Surgical treatment of childhood moyamoya disease--comparison of reconstructive surgery centered on the frontal region and the parietal region

Abstract

Indirect revascularization procedures centered on the parietal region, such as encephalo-myo-arterio-synangiosis (parietal synangiosis) and direct procedures centered on the frontal region using both the anterior and the posterior branches of the superficial temporal artery (STA), such as STA to middle cerebral artery anastomosis combined with encephalo-duro-arterio-myo-synangiosis (frontal anastomosis) were compared in childhood moyamoya disease patients. The parietal synangiosis group consisted of 10 sides in five patients, and the frontal anastomosis group consisted of 30 sides in 15 patients. The development of postoperative collateral circulation was assessed by external carotid angiography, the neurological outcome was monitored for 2 years after surgery, and the intelligence quotient (IQ) was measured at least 6 months after surgery. Frontal anastomosis achieved superior results compared to the parietal synangiosis assessed by development of collateral circulation, in particular to the orbitofrontal artery, the prefrontal artery, and the precentral artery (p < 0.01), and reduction in the incidence of ischemic attacks, such as transient ischemic attacks (p < 0.05). The mean IQ in the frontal anastomosis group was higher than that in the parietal synangiosis group. Vascular reconstruction centered on the frontal region utilizing both the anterior and posterior branches of the STA is more efficacious than only synangiosis centered on the parietal region.