 +/- 0.18, 1.80 +/- 0.13), other treatment regimens resulted in improved neuroscores (1.33 +/- 0.16, 1.11 +/- 0.11, 0.73 +/- 0.15; P<0.05). CBF in pretreated animals at 0.5 hours after MCAO was significantly higher than in controls (0.58 +/- 0.09 mL x g(-1) x min(-1) and 44% +/- 7% of baseline compared with 0.49 +/- 0.06 mL x g(-1) x min(-1) and 37% +/- 6%, microspheres and laser-Doppler flowmetry; P<0.05). Thus, candesartan reduces infarct size even if administered only during reperfusion. Apart from pretreatment, other treatment regimens result in significantly improved neuroscores. In the acute phase of cerebral ischemia, candesartan increases CBF.

Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers↗

Endovascular treatment of cerebrovascular disease.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes recent advances in endovascular therapy for cerebrovascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS: For ruptured aneurysms, the only large, randomized, controlled trial comparing surgical and endovascular treatment (the International Subarachnoid Aneurysm Trial) resulted in a significant reduction in death or dependency at 1 year, compared with surgery, providing sound evidence that coiling should be the treatment of first choice. Data from the International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms demonstrated that treatment of unruptured anterior circulation aneurysms of under 7 mm with no history of subarachnoid hemorrhage is not justified. Embolization of arteriovenous malformations, as sole therapy, is curative only in a small percentage of cases, but can be part of a multimodal approach for reducing arteriovenous malformation size prior to surgery or radiotherapy. Partial treatment of complex arteriovenous malformations may be more dangerous than no treatment. Protection devices can reduce complication rates in carotid artery stenting, but scientific evidence is still lacking. Until the results of comparative trials are available, carotid artery stenting is indicated only in selected patients. Angioplasty and stenting of intracranial arterosclerotic disease is feasible but remains a high-risk procedure, indicated only in highly selected patients. In acute stroke therapy, new thrombolytics and clot-retrieval devices may result in better recanalization rates. SUMMARY: Advances in endovascular therapy have occurred in all areas of cerebrovascular disease. To obtain maximal patient benefit, endovascular treatment should be performed as an interdisciplinary approach in high-volume centers. Importantly, long-term follow-up review is necessary to clarify the overall role of endovascular treatment in the management of cerebrovascular disease.

Arteriovenous Malformations↗

Double-stent method: therapeutic alternative for small wide-necked aneurysms. Technical note.

The authors present two cases of patients with small, acutely ruptured, wide-necked aneurysms of the distal vertebral artery that were not amenable to conventional coil embolization and were instead treated by means of a double-stent method in which one stent was placed inside another. Angiography performed immediately after the procedure revealed a significant reduction in aneurysm filling; total occlusion of the lesion was observed after 7 days and confirmed 6 months later in both aneurysms. By placing one stent inside the other, stent permeability can be reduced, which may result in significant hemodynamic changes with accelerated aneurysm thrombosis. This double-stent method may represent a therapeutic alternative, especially in cases of small, wide-necked aneurysms in which conventional endovascular techniques or stent-supported coil embolization is not considered feasible or is believed to be too dangerous, and surgical treatment is contra-indicated.

Cerebral Angiography↗

Brain tissue water uptake after middle cerebral artery occlusion assessed with CT.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To study whether computed tomography (CT) can measure the water content of early ischemic edema. METHODS: The authors obtained cranial CT in 5 groups of rats subjected to 1 hour (n = 8), 2 hours (n = 11), 3 hours (n = 13), 4 hours (n = 13), or 6 hours (n = 14) of right middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. Immediately after CT, the authors removed the rats' brains and determined tissue water content by the dry-wet weight method. They correlated brain x-ray attenuation with brain tissue water content. RESULTS: Mean brain tissue water content remained constant in the nonischemic left hemispheres at 77.9% +/- 0.6% and increased up to 79.3% +/- 1.0% in the right hemispheres after 6 hours of permanent right MCA occlusion. X-ray attenuation remained constant in the left hemispheres at 75.6 + 2.2 Hounsfield units (HU) and decreased to 71.7 +/- 3.4 HU in the right hemispheres after 6 hours of right MCA occlusion. The decrease in x-ray attenuation correlated significantly with the increase in ischemic brain tissue water content (y = 217.3 - 1.8x x; r = .55, P < .0001). That means that a 1% increase in hemispheric tissue water content causes a decrease in x-ray attenuation of 1.8 HU. CONCLUSIONS: After MCA occlusion, immediate brain tissue net water uptake is associated with a decrease in x-ray attenuation. CT can monitor ischemic edema in an acute stroke.

Animals↗

Clinical outcome and neuropsychological deficits after right decompressive hemicraniectomy in MCA infarction.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyse in detail the functional outcome and the neuropsychological deficits in patients with space-occupying infarction of the non-dominant hemisphere one year after surgery. METHODS: Postoperative complications and retrospective consent to surgery were assessed in a semi-structured interview in 26 patients. Functional outcome was measured with the Barthel-Index (BI) and Rankin-Scale. Neuropsychological tests in 14 patients focused on visuo-spatial and visuo-constructive abilities, attention, spatial span and self-rated mood. RESULTS: The one-year survival rate was 69 % (18 of 26). The functional outcome was good (BI >/= 90) in 3 patients, fairly good (BI 75-85) in 6, moderate (BI 30-70) in 6, and poor (BI 0-25) in 3 patients. Age was an independent predictor of outcome, patients above 52 years had a BI of 50 or below. Neuropsychological tests (14 of 18) showed profound attention deficits in all patients, and visuo-spatial and visuo-constructive deficits in patients with lower formal education. Retrospectively, 4 of 18 patients would not give consent to surgery again, mostly because of the bad quality of life postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Older patients do not seem to benefit from decompressive hemicraniectomy; more than half of the surviving younger patients have a good outcome and live independently. Attention deficits are prominent in all patients; visuo-spatial and constructive deficits are less pronounced in patients with higher formal education. Retrospective agreement to decompressive hemicraniectomy is high in patients with good functional outcome.

Adolescent↗

Brain diffusion during hyperventilation: diffusion-weighted MR-monitoring in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and in healthy volunteers.

Hyperventilation (HV) can be used to provoke epileptiform activity and occasionally seizures in generalised and in focal epilepsies. Based on the hypothesis that HV might alter brain diffusion in the epileptogenic areas of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), we examined these alterations using quantitative diffusion MR imaging (DI) in four patients with TLE and unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) and six patients with TLE without hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-pure), and in 10 healthy volunteers. Brain diffusion was measured at baseline and immediately after 4 min of HV. In all patients with TLE HV was repeated two times, 4 min each, followed by subsequent DI. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was quantified in predefined regions of interest. In controls, the ADC did not differ between baseline and HV and between right and left side. Compared to controls TLE-HS patients showed significantly higher ADC at baseline in the hippocampus of the ictogenic side (111+/-13 vs. 87.5+/-4.26 x 10(-5) mm(2)/s, P=0.029). During HV ADC decreased significantly in the ictogenic hippocampus compared to controls (-17.3+/-7.1 vs. -3.34+/-8.7, P=0.004). In TLE-pure patients ADC of the ictogenic hippocampus was higher than in normals (99.3+/-14.2 vs. 87.5+/-4.26 x 10(-5) mm(2)/s, P=0.031) but there was no significant decrease during HV. Serial HV did not further enhance this decrease. No significant HV-induced changes were seen in other brain areas. In conclusion, our results show that HV can induce dynamic changes of brain diffusion in patients with sclerotic hippocampi but not in non-sclerotic hippocampi. These findings may be utilized for lateralisation of the epileptogenic hippocampus during presurgical evaluation of TLE.

Adult↗

Perfusion- and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for monitoring decompressive craniectomy in animals with experimental hemispheric stroke.

OBJECT: The aim of this study was to use two types of serial magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-perfusion-weighted (PW) and diffusion-weighted (DW)-to monitor craniectomy in rats with hemispheric stroke. METHODS: Focal cerebral ischemia was induced in 36 rats by using an endovascular method of occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). Craniectomy was performed 4 or 24 hours later in 12 animals each. Twelve control animals underwent occlusion but did not receive treatment. Perfusion-weighted, DW, and T2-weighted MR images were obtained at 4, 24, 48, 72, and 168 hours postocclusion in all animals. Relative regional cerebral blood volumes and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated for the cortex and basal ganglia. Hemispheric lesion volumes (expressed as percentages of total brain volumes; %HLV) as they appeared on DW and T2-weighted MR images and on histological slices stained with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride were compared. Neurological performances and infarct volumes measured 7 days postocclusion were used as study end points. Both PW and DW images demonstrated ischemic tissue 4 hours after MCAO in all animals. Early treatment by performing craniectomy significantly improved cortical perfusion (p < 0.01), whereas the same procedure conveyed no benefit to the basal ganglia. Compared with findings in control animals, the DW image-derived %HLV was significantly reduced (p < 0.01) and the cortical ADCs at 4 and 24 hours postocclusion were significantly higher in animals treated early (p < 0.05). Late treatment with craniectomy did not significantly affect cerebral perfusion. The correlation between the DW imaging-derived %HLV and the histologically derived %HLV at 4 to 72 hours postocclusion was good (r = 0.74), whereas at Day 7 postocclusion the %HLV was underestimated up to 41% on DW imaging. At 4 hours postocclusion T-weighted imaging failed to demonstrate the ischemic lesion, whereas from 24 to 72 hours postocclusion the correlation between the T2-weighted imaging-derived %HLV and the histologically derived %HLV was good (r > 0.81). Neurological performance was significantly improved in animals treated using craniectomy. CONCLUSIONS: Early craniectomy significantly improves cortical perfusion through leptomeningeal collateral vessels, significantly reduces infarct size, and improves neurological performance in animals with experimental acute hemispheric infarction. Both PW and DW imaging are suitable for noninvasive monitoring of the effects of decompressive craniectomy.

Acute Disease↗

Complementary management of partially occluded aneurysms by using surgical or endovascular therapy.

OBJECT: The authors present a series of patients in whom partially occluded aneurysms were retreated using complementary surgical or endovascular therapy. METHODS: During a period of 18 months, 301 patients with intracranial aneurysms were treated using either clip application (171 patients) or endovascular embolization with Guglielmi Detachable Coils ([GDCs] 130 patients). Routine posttreatment angiography studies revealed residual aneurysms in 21 of these patients, nine of whom were retreated using an endovascular or surgical method, with a mean treatment latency of 1.2 months. Four patients underwent primary surgical clip application, whereas five patients experienced GDC packing first. Among patients in the surgical group, the residual aneurysm neck was small and total elimination of the aneurysm was achieved by packing in GDCs. In patients in the endovascular group the authors incompletely packed the aneurysm because of its wide neck or fusiform component in two patients, perforation of a very small aneurysm in one patient, and coil dislocation in another patient. Typical coil compaction occurred in one case. Complete clip application was achieved in all patients. There was no complication in any patient due to the second treatment modality. Final outcome was excellent or good in six and fair in three. CONCLUSIONS: Following clip application or endovascular embolization of intracranial aneurysms, the use of complementary surgical or endovascular management is successful and associated with low morbidity.

Adolescent↗

Endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intracranial aneurysms are common, with an overall frequency ranging from 0.8% to 10%. Because prognosis after subarachnoid hemorrhage is still very poor, treatment of unruptured aneurysms, either neurosurgically or endovascularly, has been advocated. However, risk of rupture and subsequent subarachnoid hemorrhage needs to be considered against the risks of elective treatment. We analyzed the technical feasibility, safety, and efficacy of endovascular treatment of a consecutive series of unruptured cerebral aneurysms. METHODS: From July 1997 through December 2000, a total of 76 patients with 82 unruptured cerebral aneurysms were treated at our institution. Endovascular treatment was administered to 39 consecutive patients with a total of 42 unruptured cerebral aneurysms. Thirty-six aneurysms were treated with an endovascular technique; in six patients, the parent artery was occluded to eliminate aneurysmal perfusion. Aneurysms were located either in the anterior (n = 31) or posterior (n = 11) circulation. Eight patients had experienced previous subarachnoid hemorrhage from other aneurysms and were treated electively after complete rehabilitation. Ten patients had neurologic symptoms; in 21 patients, the aneurysm was an incidental finding. Eighteen aneurysms were small (0-5 mm), 11 were medium (6-10 mm), nine were large (11-25 mm), and four were giant (> 25 mm). Occlusion rate was categorized as complete (100%), subtotal (95-99%), and incomplete (< 95%) obliteration. RESULTS: Endovascular treatment was technically feasible for 38 of 42 aneurysms. Complete (100%) or nearly complete (95-99%) occlusion was achieved in 34 of 38 aneurysms. In four aneurysms of the internal carotid artery, only incomplete (< 95%) occlusion was achieved. All patients except one with mild neurologic deficits according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale and one with mild memory dysfunction but no focal neurologic deficit achieved good recovery, resulting in a morbidity rate of 4.8% and a mortality rate of 0%. CONCLUSION: Endovascular embolization of unruptured cerebral aneurysms is an effective therapeutic alternative to neurosurgical clipping and is associated with low morbidity and mortality rates. For the management of unruptured aneurysms, endovascular treatment should be considered.

Adult↗