Slowly progressive neuronal death associated with postischemic hyperperfusion in cortical laminar necrosis after high-flow bypass for a carotid intracavernous aneurysm

J Neurosurg. 2010 Jun;112(6):1254-9. doi: 10.3171/2009.9.JNS09345.

Abstract

The authors report a rare case of slowly progressive neuronal death associated with postischemic hyperperfusion in cortical laminar necrosis after radial artery/external carotid artery-middle cerebral artery bypass graft surgery for an intracavernous carotid artery aneurysm. Under barbiturate protection, a 69-year-old man underwent high-flow bypass surgery combined with carotid artery sacrifice for a symptomatic intracavernous aneurysm. The patient became restless postoperatively, and this restlessness peaked on postoperative Day (POD) 7. Diffusion-weighted and FLAIR MR images obtained on PODs 1 and 7 revealed subtle cortical hyperintensity in the temporal cortex subjected to temporary occlusion. On POD 13, (123)I-iomazenil ((123)I-IMZ) SPECT clearly showed increased distribution on the early image and mildly decreased binding on the delayed image with count ratios of the affected-unaffected corresponding regions of interest of 1.23 and 0.84, respectively, suggesting postischemic hyperperfusion. This was consistent with the finding on (123)I-iodoamphetamine SPECT. Of note, neuronal density in the affected cortex on the delayed (123)I-IMZ image further decreased to the affected/unaffected ratio of 0.44 on POD 55 during the subacute stage when characteristic cortical hyperintensity on T1-weighted MR imaging, typical of cortical laminar necrosis, was emerging. The affected cortex showed marked atrophy 8 months after the operation despite complete neurological recovery. This report illustrates, for the first time, dynamic neuroradiological correlations between slowly progressive neuronal death shown by (123)I-IMZ SPECT and cortical laminar necrosis on MR imaging in human stroke.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Atrophy
  • Blood Flow Velocity / physiology
  • Brain Damage, Chronic / pathology*
  • Brain Edema / pathology
  • Brain Ischemia / pathology*
  • Carotid Artery Diseases / pathology
  • Carotid Artery Diseases / surgery*
  • Cavernous Sinus / surgery*
  • Cell Death / physiology*
  • Cerebral Angiography*
  • Cerebral Cortex / pathology*
  • Cerebral Revascularization*
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging*
  • Dominance, Cerebral / physiology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted*
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional*
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / pathology
  • Intracranial Aneurysm / surgery*
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography*
  • Male
  • Nerve Degeneration / pathology
  • Neurologic Examination
  • Postoperative Complications / pathology*
  • Reperfusion Injury / pathology*
  • Temporal Lobe / pathology
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon