PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Bendszus, Martin
AU  - Monoranu, Camelia Maria
AU  - Schütz, Ansgar
AU  - Nölte, Ingo
AU  - Vince, Giles H.
AU  - Solymosi, László
TI  - Neurologic Complications after Particle Embolization of Intracranial Meningiomas
DP  - 2005 Jun 01
TA  - American Journal of Neuroradiology
PG  - 1413--1419
VI  - 26
IP  - 6
4099  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/26/6/1413.short
4100  - http://www.ajnr.org/content/26/6/1413.full
SO  - Am. J. Neuroradiol.2005 Jun 01; 26
AB  - BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Preoperative embolization of meningiomas is frequently used to facilitate surgery and to reduce intraoperative blood loss. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency of procedure-related neurologic complications during and after particle embolization of intracranial meningiomas.METHODS: Between 1996 and 2004, 185 consecutive patients underwent particle embolization of an intracranial meningioma. Devascularization was performed by means of superselective probing of the tumor-feeding vessels and ensuing free-flow embolization with spherical particles. All procedures were performed with systemic heparinization.RESULTS: Six patients (3.2%) had ischemic events with neurologic deficit. Two had amaurosis, and four patients presented with hemiparesis. Hemorrhage occurred in six patients (3.2%). In five of these patients, rapid microsurgical tumor removal resulted in a favorable outcome without persistent neurologic deficit. In one patient, massive intratumoral, subarachnoid, and subdural hemorrhage was lethal.CONCLUSION: Particle embolization of meningiomas is associated with a substantial risk of ischemic and hemorrhagic events. The individual risk-to-benefit ratio of embolization should be thoroughly considered.