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Microsurgical Management of Posterior Fossa Vascular Lesions

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Skull Base Surgery of the Posterior Fossa

Abstract

The microsurgical management of lesions in the posterior fossa is complicated by the labyrinth of critical neurovascular structures that reside in a confined corridor encased by a dense fortress of bone. The complexity of the anatomy and the unforgiving nature of the neurovascular bundle in the posterior fossa have resulted in reluctance on the part of many practitioners to surgically treat lesions in this region. In this chapter, we review the microsurgical treatment of posterior circulation vascular lesions, focusing on the treatment of aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and cavernous malformations.

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Abbreviations

AICA:

Anterior inferior cerebellar artery

ARUBA:

A Randomized Trial of Unruptured Brain AVMs

AVM:

Arteriovenous malformation

BA:

Basilar artery

CT:

Computed tomography

CTA:

Computed tomography angiography

DSA:

Digital subtraction angiography

ICG:

Indocyanine green angiography

ISUIA:

International Study of Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysms

MRA:

Magnetic resonance angiography

MRI:

Magnetic resonance imaging

PCA:

Posterior cerebral artery

PCoA:

Posterior communicating artery

PICA:

Posterior inferior cerebellar artery

SAH:

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

SCA:

Superior cerebral artery

SCIT:

Supracerebellar infratentorial

VA:

Vertebral artery

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, 350 W. Thomas Rd., Phoenix, AZ, 85013, USA

    M. Yashar S. Kalani MD, PhD & Robert F. Spetzler MD

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  1. M. Yashar S. Kalani MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Robert F. Spetzler MD .

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  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Clinical Neurosciences Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    William T. Couldwell

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Kalani, M.Y.S., Spetzler, R.F. (2018). Microsurgical Management of Posterior Fossa Vascular Lesions. In: Couldwell, W. (eds) Skull Base Surgery of the Posterior Fossa . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67038-6_14

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