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Biomedical subjects

K L Mourier

Publications and source records attributed to K L Mourier.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Spinal dural arteriovenous malformations with perimedullary drainage. Indications and results of surgery in 30 cases.

70 patients were treated for spinal dural arteriovenous fistula in the same centre, during a period of 10 years. Conus medullaris and cauda equina syndromes were observed in all patients as the clinical stereotyped presentation. Diagnosis was based on myelography in the first instance and then on angiography. 40 patients were treated by intravascular neuroradiological embolization, whereas the other 30 were operated on. Surgery was proposed because embolization was contraindicated (7 cases of hazardous catheterisation) of inefficient (23 cases = 38%). The results of the operative series are presented, and compared with those of embolization. Improvement was observed in 50% of the 20 patients with follow up, but a complete recovery to an asymptomatic state was never obtained. For the other patients (47%) complete stabilization of the disease could be obtained, whereas in one of the patients (3%), who was operated upon because of failure of embolization, surgery was also completely ineffectual. The long-term results of patients treated surgically are comparable with those patients efficiently embolized. 5 patients of the operative series were submitted to MRI before and after surgery: the results and the place of MRI are discussed.

Adult↗

Ruptured intracranial aneurysms. The influence of sex and fibromuscular dysplasia upon prognosis.

From a statistical analysis of a series of 214 cases of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, it was demonstrated that only four parameters among those collected on the admission day, are predictive of the final functional result: sex (p less than 0.001); age (p less than 0.02); clinical grade (p less than 0.001) and angiographic spasm (p less than 0.01). The surprisingly poor prognosis in women was explained by the higher frequency of spasm (p less than 0.005). Aneurysms in women predominated on the intracranial carotid artery (38%) and were frequently multiple (12%). A further angiographic study on 87 cases was then carried out including a systematic investigation of the cervical part of the vessels; it permitted one to identify angiographic features of fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) on the cervical vessels in 20 cases. In those cases it was also observed that there was a marked female predominance (F/M = 5.6), a frequent localization on the internal carotid artery (50%), a high rate of multiple aneurysms (60%) and a poor prognosis related to spasm (50%). Therefore, intracranial aneurysms appear far more frequently than usually reported, to be related to FMD. The worse prognosis of ruptured intracranial aneurysms in females can be, at least partly explained by the association with FMD and the frequent occurrence of spasm. A careful investigation of patients exhibiting features of FMD in order to detect intracranial aneurysms before rupture, is suggested.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗

Vascular abnormalities in the neck associated with intracranial aneurysms.

In 102 cases of ruptured intracranial aneurysms, the cervical as well as the cranial areas were explored by angiography. Loops in the course of the cervical vessels were present in 28 patients; features of fibromuscular dysplasia were present in 31 patients; and in 50 patients, no abnormalities were observed. In 7 patients, both cervical anomalies were present. Loops were associated with single aneurysms (95%), located primarily on the anterior communicating artery (76%), predominantly in men (M/F = 1.6). Aneurysms with fibromuscular dysplasia affected women more than men (F/M = 7), were frequently multiple (58%), and were located mainly on the intracranial part of the internal carotid and vertebral arteries (51%). These data suggest new concepts of aneurysm formation from inherited diseases and should permit the detection of some aneurysms before rupture.

Adolescent↗

[Value of the measurement of cerebral blood flow in choosing the operative time of ruptured intracranial aneurysm].

The authors report a series of 135 patients treated between 1984 and 1987, for a ruptured intracranial saccular aneurysm in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Lariboisiere Hospital. The value of C.T. scan and cerebral blood flow measurements (C.B.F.) in predicting the development of vasospasm was studied on 99 cases. The analysis confirmed that the C.T. Scan findings are closely related to vasospasm. A low C.B.F. between the fourth and the eight day following the bleeding was significantly associated with the development of delayed cerebral ischaemia. On the contrary, no relation was found between vasospasm and the C.B.F. measured during the three days following the bleeding. The authors propose to operate without delay on clinical grounds on patients referred during the first three days after the hemorrhage and to decide, on clinical and C.B.F. data, the timing of the intervention for patients admitted after this data, i.e. 35% of their patients.

Cerebral Hemorrhage↗

Phase-contrast MR angiography of vascular malformations of the spinal cord at 0.5 T.

Preliminary experience with phase-contrast magnetic resonance (MR) angiography at 0.5 T applied in 12 cases of vascular malformations of the spinal cord is reported. There were six intramedullary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), four perimedullary fistulas, and two dural arteriovenous fistulas with perimedullary drainage, all proved with x-ray angiography. The small size of the vessels and their location within a bony structure presented a technical challenge. Serpentine vascular signal patterns were identified within the spinal canal in all cases, showing good correlation with the x-ray angiographic pattern. Relative to spin-echo images, MR angiograms allowed better visualization of the venous drainage. The nidus of intramedullary AVMs was more difficult to recognize. The ability to manipulate the velocity-encoding value allows better characterization of flow speed. The results underline the two dimensions of the phase-contrast technique, which provides both anatomic images and dynamic information about vascular malformations. MR angiography does not replace selective x-ray angiography, which is indispensable for therapeutic strategy (endovascular procedure or surgery), but it can be considered a valuable alternative to x-ray angiography during follow-up.

Adult↗