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Biomedical subjects

T A Tomsick

Publications and source records attributed to T A Tomsick.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Early carotid endarterectomy for critical carotid artery stenosis after thrombolysis therapy in acute ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) has been shown to be effective for acute ischemic stroke. However, if a high-grade cervical carotid stenosis remains despite tPA therapy, patients are at risk for recurrent stroke. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been shown to be effective in symptomatic patients with high-grade cervical carotid stenosis in reducing the risk of stroke, but it is unknown whether CEA can be performed safely after tPA thrombolysis. We describe our experience with 5 patients who underwent early (<48 hours) CEA for residual high-grade cervical carotid stenosis after thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory. METHODS: All patients had a critical (>99%) carotid artery stenosis on the symptomatic side after tPA therapy. All patients received intravenous tPA; 3 patients also received intra-aortic tPA. Three patients received intravenous heparin infusion immediately after administration of tPA. All patients showed marked improvement in their National Institutes for Health Stroke Scale scores after treatment with tPA. CEA was then performed within 45 hours (6 hours in 1 patient, 23 hours in 2, 26 hours in 1, and 45 hours in 1). RESULTS: All 5 patients underwent successful CEA. There were no complications related to surgery. At discharge, 2 patients had a normal examination, and the remaining patients had mild deficits. In a long-term follow-up of 5 to 22 months, no patient had a recurrent cerebrovascular event. CONCLUSIONS: Early CEA can be performed safely and successfully in patients after tPA treatment for acute ischemic stroke in appropriately selected patients.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Outcome of stroke patients without angiographically revealed arterial occlusion within four hours of symptom onset.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Follow-up imaging data from stroke patients without angiographically apparent arterial occlusions at symptom onset are lacking. We reviewed our Emergency Management of Stroke (EMS) trial experience to determine the clinical and imaging outcomes of patients with ischemic stroke who showed no arterial occlusion on angiograms obtained within 4 hours of symptom onset. METHODS: All patients in this report were participants in the EMS trial that was designed to address the safety and potential efficacy of combined IV and intraarterial thrombolytic therapy with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in patients with acute ischemic stroke. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were randomized to receive either IV rt-PA (n = 17) or placebo (n = 18), followed by cerebral angiography. No symptomatic arterial occlusion was evident in 10 (29%) of the 34 patients. Eight (80%) of 10 patients without angiographically apparent clot within 4 hours of symptom onset had a new cerebral infarction confirmed on follow-up brain imaging. The median 72-hour infarction volume was 2.4 cc (range, 1-30 cc). Four of the 10 "no-clot" patients had a favorable 3-month outcome as assessed by Barthel Index (score, 95 or 100) and modified Rankin Scale (score, 0 or 1). The six remaining patients had 3-month Rankin Scale scores of 1 (Barthel of 90), 2, 3, 4, or 5. CONCLUSION: Acute ischemic stroke patients with a neurologic deficit but a negative angiogram during the first 4 hours after symptom onset usually develop image-documented cerebral infarction, and approximately half suffer from long-term functional disability. The two most likely explanations for negative angiograms are very early irreversible ischemic damage despite recanalization or ongoing ischemia secondary to clot in non-visible penetrating arterioles or in the microvasculature.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Decreased perihematomal edema in thrombolysis-related intracerebral hemorrhage compared with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a highly morbid disease process. Perihematomal edema is reported to contribute to clinical deterioration and death. Recent experimental observations indicate that clotting of the intrahematomal blood is the essential prerequisite for hyperacute perihematomal edema formation rather than blood-brain barrier disruption. METHODS: We compared a series of patients with spontaneous ICH (SICH) to a series of patients with thrombolysis-related ICH (TICH). All patients were imaged within 3 hours of clinical onset. We reviewed relevant neuroimaging features, emphasizing and quantifying perihematomal edema. We then analyzed clinical and radiological differences between the 2 ICH types and determined whether these factors were associated with perihematomal edema. RESULTS: TICHs contained visible perihematomal edema less than half as often as SICHs (31% versus 69%, P<0.001) and had both lower absolute edema volumes (0 cc [25th, 75th percentiles: 0, 6] versus 6 cc [0, 13], P<0.0001) and relative edema volumes (0.16 [0.10, 0.33] versus 0.55 [0.40, 0.83], P<0.0001). Compared with SICHs, TICHs were 3 times larger in volume (median [25th, 75th percentiles] volume 69 cc [30, 106] versus 21 cc [8, 45], P<0.0001), 4 times more frequently lobar in location (62% versus 15%, P<0.001), 80 times more frequently contained blood-fluid level(s) (86% versus 1%, P<0.001), and were more frequently multifocal (22% versus 0%, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The striking qualitative and quantitative lack of perihematomal edema observed in the thrombolysis-related ICHs compared with the SICHs provides the first substantial, although indirect, human evidence that intrahematomal blood clotting is a plausible pathogenetic factor in hyperacute perihematomal edema formation.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Combined intravenous and intra-arterial r-TPA versus intra-arterial therapy of acute ischemic stroke: Emergency Management of Stroke (EMS) Bridging Trial.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of combined intravenous (IV) and local intra-arterial (IA) recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (r-TPA) therapy for stroke within 3 hours of onset of symptoms. METHODS: This was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled multi-center Phase I study of IV r-TPA or IV placebo followed by immediate cerebral arteriography and local IA administration of r-TPA by means of a microcatheter. Treatment activity was assessed by improvement on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Score (NIHSSS) at 7 to 10 days. The Barthel Index, modified Rankin Scale, and the Glasgow Outcome Scale measured 3-month functional outcome. Arterial recanalization rates and their relation to total r-TPA dose and time to lysis were measured. Rates of life-threatening bleeding, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), or other bleeding complications assessed safety. RESULTS: Thirty-five patients were randomly assigned, 17 into the IV/IA group and 18 into the placebo/IA group. There was no difference in the 7- to 10-day or the 3-month outcomes, although there were more deaths in the IV/IA group. Clot was found in 22 of 34 patients. Recanalization was better (P=0. 03) in the IV/IA group with TIMI 3 flow in 6 of 11 IV/IA patients versus 1 of 10 placebo/IA patients and correlated to the total dose of r-TPA (P=0.05). There was no difference in the median treatment intervals from time of onset to IV treatment (2.6 vs 2.7 hours), arteriography (3.3 vs 3.0 hours), or clot lysis (6.3 vs 5.7 hours) between the IV/IA and placebo/IA groups, respectively. A direct relation between NIHSSS and the likelihood of the presence of a clot was identified. Eight ICHs occurred; all were hemorrhagic infarctions. There were no parenchymal hematomas. Symptomatic ICH within 24 hours occurred in 1 placebo/IA patient only. Beyond 24 hours, symptomatic ICH occurred in 2 IV/IA patients only. Life-threatening bleeding complications occurred in 2 patients, both in the IV/IA group. Moderate to severe bleeding complications occurred in 2 IV/IA patients and 1 placebo/IA patient. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates combined IV/IA treatment is feasible and provides better recanalization, although it was not associated with improved clinical outcomes. The presence of thrombus on initial arteriography was directly related to the baseline NIHSSS. This approach is technically feasible. The numbers of symptomatic ICH were similar between the 2 groups, which suggests that this approach may be safe. Further study is needed to determine the safety and effectiveness of this new method of treatment. Such studies should address not only efficacy and safety but also the cost-benefit ratio and quality of life, given the major investment in time, personnel, and equipment required by combined IV and IA techniques.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Cerebral metabolism of the remote area after epilepsy surgery.

To clarify whether epilepsy surgery improves cerebral metabolism, pre- and postoperative positron emission tomography (PET) scans were performed, with special reference to hypometabolism outside the resected epileptogenic zones in nine patients (8 males, 1 female) with medically intractable complex partial seizures and multiple hypometabolic zones. Seven patients underwent unilateral anterior temporal lobectomy, one patient underwent selective amygdalohippocampectomy, and one patient underwent parieto-occipital cortical resection and anterior temporal lobectomy. PET scans were obtained at least 6 months after surgery. Eight patients became seizure-free, and one patient had fewer than three seizures per year. Four patients showed improved glucose metabolism in the formerly hypometabolic zones, which were remote to the surgical site and ipsilateral to the epileptogenic foci. Five patients, who showed bilateral temporal hypometabolism preoperatively, had contralateral temporal hypometabolism after surgery. The relative glucose uptake in four of these patients showed increased metabolism of the adjacent lobes ipsilateral to the surgical site. The lobes that showed increased glucose metabolism after surgery were mostly frontal. Hypometabolism is reversible in the ipsilateral remote area, and may be caused by inhibition via the intercortical pathway. Contralateral temporal hypometabolic zones that persist after surgery may be caused by a different mechanism, and neither indicate the presence of seizure foci nor affect the seizure outcome.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

A comparison between endovascular and surgical management of basilar artery apex aneurysms.

OBJECT: The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate endovascular treatment by means of Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs) compared with surgical management for basilar artery (BA) apex aneurysms. METHODS: Forty-one patients presented with saccular BA apex aneurysms with angiographically definable necks that were judged suitable for either treatment. Of 20 patients who underwent surgery and 21 who underwent GDC embolization, 15 (75%) and 11 (52%), respectively, were treated in the acute phase after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Twenty-four (92%) of the 26 patients presenting with an SAH had a Hunt and Hess Grade III or better. Fifteen patients with unruptured or ruptured aneurysms more than 14 days post-SAH were treated electively. Patients in the endovascular and surgical treatment groups had aneurysms with comparable dimensions and configurations. Overall, 15 (75%) of the surgical patients and 20 (95%) of the patients in whom GDC embolization was performed had a good outcome (Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 4 or 5). Among those patients treated in the acute stage post-SAH, 11 (73%) of the surgical group and 10 (91%) of the endovascular group did well. Fourteen patients treated electively (93%) had good outcomes. There were two deaths (10%) in the surgical group and none in the endovascular group. Patients treated surgically were hospitalized twice as long and incurred twice the expenses of patients who underwent endovascular treatment (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular GDC embolization of select BA apex aneurysms may be a competitive alternative to direct surgical clipping. Long-term follow up is needed to better define the natural history of the endovascularly treated aneurysm and to further evaluate the accuracy of these preliminary results.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Dural sinus thrombosis and pseudotumor cerebri: unexpected complications of suboccipital craniotomy and translabyrinthine craniectomy.

OBJECT: The goal of this study was to document the hazards associated with pseudotumor cerebri resulting from transverse sinus thrombosis after tumor resection. Dural sinus thrombosis is a rare and potentially serious complication of suboccipital craniotomy and translabyrinthine craniectomy. Pseudotumor cerebri may occur when venous hypertension develops secondary to outflow obstruction. Previous research indicates that occlusion of a single transverse sinus is well tolerated when the contralateral sinus remains patent. METHODS: The authors report the results in five of a total of 107 patients who underwent suboccipital craniotomy or translabyrinthine craniectomy for resection of a tumor. Postoperatively, these patients developed headache, visual obscuration, and florid papilledema as a result of increased intracranial pressure (ICP). In each patient, the transverse sinus on the treated side was thrombosed; patency of the contralateral sinus was confirmed on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Four patients required lumboperitoneal or ventriculoperitoneal shunts and one required medical treatment for increased ICP. All five patients regained their baseline neurological function after treatment. Techniques used to avoid thrombosis during surgery are discussed. CONCLUSIONS: First, the status of the transverse and sigmoid sinuses should be documented using MR venography before patients undergo posterior fossa surgery. Second, thrombosis of a transverse or sigmoid sinus may not be tolerated even if the sinus is nondominant; vision-threatening pseudotumor cerebri may result. Third, MR venography is a reliable, noninvasive means of evaluating the venous sinuses. Fourth, if the diagnosis is made shortly after thrombosis, then direct endovascular thrombolysis with urokinase may be a therapeutic option. If the presentation is delayed, then ophthalmological complications of pseudotumor cerebri can be avoided by administration of a combination of acetazolamide, dexamethasone, lumbar puncture, and possibly lumboperitoneal shunt placement.

Acetazolamide↗
PubMed1999

Temporary endovascular balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery with a nondetachable silicone balloon catheter: analysis of technique and cost.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Temporary balloon occlusion has become a routine and medically accepted technique for the management of patients with aneurysms or intracranial or head/neck tumors. We describe our experience using a nondetachable silicone balloon (NDSB) catheter in 103 endovascular temporary balloon occlusions of the internal carotid artery, with attention focused on technique, complications, and cost. METHODS: Between 1993 and 1998, 103 patients underwent preoperative temporary balloon occlusion testing with a 1.5-mm NDSB catheter. Clinical testing during endovascular blockade was combined with qualitative cerebral blood flow analysis using technetium-99m HMPAO SPECT. Cost-effective analysis was performed, emphasizing cost and complication rates in comparison with those in previously reported series in which multiple types of temporary balloon occlusion catheters were used, predominantly not of the NDSB type. RESULTS: No carotid artery injury or complication, including cerebral infarction due to NDSB use, was encountered. Despite the increased cost of the NDSB catheter system, cost-effective analysis showed up to 40% reduction in cost per quality adjusted life years. CONCLUSION: Temporary balloon occlusion using the NDSB catheter is safe and cost-effective, owing to the low rate of complications.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

Cavernous sinus and inferior petrosal sinus flow signal on three-dimensional time-of-flight MR angiography.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Venous flow signal in the cavernous sinus and inferior petrosal sinus has been shown on MR angiograms in patients with carotid cavernous fistula (CCF). We, however, identified flow signal in some patients without symptoms and signs of CCF. This review was performed to determine the frequency of such normal venous flow depiction at MR angiography. METHODS: Twenty-five 3D time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiograms obtained on two different imaging units (scanners A and B) were reviewed with attention to presence of venous flow signal in the cavernous sinus or inferior petrosal sinus or both. Twenty-five additional MR angiograms were reviewed in patients who had also had cerebral arteriography to document absence of CCF where venous MR angiographic signal was detected, as well as to gain insight into venous flow patterns that might contribute to MR angiographic venous flow signal. Differences in scanning technique parameters were reviewed. RESULTS: Nine (36%) of the 25 MR angiograms obtained on scanner A but only one (4%) of the 25 obtained on scanner B showed flow signal in the cavernous or inferior petrosal sinus or both in the absence of signs of CCF. On review of 25 patients who had both MR angiography and arteriography, three patients with venous signal at MR angiography failed to exhibit CCF at arteriography. CONCLUSION: Identification of normal cavernous sinus or inferior petrosal sinus venous signal on 3D TOF MR angiograms may occur frequently, and is probably dependent on technical factors that vary among scanners. The exact factors most responsible, however, were not elucidated by this preliminary review.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Obliteration of a giant carotid aneurysm after extracranial-to-intracranial bypass surgery: case report.

BACKGROUND: Proximal arterial occlusion, with or without extracranial-to-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass, is frequently used as treatment for giant intracranial aneurysms that are unclippable. The authors report on a patient who had obliteration of a giant unruptured aneurysm of the right internal carotid terminus after undergoing an EC-IC bypass without proximal arterial ligation. METHODS: This 71-year-old woman presented with repeated right cerebral ischemia caused by a giant saccular aneurysm of the right internal carotid terminus. Direct surgical clipping of the aneurysm was not recommended because of the patient's age and because of the morphology of the aneurysm. She could not tolerate occlusion of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and, therefore, first underwent an EC-IC bypass. Four weeks later, she returned to undergo a balloon occlusion of the right ICA proximal to the aneurysm. RESULTS: The right distal ICA and aneurysm were found to be spontaneously thrombosed. At 2-year follow-up, the aneurysm was shown to be completely obliterated on the magnetic resonance imaging scans. CONCLUSIONS: The authors conclude that hemodynamic changes in the blood flow of the parent artery after EC-IC bypass caused this occurrence.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas: recognizing the spectrum of magnetic resonance imaging findings.

Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas are the most common type of vascular malformation to involve the spinal cord. In this report, we describe and analyze the various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas in order to increase awareness and prompt timely diagnosis. We reviewed 14 patients evaluated and treated for spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas over a seven year period, with special attention to findings on MRI. All patients had regions of increased cord signal on T2-weighted MRI, with corresponding hypointense signal on T1-weighted images in 11 patients (79 percent). Thirteen (93 percent) of 14 patients had focal increased cord caliber and eight (57 percent) had prominent intradural vessels. Cord enhancement was observed in all seven patients who were administered contrast and two patients had enhancement of intradural vessels. These imaging findings are relatively nonspecific, but should lead to further investigation with myelography or arteriography in the appropriate clinical setting.

Adult↗