Embolization for intracranial tumor is performed as a standard endovascular treatment. A retrospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted to clarify the nature, frequency, and risk factors of complications in intracranial tumor embolization. Patients were derived from the Japanese Registry of NeuroEndovascular Therapy (JR-NET3) using data taken from January 2010 through December 2014 in Japan. A total of 40,169 patients were enrolled in JR-NET3, of which, 1,545 patients (3.85%) with intracranial tumors underwent embolization. The primary end point was the proportion of patients with a modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 0–2 (independency) at 30 days after embolization. The secondary end point was the occurrence of complications related to the procedures. The risk factors of the development of complications were analyzed. The proportion of patients with mRS scores ≤2 at 30 days after procedure was 89.5%. Complications occurred in 57 of the 1544 patients (3.7%). Multivariate analysis showed that target vessels other than external carotid artery (ECA) (OR, 3.56; 95% CI, 2.03–6.25; P <0.001) and use of liquid material (OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.50–4.68; P <0.001) were significantly associated with the development of complications. In JR-NET3, the primary end point was 89.5%, and the procedure-related complication rate was 3.7%. Embolization from other than ECA was significant risk factor of the complications. In addition, increasing usage of liquid embolic material worsened the risk of complications.

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of radiofrequency thermal annuloplasty (TA) using percutaneous endoscopic discectomy/TA (PED/TA) in elite athletes with discogenic low back pain. Twelve patients (11 men, 1 woman; mean age 27.9 years) underwent PED/TA under local anesthesia. Clinical data for these patients (17 affected intervertebral discs), including type of sport played, average duration of low back pain, disc level affected, presence or absence of a high signal intensity zone on magnetic resonance imaging, and whether the patient returned to playing competitive sport, were retrospectively reviewed. The most common sport played by the patient was baseball (n = 8), followed by cycling (n = 2), tennis (n = 1), and hammer throw (n = 1). The average duration of low back pain was 24.3 months. The intervertebral disc levels affected were L4/5 (n = 11) and L5/S1 (n = 6). A high signal intensity zone was detected in nine discs. Although two patients required additional surgery, all patients were able to return to their original competitive level of play. Duration for the return to play was 2.8 months after surgery except the two revision cases. PED/TA for discogenic pain enables an early return to competitive sports, and so is particularly useful for elite athletes.

Predicting the growth rate of meningiomas is important in treatment planning. Although calcification may be an important sign of slow growth in meningiomas, the developmental process and its relation to the tumor growth pattern have not been elucidated. We retrospectively examined the location and degree of calcification in 150 meningiomas (131 asymptomatic tumors) using computed tomography (CT) scans and mean Hounsfield units (mHU). Tumor growth was evaluated using serial imaging studies wherein we calculated tumor doubling time (Td) and identified the growth curve pattern as exponential, intermediate, or decelerating. Tumors in women more frequently had calcification and showed higher mHU than those in men. The mHU was measured at least twice in 57 tumors. Tumors in women showed greater mHU increases than those in men. We found a significant correlation between Td and mHU (R = 0.49). Tumors in men and those in patients in the younger age group grew significantly faster. Multivariate analysis revealed that mHU was the only significant factor affecting Td (P <0.0001). The growth pattern was significantly related to calcification (n = 61, P = 0.0042). Tumors with decelerating growth more frequently showed calcification and had higher mHU than those with exponential growth. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that mHU was a better predictor of growth pattern change compared with calcification on CT scan. Meningiomas with high mHU, even without calcification, were likely to show growth deceleration. Mean Hounsfield unit correlated with Td and may be a good quantitative indicator of the growth rate and pattern.

d-dimer is a potential biomarker for the detection of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, the mechanisms that trigger elevation of d-dimer in TBI remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability of d-dimer in blood as a biomarker for TBI and to determine the mechanisms involved in regulating its blood levels. Nine patients with moderate to severe isolated TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] score 7–13) were admitted to our hospital from May 2013 to June 2014. Blood samples were collected from systemic arteries on arrival and at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after injury. Blood levels of neuron specific enolase (NSE), d-dimer, and soluble tissue factor (sTF) were measured. NSE (33.4 ng/ml: normal <12.0 ng/ml) and d-dimer (56.1 μg/ml: normal <1.0 μg/ml) were elevated at admission and declined on day 1 after injury. At admission, there were significant correlations of d-dimer levels with NSE (R = 0.727, P = 0.026) and sTF (R = 0.803, P = 0.009) levels. The blood level of d-dimer accurately reflects the degree of brain tissue damage indicated by NSE levels. Our data suggest that release of sTF induced by brain tissue damage may activate the coagulation cascade, leading to elevation of d-dimer.