Prevention of secondary ischemic events by superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass surgery after tuberculosis-induced vasculopathy in a 5-year-old child

J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2010 Jul;6(1):69-72. doi: 10.3171/2010.4.PEDS09411.

Abstract

Tuberculosis-related vasculopathy and resulting ischemic events are a common finding after tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in children. The authors report on a case of recurring ischemic episodes that were refractory to repetitive endovascular procedures (transluminal angioplasty, stent insertion, in-stent vessel dilation). After failure of endovascular treatment, extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass surgery was performed to prevent further ischemia. This 5-year-old girl presented with a series of ischemic events in the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory 12 months after her presentation with TBM. Angiography studies showed a 50% lumen reduction of the left MCA. After failure of antithrombocyte aggregation and repeated endovascular procedures to prevent new ischemia, EC-IC bypass surgery was performed. The left superficial temporal artery-MCA bypass was found to be capable of preventing new ischemic events in the 21-month follow-up period, despite a near-total MCA occlusion on follow-up conventional and MR angiography studies. Bypass surgery seems to be a reliable tool to augment cerebral blood flow in tuberculosis-related stenoocclusive changes of cerebral vasculature after the failure of endovascular procedures.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Angioplasty, Balloon
  • Antitubercular Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Brain Ischemia / diagnosis
  • Brain Ischemia / etiology
  • Brain Ischemia / prevention & control*
  • Cerebral Angiography
  • Cerebral Revascularization*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Cooperative Behavior
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / diagnosis
  • Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / prevention & control
  • Interdisciplinary Communication
  • Magnetic Resonance Angiography
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Patient Care Team
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Postoperative Complications / diagnosis
  • Postoperative Complications / etiology
  • Postoperative Complications / prevention & control*
  • Secondary Prevention
  • Stents
  • Tuberculoma, Intracranial / drug therapy
  • Tuberculoma, Intracranial / surgery*
  • Tuberculosis, Meningeal / surgery*
  • Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt*

Substances

  • Antitubercular Agents
  • Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors