What is Interventional Neuroradiology?
Interventional neuroradiology can help solve the vascular problems of the head and neck region and of the brain and even the spinal cord. In this process, angiography method is used to a larger extent. In this method, access to the blood vessels of the farthest points of the brain is gained by introduction of a catheter through the groin and advancing it up to the brain and treatment of the problems in that region can be mostly achieved by interventional neuroradiology method. Interventional neuroradiology can be considered under two topics, being diagnostic and therapeutic.
Diagnostic interventions:
These include biopsy with imaging modalities; hormonal examination by taking blood samples from the point where venous blood of the pituitary gland is discharged bilaterally after introduction of a catheter from groin veins in some pituitary gland tumors; making definitive diagnosis by angiography in the case of vascular diseases in the regions of interest and detailed examination.Therapeutic interventions:
These include intravascular treatment of aneurysms using catheter (embolization), treatment of A-V malformations in cerebral vessels, intravascular treatment of fistulas (short circuits) between brain arteries and veins, occlusion of the arteries of the head-neck region and brain for preparation for treatment/operation in the case of some tumors of the head-neck region and the brain, the treatment of vascular diseases of the head and neck region and other parts of the body, called hemangiomas, both intravenously and by imaging-guided injection of a medication.There are also procedures such as opening stenoses of main arteries of the neck and intracranial arteries using balloons and stents, catheter treatment of life-threatening vascular contractions in cerebral veins, especially in the case of subarachnoidal hemorrhages, unblocking vascular occlusions with sudden onset in acute stroke patients under emergency conditions and preventing the risk of paralysis or death of the patient. In addition, vertebroplasty in spinal fractures and some interventions for the treatment of pain are performed intensively in some neuroradiology clinics. The most common procedures in daily practice are embolization in cerebral artery aneurysm, A-V malformation, A-V fistula and tumor cases, stenting of stenoses of carotid, vertebral arteries, vessels in the brain.
With which clinical departments a collaboration is made?
- Neurosurgery
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Vascular Surgery
- Plastic surgery
- Orthopedics (before spinal surgery and in tumors of spine)
- ENT
- Eye
The Incidence Rates in the Population of Diseases that can be treated by Neuroradiological Methods
Intracranial aneurysm:
Various studies have reported an incidence in the range of 2-6 % in normal population. The number of aneurysm patients in Istanbul can be estimated to be in the range of 300 thousand-900 thousand. If we apply US statistics, 1500 patients in Istanbul suffer from an aneurysm-induced cerebral hemorrhage each year and approximately 20 percent of them may die before reaching the hospital. 50 percent may die within a year following the bleeding.Carotid artery stenosis:
According to NIH (in the US) data; the percentage of advanced asymptomatic carotid stenoses is known to be 0.2% in men under 50 years of age, 7.5 % at and above the age of 80 years and 3% in general population (450 thousand patients in Istanbul). 11-26% of coronary artery patients and 25-49% of the peripheral artery patients are known to have advanced carotid stenosis. These statistical results may vary according to the population studied.Intracranial vessel stenosis:
According to research in the USA, intracranial stenosis is detected in 23% of the population in their 60s.