Additional surgery for postoperative ischemic symptoms in patients with moyamoya disease: the effectiveness of occipital artery-posterior cerebral artery bypass with an indirect procedure: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE

In patients with moyamoya disease, surgery to revascularize the ischemic brain is a recommended treatment. However, there are a few patients who require additional revascularization surgery because of progression of the disease. Even patients who show no postoperative ischemic symptoms at first may experience late deterioration. We performed additional surgery for such lesions using occipital artery (OA)-posterior cerebral artery (PCA) bypass with indirect revascularization. The efficacy of the procedure is reported.

METHODS

We treated 3 patients with moyamoya disease who showed a transient ischemic attack after revascularization surgery. Three female patients, ranging in age from 6.0 to 35.2 years (mean age, 23.8 years) at the time of surgery, with ischemic symptoms (leg monoparesis in 2, visual impairment in 1) underwent the additional revascularization procedure. Preoperatively, all patients underwent indirect and/or direct revascularization surgery for initial treatment. All patients showed progression of the disease, especially in the PCA. OA-PCA bypass with encephalogaleodurosynangiosis and burr hole surgery were performed for postoperative ischemic symptoms.

RESULTS

All patients showed clinical and radiological improvement. The transient ischemic attack was improved in all 3 patients. They did not complain of transient ischemic attack in the recent follow-up period. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging showed no additional cerebral infarction. Magnetic resonance angiography showed widening of the OA and development of peripheral collateral vessels. Postoperative single-photon emission computed tomographic studies showed marked increase of uptake in both anterior cerebral artery and PCA territories. Cerebral vasodilatory capacity evaluated by an acetazolamide test also showed marked improvement. One patient showed postoperative cerebral edema as a result of focal cerebral hyperperfusion.

CONCLUSION

OA-PCA anastomosis with indirect revascularization was effective for postoperative ischemia that showed symptoms in the anterior cerebral artery and PCA territories as a result of progression of a PCA lesion.