Background: Pre-operative embolisation is an effective method used to reduce intra-operative bleeding and operative difficulty in hypervascular brain tumour surgery. However, embolisation of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and pial tumour feeding branches has certain limitations.
Methods: From March 2000 to November 2006, 8 patients underwent superselective embolisation for hypervascular brain tumour. Seven tumours were extra-axial (6 meningiomas, 1 solitary fibrous tumour) and 1 was intra-axial (metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma).
Results: In all patients, feeding vessels from ICA branches or pial arteries were successfully embolised using superselective microcatheterisation. A provocative test was applied in 4 patients who had tumours adjacent to the motor cortex. Angiographic devascularisation was slight to extensive. Mean devascularisation on post-embolisation MRI ranged from 40 to 80% (mean 63.8%). One patient (12.5%) suffered an embolisation-related complication (loss of choroidal brush), but was not clinically worse because of the pre-existing blindness.
Conclusions: Superselective embolisation of ICA branches or pial vessels should be performed if several conditions are met, especially angiographic findings, pre-existing neurologic deficits, provocative test, and technical feasibility. If the ICA embolisation for hypervascular tumour is successfully achieved, the bleeding loss and operative risk can be reduced.