Tomokatsu Hori

Applying more than one clip for a complicated-shaped aneurysm is an established strategy, particularly for middle cerebral arteries (MCA). However, obliterating the cleft of the internal elastic lamina with a single clip is theoretically possible because the line is usually on a single plane. Crankshaft clips were reformed for that purpose decades ago, but are not widely used and have been described in almost no report ever since.To reconsider and describe the utility of crankshaft clips for complicated MCA aneurysms and to articulate the advantages and limitations of the clips, we meticulously analyzed a series of more than 150 cases in which the crankshaft clips were used, predominantly for treatment of MCA aneurysms, at Moriyama Memorial Hospital between August 2010 and December 2015.Readjustment of the clip was not necessary in almost all cases, and the first application was the final one. None of the patients had morbidity or mortality related to the surgical technique. To date, we have not experienced any trouble or recurrence.Crankshaft clips are useful and safe for clipping of complicated MCA aneurysms.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leakage is a common but sometimes serious complication after transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). To avoid this postsurgical complication, we usually repair the CSF leaking area using an autologous material, such as fat, fascia, or muscle graft and sometimes nasonasal septal flap. In this report, we propose a technique using a novel autologous material, sphenoid sinus mucosa (SSM), to repair intraoperative CSF leakage or prevent it postoperatively. On 26 February 2007, we introduced the technique of using SSM to repair or prevent CSF leakage in TSS. Until 30th of June 2014, we performed 500 TSSs for patients with pituitary or parasellar lesions. They were 195 men and 305 women with a mean age of 48.5 years (range, 5–85 years). We used SSM for patching or suturing the arachnoid laceration or dural defect, in lieu of fat or fascia harvested from abdomen or thigh, or made pedicle flap of SSM instead of nasonasal septal flap to cover the sellar floor. Comparing the previous 539 cases not using these techniques before 26 February 2007, intraoperative CSF leakage increased from 49 to 69.4 % (p < 0.0001) due to more aggressive surgical technique, mainly related to more extensive approaches and lesion removals, but the rate of using fat was reduced significantly from 35.5 to 19.4 % (p = 0.00021) in small or moderate CSF leaks during TSS without increasing the reoperation rate for postoperative CSF leaks (1.86 vs 1.2 %, p = 0.45). The technique of using SSM to repair intraoperative CSF leaks or prevent them postoperatively in TSS was considered useful, effective, less invasive, easier for graft harvesting (same surgical field), and providing natural anatomical reconstruction, without potential donor site morbidity. We can recommend it as a standard method for CSF leaks repair and prevention in TSS.

A 38-year-old male presented with a meningioma within the internal auditory canal (IAC) manifesting as rapidly progressive hearing loss over a period of one month. He had a 2-year history of tinnitus. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 10-mm intracanalicular tumor, which was surgically resected by a retrosigmoid lateral suboccipital approach. The histological findings showed meningothelial meningioma. The patient had no facial palsy after surgery, but his cochlear function did not recover. Common symptoms of IAC meningiomas are tinnitus and hearing loss, but rapidly progressive hearing loss is very rare. IAC meningioma is rare but should be taken into consideration as a cause of rapidly progressive hearing loss.