Angiographic and Clinical Outcomes of Various Techniques of Intracranial-to-Intracranial Bypass for Complex Cases with a Review of Pertinent Literature and Illustrated Cases.

BACKGROUND: We sought to determine the utility of intracranial-to-intracranial bypass (IIB) surgery and the available bypass options for complex cases.

METHODS: A total of 18 IIB cases were included. Each case was classified as IIB with or without an interposition graft. The clinical and angiographic status were evaluated pre- and postoperatively and at the last follow-up. Angiographic images were analyzed and reconstructed schematically. Postoperative angiography was used to measure the bypass patency and the presence of postoperative cerebral infarction. The recipient artery occlusion time for each bypass was measured.

RESULTS: Of the 18 patients, 14 had presented with a complex intracranial aneurysm (IA), 1 with vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia, and 3 with intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease. Ten patients had an incidentally discovered IA. Seven patients had presented with neurological deficits due to ischemia or aneurysmal mass effects. Of the 18 cases, 10 were IIBs with an interposition graft, including 4 cases of superficial temporal artery and 6 of radial artery graft bypass, and 8 were IIBs with a noninterposition graft, including 3 cases of in situ bypass, 1 case of reanastomosis, and 4 cases of reimplantation. The pre- and postoperative modified Rankin scale score did not change or improve, and all the bypasses were patent. No patient had died during the mean follow-up period of 50.0 months. The mean occlusion time of the recipient artery was 59.5 minutes. A total of 8 patients experienced postoperative cerebral infarction but all had almost recovered at discharge.

CONCLUSIONS: With proper selection of the IIB type, IIB can be a suitable treatment option for some patients with complex IAs and intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease when extracranial-to-intracranial bypass is not feasible.