Case series: Intraoperative neuromonitoring and angiography in the surgical treatment of vascular malformations

Abstract

In the surgical treatment of cerebral vascular malformations, e.g., aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations, the risk of ischemic complications is 6.7%, and a residual aneurysm is possible in 5.2% of these cases. Ischemic lesions can result in permanent neurological deficits, and a residual aneurysm can lead to the recurrence of the aneurysm in 2% of cases. In this article, we present five cases (two cases of ruptured aneurysms, two cases of non-ruptured aneurysms, and a case of arteriovenous malformation) in which we reduced the aforementioned risks with the use of intraoperative neuromonitoring and angiography. Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is used to measure motor and sensory-evoked potentials to detect brain hypoperfusion. Intraoperative angiography with the dye indocyanine green (ICG-A), which fluoresces in a vessel under a microscope after intravenous administration, helps to identify residual aneurysm sacs and distal blood flow. With the use of IONM and ICG-A, we identified abnormalities and adjusted our interventions and treatments. IONM and ICG-A can lead to a better outcome after surgical treatment of cerebral vascular abnormalities.