Project description:Background:The development of carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) during surgical recanalization of chronic internal carotid artery occlusion (ICAO) may be secondary to severe ICA dissection rather than a focal tear of the cavernous ICA seen in typical traumatic CCFs. The purpose of this study is to investigate the causal relationship between the CCFs and severe ICA dissections and to characterize technical outcomes after treatment with stenting. Methods:Five patients underwent treatment with self-expanding stents due to intraprocedural CCF and ICA dissection following surgical removal of ICAO plaque. The stents were telescopically placed via true channel of the dissection. Safety of the procedure was evaluated with 30-day stroke and death rate. Procedural success was determined by the efficacy of CCF obliteration and ICAO recanalization with angiography. Results:All CCFs were associated with spiral and long segmental dissection from the cervical to cavernous ICA. After stenting, successful dissection reconstruction with TICI 3 was achieved in all patients, with complete (n = 4) or partial CCF (n = 1) obliteration. No patient had CCF syndrome, stroke, or death during follow-up of 6 to 37?months; but one patient had pulsatile tinnitus, which resolved 1 year later. Angiography at 6 to 24?months demonstrated CCF obliteration in all 5 patients and durable ICA patency in 4 patients. Conclusions:Intraprocedural CCFs with spiral and cervical-to-cavernous ICA dissection during ICAO surgery are dissection-related because of successful obliteration after stenting for dissection reconstruction. Self-expanding stenting through true channel of the dissection, serving as implanting stent-autograft, may be an optimal therapy for the atypical CCF complication from ICAO surgery.
Project description:In this report, we are presenting a case of a 49-year-old female complaining of defective vision in the left eye. The main complaints were: pain, redness, mild proptosis, and high intraocular pressure. She had a history of uneventful phacoemulsification surgery 3 months prior to presenting to us. Investigations revealed a macular edema caused by central retinal vein occlusion and computed tomography angiography showed an early opacified left cavernous sinus with a dilated superior ophthalmic vein along with a fistula between the meningeal branches of the carotid arteries and the cavernous sinus. Improvement of ocular symptoms was achieved after endovascular treatment by transarterial and transvenous embolization.
Project description:ObjectiveThe leading treatment option for dural carotid-cavernous sinus fistula is an endovascular approach with immediate improvement. Alternatively, radiosurgery is a slow response for obliterating the fistula and poses a radiation risk to the optic apparatus and the associated cranial nerves and blood vessels. In this study, we retrieved cases from a prospective database to assess the ophthalmological outcomes and complications in treating dural carotid cavernous sinus fistula with gamma knife radiosurgery (GKRS).Material and methodsWe retrieved a total of 65 cases of carotid cavernous sinus fistula treated with GKRS with margin dose of 18-20 Gy from 2003 to 2018 and reviewed the ophthalmological records required for our assessment.ResultsThe mean target volume was 2 ± 1.43 cc. The onset of symptom alleviated after GKRS was 3.71 ± 7.68 months. There were two cases with residual chemosis, two with cataract, two with infarction, one with transient optic neuropathy, and four with residual cranial nerve palsy, but none with glaucoma or dry eyes. In MRA analysis, total obliteration of the fistula was noted in 64 cases with no detectable ICA stenosis nor cavernous sinus thrombosis. In the Cox regression analysis, post-GKRS residual cranial nerve palsy was highly correlated to targeted volume (p < 0.05) and age (p < 0.05). The occurrence of post-GKRS cataract was related to the initial symptom of chemosis (p < 0.05).ConclusionGKRS for carotid cavernous sinus fistula offers a high obliteration rate and preserves the cavernous sinus vascular structure while conferring a low risk of treatment complications such as adverse radiation risk to the optic apparatus and adjacent cranial nerves.
Project description:BackgroundCarotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) is an abnormal communication between the cavernous sinus and the carotid arterial system and exhibits typical symptoms of red eye, diplopia, blurred vision, headache, and murmur. However, the symptoms for CCF may vary and can lead to misdiagnosis. IOP pulsations provide a hint leading to suspicion of CCF. We report three cases related to CCF differential diagnosis: two cases of CCF patients and one case of conjunctivitis with corkscrew conjunctival vessels.Case presentationThe case 1 patient, with a typical unilateral CCF, exhibited significant IOP pulsation in Goldmann tonometry measurements in the affected eye. The case 2 patient did not show typical symptoms of CCF except asymmetric upper eyelid swelling (right > left). In clinical evaluation, IOP elevation in the right eye and IOP pulsation in both eyes were noted. Based on radiology, the patient was diagnosed with bilateral CCF. The case 3 patient was referred to our institution for differential diagnosis of CCF. The patient had corkscrew conjunctival vessels in both eyes, which had appeared after he had been revived through CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) 25 years prior. IOP pulsation was not observed in Goldmann tonometry. Radiology test result for arterio-venous fistula was negative in the case 3 patient.ConclusionFor diagnosis of CCF, IOP pulsation by Goldmann applanation tonometry exhibits a good correlation with the disease in our cases and provides useful diagnostic clues.
Project description:PurposeMultimodal endovascular therapy (EVT) of carotid cavernous fistula (CCF) with different approaches and a variety of available embolization material enable high occlusion rates with good clinical and functional outcome but until now there is still little evidence available. This retrospective single-center study aims to evaluate EVT of CCF with different neuroendovascular techniques regarding occlusion rates, complications and outcomes.Materials and methodsFrom 2001 to 2021 59 patients with CCF were treated at our tertiary university hospital. Patient records and all imaging data including angiograms were reviewed for demographic and epidemiological data, symptoms, fistula type, number of EVTs, complications of EVT, type of embolic materials, occlusion rates and recurrences.ResultsEtiology of the CCF were spontaneous (41/59, 69.5%) post-traumatic (13/59, 22%) and ruptured cavernous aneurysms (5/59, 8.5%). Endovascular therapy was completed in one session in 74.6% (44/59). Transvenous access was most frequent (55.9% 33/59) followed by transarterial catheterization in 33.9% (20/59) and a combination of both (6/59, 10.2%). Exclusively coils were used in 45.8% (27/59), a combination of ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) copolymer (Onyx) and coils in 42.4% (25/59). Complete obliteration was achieved in 96.6% of patients (57/59) with an intraprocedural-related complication rate of 5.1% (3/59) and no mortality.ConclusionEndovascular therapy of CCF has been shown to be safe and effective with high cure rates and low rates of intraprocedural complications and morbidity even in complex scenarios.
Project description:PurposeThe purpose of the study was to describe ocular blood flow changes in eyes affected by a carotid-cavernous fistula (CCF) using laser speckle flowgraphy. We hypothesized that imaging blood flow velocity waveforms in the retinal arterioles and venules simultaneously would reveal specific characteristics of an arteriovenous (AV) connection.DesignThe study was an observational case series, with a retrospective case-control analysis.MethodsFive patients with a CCF underwent measurement of ocular blood flow using laser speckle flowgraphy. The blood flow was compared retrospectively between a control group of healthy subjects (n = 32) and patients with an elevated intraocular pressure or venous outflow impairment without an AV fistula (n = 40). The outcomes were derived from the arteriole and venule blood flow velocity waveforms, including an A-V phase delay and flow pulsatility.ResultsThe presence of an active CCF was associated with an increased delay in the peak velocity measured in the retinal venule (10.7% ± 2.2% of the cardiac cycle duration) compared with unaffected fellow eyes (1.8% ± 0.2%; p = 0.05) or control eyes of normal subjects (2.7% ± 0.3%; p = 0.02). This delay disappeared after fistula thrombosis and was not present in eyes with a central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), glaucoma, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), or papilledema. The venule blood flow velocity decreased during systole (and in some cases momentarily stopped), leading to a delayed pulse with a greater amplitude in the venules than in fellow eyes and normal controls after normalizing to the arteriole amplitude (1.71 ± 0.3 vs 0.54 ± 0.03 vs 0.59 ± 0.02; p = 8.0E-12). This specific AV delay could also be identified in a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO; SPECTRALIS®) video.ConclusionLaser speckle flowgraphy reveals dynamic retinal vascular changes in eyes affected by a CCF, which are not present in healthy controls or patients with other eye conditions, and which reverses with treatment.
Project description:Tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious threat to public health throughout the world but disproportionately afflicts low-income nations. Persons in close contact with a patient with active pulmonary TB and those from endemic regions of the world are at highest risk of primary infection, whereas patients with compromised immune systems are at highest risk of reactivation of latent TB infection (LTBI). Tuberculosis can affect any organ system. Clinical manifestations vary accordingly but often include fever, night sweats, and weight loss. Positive results on either a tuberculin skin test or an interferon-γ release assay in the absence of active TB establish a diagnosis of LTBI. A combination of epidemiological, clinical, radiographic, microbiological, and histopathologic features is used to establish the diagnosis of active TB. Patients with suspected active pulmonary TB should submit 3 sputum specimens for acid-fast bacilli smears and culture, with nucleic acid amplification testing performed on at least 1 specimen. For patients with LTBI, treatment with isoniazid for 9 months is preferred. Patients with active TB should be treated with multiple agents to achieve bacterial clearance, to reduce the risk of transmission, and to prevent the emergence of drug resistance. Directly observed therapy is recommended for the treatment of active TB. Health care professionals should collaborate, when possible, with local and state public health departments to care for patients with TB. Patients with drug-resistant TB or coinfection with human immunodeficiency virus should be treated in collaboration with TB specialists. Public health measures to prevent the spread of TB include appropriate respiratory isolation of patients with active pulmonary TB, contact investigation, and reduction of the LTBI burden.