Dural venous sinus angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension



Dural venous sinus angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

J NeuroIntervent Surg doi:10.1136/neurintsurg-2011-010156

Background

Lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS), ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) and optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF) are accepted surgical therapies for medically refractory idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). In the subset of patients with IIH and venous sinus stenosis, dural venous sinus stenting has emerged as an alternative surgical approach.

Methods

All cases of dural stents for IIH at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. Eligibility criteria included medically refractory IIH with documented papilledema and dural venous sinus stenosis of the dominant venous outflow system (gradient ≥10 mm Hg).

Results

Fifteen cases (all women) of mean age 34 years were identified. All had failed medical therapy and six had failed surgical intervention. Technical success was achieved in all patients without major periprocedural complications. The mean preprocedural gradient across the venous stenosis was reduced from 24 mm Hg before the procedure to 4 mm Hg after the procedure. Headache resolved or improved in 10 patients. Papilledema resolved in all patients and visual acuity stabilized or improved in 14 patients. There were no instances of restenosis among the 14 patients with follow-up imaging.

Conclusion

In this small case series, dural sinus stenting for IIH was performed safely with a high degree of technical success and with excellent clinical outcomes. These results suggest that angioplasty and stenting for the treatment of medically refractory IIH in patients with dural sinus stenosis warrants further investigation as an alternative to LPS, VPS and ONSF.


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Mechanical thrombectomy as first-line treatment for venous sinus thrombosis: technical considerations and preliminary results using the AngioJet devic



Background

Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVT) is an uncommon cause of stroke that is usually treated medically with intravenous heparin therapy followed by long-term anticoagulation therapy. A series of patients with CVT who underwent rheolytic thrombectomy with the AngioJet as a first-line adjunctive treatment in addition to standard anticoagulation therapy is presented.

Methods

Prospectively maintained endovascular databases at two institutions were retrospectively reviewed. The available clinical and imaging data were compiled at each institution and combined for analysis.

Results

Over 18 months, 13 patients (seven women and six men; age range 17–73 years, median age 45 years) with CVT were treated with rheolytic thrombectomy. Immediate (partial or complete) recanalization of the thrombosed intracranial sinuses was achieved in all patients. At a median radiographic follow-up of 7 months there was continued patency of all recanalized sinuses. Clinical follow-up was available on nine patients: modified Rankin score of 0 in four patients, 1 in three patients and 6 in two patients.

Conclusion

This series demonstrates the feasibility of performing mechanical thrombectomy as a first-line treatment for acute CVT. This technique facilitates the prompt restoration of intracranial venous outflow, which may result in rapid neurological and symptomatic improvement.


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