MR derived volumetric flow rate waveforms of internal carotid artery in patients treated for unruptured intracranial aneurysms by flow diversion technique

Effects of the flow diversion technique on nucleotide levels in intra-cranial aneurysms: A feasibility study providing new research perspectives

Introduction

The flow diverter stent (FDS) has become a first-line treatment for numerous intra-cranial aneurysms (IAs) by promoting aneurysm thrombosis. However, the biological phenomena underlying its efficacy remain unknown. We proposed a method to collect in situ blood samples to explore the flow diversion effect within the aneurysm sac. In this feasibility study, we assessed the plasma levels of nucleotides within the aneurysm sac before and after flow diversion treatment.

Materials and methods

In total, 14 patients with unruptured IAs who were selected for FDS implantation were prospectively recruited from February 2015 to November 2015. Two catheters dedicated to (1) FDS deployment and (2) the aneurysm sac were used to collect blood samples within the parent artery (P1) and the aneurysm sac before (P2) and after (P3) flow diversion treatment. The plasma levels of adenosine monophosphate (AMP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) at each collection point were quantified with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

The aneurysms were extradural in nine (64.3%) patients and intra-dural in five (35.7%) patients. They presented an average diameter of 15.5 ± 7.1 mm, height of 15.8 ± 4.6 mm, and volume of 2,549 ± 2,794 ml. In all patients (100%), 16 FDS implantations and 42 in situ blood collections were performed successfully without any complications associated with the procedure. The ATP, ADP, and AMP concentrations within the aneurysm sac were decreased after flow diversion (p = 0.005, p = 0.03, and p = 0.12, respectively). Only the ATP levels within the aneurysm sac after flow diversion were significantly correlated with aneurysm volume (adjusted R² = 0.43; p = 0.01).

Conclusion

In situ blood collection within unruptured IAs during a flow diversion procedure is feasible and safe. Our results suggest that the flow diversion technique is associated with changes in the nucleotide plasma levels within the aneurysm sac.

"Trapped labelled spins"-related signal on arterial spin labelling in the assessment of flow-diverted aneurysms: preliminary experience

PURPOSE

To investigate ASL-MRI features of flow-diverted aneurysms, review their haemodynamic surrogates, and discuss their pertinent clinical implications.

METHODS

Retrospective single institutional analysis was performed on the clinical and imaging data of patients who underwent digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and ASL-MRI after endovascular flow diversion for cerebral aneurysms. Pseudo-continuous ASL-MRI was performed with post-label delays of 1525-1800 ms. Intra-aneurysmal "trapped labelled spins" (TLS)-related hypersignal, as seen on cerebral blood flow (CBF)-weighted maps of ASL-MRI, was investigated. Intermodality equivalence with DSA [O'Kelly-Marotta (OKM) grading for occlusion], 3D-TOF-MRA, and 3D spin-echo T1-weighted ("black-blood") images was assessed.

RESULTS

Ten cases were included. "TLS" signal was demonstrable in 7/8 (87.5%) of the DSA-visible flow-diverted aneurysms (OKM grade B3, n = 6; OKM grade A3, n = 2). No TLS was seen in both OKM-D (excluded) aneurysms. TLS was not visualised in an OKM-B3 aneurysm with < 3 mm opacifying remnant. 3D-TOF-MRA and ASL-MRI were discordant at 5 instances (45.4%; TOF-MRA false negative, n = 4; false positive, n = 1). Loss of flow void on black-blood images corresponded to the absence of TLS and vice versa in all cases but one.

CONCLUSION

"Trapped labelled spins"-related signal on ASL-MRI occurs in patent large aneurysms that have undergone successful endovascular flow diversion. This phenomenon likely represents an interplay of a multitude of haemodynamic factors including decelerated intra-aneurysmal inflow and outflow restriction. Serial intra-saccular TLS signal changes may hold diagnostic value, including contexts where 3D-TOF-MRA interpretation becomes dubious. "Trapped labelled spins"-related signal as a non-invasive proxy marker of aneurysm patency can possibly obviate unnecessary DSA.

The impact of arterial flow complexity on flow diverter outcomes in aneurysms

The flow diverter is becoming a standard device for treating cerebral aneurysms. The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the impact of flow complexity on the effectiveness of flow diverter stents in a cerebral aneurysm model. The flow pattern of a carotid artery was decomposed into harmonics to generate four flow patterns with different pulsatility indexes ranging from 0.72 to 1.44. The effect of flow diverters on the aneurysm was investigated by injecting red dye or erythrocytes as markers. The recorded images were postprocessed to evaluate the maximum filling of the aneurysm cavity and the washout time. There were significant differences in the cut-off flows between the markers, linked to the flow complexity. Increasing the pulsatility index altered the performance of the flow diverter. The red dye was more sensitive to changes in flow than the red blood cell markers. The flow cut-off depended on the diverter design and the diverter deployment step was crucial for reproducibility of the results. These results strongly suggest that flow complexity should be considered when selecting a flow diverter.

Computational Hemodynamic Modeling of Arterial Aneurysms: A Mini-Review

Arterial aneurysms are pathological dilations of blood vessels, which can be of clinical concern due to thrombosis, dissection, or rupture. Aneurysms can form throughout the arterial system, including intracranial, thoracic, abdominal, visceral, peripheral, or coronary arteries. Currently, aneurysm diameter and expansion rates are the most commonly used metrics to assess rupture risk. Surgical or endovascular interventions are clinical treatment options, but are invasive and associated with risk for the patient. For aneurysms in locations where thrombosis is the primary concern, diameter is also used to determine the level of therapeutic anticoagulation, a treatment that increases the possibility of internal bleeding. Since simple diameter is often insufficient to reliably determine rupture and thrombosis risk, computational hemodynamic simulations are being developed to help assess when an intervention is warranted. Created from subject-specific data, computational models have the potential to be used to predict growth, dissection, rupture, and thrombus-formation risk based on hemodynamic parameters, including wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index, residence time, and anomalous blood flow patterns. Generally, endothelial damage and flow stagnation within aneurysms can lead to coagulation, inflammation, and the release of proteases, which alter extracellular matrix composition, increasing risk of rupture. In this review, we highlight recent work that investigates aneurysm geometry, model parameter assumptions, and other specific considerations that influence computational aneurysm simulations. By highlighting modeling validation and verification approaches, we hope to inspire future computational efforts aimed at improving our understanding of aneurysm pathology and treatment risk stratification.

How Flow Reduction Influences the Intracranial Aneurysm Occlusion: A Prospective 4D Phase-Contrast MRI Study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Flow-diverter stents are widely used for the treatment of wide-neck intracranial aneurysms. Various parameters may influence intracranial aneurysm thrombosis, including the flow reduction induced by flow-diverter stent implantation, which is assumed to play a leading role. However, its actual impact remains unclear due to the lack of detailed intra-aneurysmal flow measurements. This study aimed to clarify this relationship by quantitatively measuring the intra-aneurysmal flow using 4D phase-contrast MR imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We acquired prospective pre- and post-stent implantation 4D phase-contrast MR imaging data of a consecutive series of 23 patients treated with flow-diverter stents. Velocity field data were combined with the intraprocedural 3D angiogram vessel geometries for precise intracranial aneurysm extraction and partial volume correction. Intra-aneurysmal hemodynamic modifications were compared with occlusion outcomes at 6 and 12 months.

RESULTS

The averaged velocities at systole were lower after flow-diverter stent implantation for all patients and ranged from 21.7 ± 7.1 cm/s before to 7.2 ± 2.9 cm/s after stent placement. The velocity reduction was more important for the group of patients with aneurysm thrombosis at 6 months (68.8%) and decreased gradually from 66.2% to 55% for 12-month thrombosis and no thrombosis, respectively (P = .08).

CONCLUSIONS

We propose an innovative approach to measure intracranial flow changes after flow-diverter stent implantation. We identified a trend between flow reduction and thrombosis outcome that brings a new insight into current understanding of the flow-diversion treatment response.

Towards optimal flow diverter porosity for the treatment of intracranial aneurysm

PURPOSE

Low-porosity endovascular stents, known as flow diverters (FDs), have been proposed as an effective and minimally invasive treatment for sidewall intracranial aneurysms (IAs). Although it has been reported that the efficacy of a FD is substantially influenced by its porosity, clinical doctors would clearly prefer to do their interventions optimally based on refined quantitative data. This study focuses on the association between the porosity configurations and the FD efficacy, in order to provide practical data to help the clinical doctors optimize the interventions.

METHOD

Numerical simulations in fluid dynamics were performed using four patient-specific IA geometries, pulsatile velocity profiles and braided fully resolved FDs. The variation of velocity and wall shear stress within the IAs, were investigated in this study. Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was used to solve the main challenge centered on the diversity of spatial scales since the typical diameter of struts of FDs is only 25μm while the artery normally can be larger by a hundred times.

RESULTS

Numerical simulations revealed that the blood flow within IA sac was substantially reduced when the porosity is less than 86%. In particular, the flow condition within each IA sac is favorite to initialize thrombus formation when porosity is less than 70%.

CONCLUSION

Our study suggests the existence of a porosity threshold below which the efficacy of a FD will be sufficient for the patients to initialize the thrombus formation. Therefore, by estimating the porosity of FD on patient-specific information, it may be potentially to predict whether or the blood flow condition will successfully become prothrombotic after the FD intervention.

Changes in contrast transit times on digital subtraction angiography post-Pipeline Embolization Device deployment

It is postulated that hemodynamic changes occur in the distal vascular bed post-deployment of Pipeline Embolization Devices (PEDs). In this paper, we evaluate changes in the contrast transit times (TTs) on digital subtraction angiography (DSA) post-PED interventions. DSA films were analyzed using custom-made software for the time-density relationship at baseline and compared to post-PED deployment. All analyses were performed within the middle cerebral artery (MCA) M1 segment. Analyses included TT10%-100% (time needed for the contrast to change from 10% image intensity to 100%), TT100%-10%, and TT25%-25%. Forty-four patients were included. We found a significant decrease in TT10%-100% (2.79 to 2.24 seconds, p < 0.001) post-PED. There was a significant correlation between the percentage change in TT100%-10% and aneurysm size ( p = 0.02). There was also a significant decrease in TT25%-25% (7.07 to 6.41 seconds, p = 0.02) post-PED. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between the absolute or percentage changes in TT25%-25% and aneurysm size (rho = 0.54, p = 0.05 and rho = 0.29, p = 0.05, respectively). Statistically significant distal intracranial hemodynamic changes occur post-PED deployment. These hemodynamic changes appear to be more pronounced with large and giant aneurysms.

3D phase contrast MRI: Partial volume correction for robust blood flow quantification in small intracranial vessels

PURPOSE

Recent advances in 3D-PCMRI (phase contrast MRI) sequences allow for measuring the complex hemodynamics in cerebral arteries. However, the small size of these vessels vs spatial resolution can lead to non-negligible partial volume artifacts, which must be taken into account when computing blood flow rates. For this purpose, we combined the velocity information provided by 3D-PCMRI with vessel geometry measured with 3DTOF (time of flight MRI) or 3DRA (3D rotational angiography) to correct the partial volume effects in flow rate assessments.

METHODS

The proposed methodology was first tested in vitro on cylindrical and patient specific vessels subject to fully controlled pulsatile flows. Both 2D- and 3D-PCMRI measurements using various spatial resolutions ranging from 20 to 1.3 voxels per vessel diameter were analyzed and compared with flowmeter baseline. Second, 3DTOF, 2D- and 3D-PCMRI measurements were performed in vivo on 35 patients harboring internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms indicated for endovascular treatments requiring 3DRA imaging.

RESULTS

The in vitro 2D- and 3D-PCMRI mean flow rates assessed with partial volume correction showed very low sensitivity to the acquisition resolution above ≈2 voxels per vessel diameter while uncorrected flow rates deviated critically when decreasing the spatial resolution. 3D-PCMRI flow rates measured in vivo in ICA agreed very well with 2D-PCMRI data and a good flow conservation was observed at the C7 bifurcation. Globally, partial volume correction led to 10-15% lower flow rates than uncorrected values as those reported in most of the published studies on intracranial flows.

CONCLUSION

Partial volume correction may improve the accuracy of PCMRI flow rate measurements especially in small vessels such as intracranial arteries. Magn Reson Med 79:129-140, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

Aging alters the dampening of pulsatile blood flow in cerebral arteries

Excessive pulsatile flow caused by aortic stiffness is thought to be a contributing factor for several cerebrovascular diseases. The main purpose of this study was to describe the dampening of the pulsatile flow from the proximal to the distal cerebral arteries, the effect of aging and sex, and its correlation to aortic stiffness. Forty-five healthy elderly (mean age 71 years) and 49 healthy young (mean age 25 years) were included. Phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging was used for measuring blood flow pulsatility index and dampening factor (proximal artery pulsatility index/distal artery pulsatility index) in 21 cerebral and extra-cerebral arteries. Aortic stiffness was measured as aortic pulse wave velocity. Cerebral arterial pulsatility index increased due to aging and this was more pronounced in distal segments of cerebral arteries. There was no difference in pulsatility index between women and men. Dampening of pulsatility index was observed in all cerebral arteries in both age groups but was significantly higher in young subjects than in elderly. Pulse wave velocity was not correlated with cerebral arterial pulsatility index. The increased pulsatile flow in elderly together with reduced dampening supports the pulse wave encephalopathy theory, since it implies that a higher pulsatile flow is reaching distal arterial segments in older subjects.

Early angiographic changes of intra-aneurysmal flow after flow-diverter stent treatment are not predictive of therapeutic success

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Flow-diverter stents (FDS) are new devices for the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) promoting progressive aneurysmal thrombosis. To date, the delay of aneurysmal exclusion remains unclear. We evaluated the correlation between angiographic changes in the first 24 hours and 12-month occlusion in aneurysms treated with FDS.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the intra-aneurysmal flow by evaluating the in-flow and out-flow delays on preoperative, immediate postoperative, 24-hour and 12-month follow-up angiography. Dichotomy of in-flow and out-flow within the aneurysm was considered as the time of contrast filling and time of contrast washing relatively to the parent artery. The delay times were compared and correlated with the therapeutic success of FDS at 12 months of follow-up.

RESULTS

Out of 14 treated IAs, in 13 consecutive patients, n = 10 (71%) aneurysms showed complete occlusion at 12 months. Between immediate postoperative and 24-hour control, 10 aneurysms (71%) demonstrated in-flow modification, with eight increasing, two decreasing and four having no change. There were no statistical differences in therapeutic success in relation to the different flow-related profiles of intra-aneurysmal flux.Out-flow modifications were found in 11 aneurysms (79%) between immediate postoperative and 24-hour control, with five increasing, six decreasing and three having no change. Similar to the in-flow changes, there were no statistical differences in therapeutic success relative to the flow-related profiles.

CONCLUSIONS

Early angiographic changes after FDS placement are very frequent, but are not correlated with the 12-month technical success of flow-diversion techniques.