Background and Objectives: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) has emerged as a less invasive alternative to medical management (MM) in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), but its comparative effectiveness remains uncertain. Materials and Methods: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library for RCTs and prospective matched studies comparing MIS with MM in supratentorial spontaneous ICH. Primary outcomes were functional recovery and mortality; secondary outcomes were adverse events, rebleeding, and ICU stay. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Thirteen studies (11 RCTs, 2 cohorts; 1503 MIS, 1401 MM) were included. MIS significantly improved functional outcomes (Risk Ratio, RR 1.18, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.38), driven mainly by studies including both deep and lobar hematomas, whereas deep-only studies showed inconsistent effects. The benefit was largely attributable to stereotactic aspiration with local thrombolytics (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.41), while other MIS techniques showed no significant advantage. Early intervention (<24 h) demonstrated better outcomes (RR 1.16, 95% CI 1.07–1.26). Thirty-day mortality was lower with MIS (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.49–0.80). No significant differences were observed for ICU stay (Mean Difference, MD –0.15 days, 95% CI −1.34 to 1.05) or rebleeding (RR 1.57, 95% CI 0.84–2.97). Severe adverse events were lower in MIS (RR 0.80, 95% CI 0.71–0.89). Conclusions: MIS may reduce mortality and improve functional outcomes in supratentorial ICH, particularly using stereotactic aspiration with thrombolytics. The benefit in deep hematomas remains uncertain. Early intervention and careful patient selection are essential. Further high-quality RCTs are warranted.

Ophthalmic artery (OphA) aneurysms, occurring at the junction of the internal carotid artery and the OphA orifice, present significant treatment challenges due to their location and complex anatomy. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate endovascular therapy and microsurgery in managing OphA aneurysms. Adhering to Cochrane Handbook guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in ClinicalTrials.gov and 4 databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase). Study quality was assessed using the National Institutes of Health tool. Statistical analyses were performed with Review Manager and open MetaAnalyst software. The meta-analysis included 9 articles, covering 902 OphA aneurysms. Cohort studies showed fair quality, while case series demonstrated good quality. No significant difference in clinical outcomes was found between endovascular therapy and surgery. Post-treatment visual outcomes had an odds ratio (OR) of 2.48 (95% confidence interval [CI] [0.35, 17.45], P = 0.36), modified Rankin Scale (mRS) >2 outcomes had an OR of 0.53 (95% CI [0.16, 1.7], P = 0.28), and severe complications had an OR of 0.52 (95% CI [0.20, 1.35], P = 0.18). In the single-arm analysis, direct surgery outcomes for visual, mRS >2, severe complications, intraoperative aneurysm rupture, and postoperative infarction were 0.139, 0.008, 0.05, 0.036, and 0.037, respectively. In the endovascular group, these outcomes were 0.078, 0.028, 0.03, and 0.691, respectively. Our comparison of endovascular therapy and surgery for OphA aneurysms showed no significant difference in clinical outcomes. However, visual complications were more common with surgery, while mRS >2 was higher with endovascular therapy. Flow diversion reduced visual deficits compared to clipping and coiling, but further studies are needed.

Background: Stent-assisted coil embolization (SACE) is a common endovascular technique for managing intracranial aneurysms. The permanent presence of a stent inside the cerebral artery necessitates the postoperative use of antiplatelets. However, a consensus about how long to continue on it remains debated. This systematic review aims to discuss and quantify the risk of ischemic complications after antiplatelet discontinuation following SACE. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Web of Science (WOS) were systematically searched for studies assessing the outcomes after antiplatelet discontinuation following SACE for cerebral aneurysms. The primary outcome was the odds of ischemic complications after antiplatelet discontinuation. Using a random-effects model, the pooled event rate, along with a 95% confidence interval (CI), was calculated. The Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (CMA) software was used for the analysis. The Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used for the quality assessment. Results: A total of five observational cohort studies were included in this systematic review. The studies recruited cases from 2009 and 2020, predominantly in Korea and Japan. Data from 18,425 cases obtained from four studies were analyzed. The duration of antiplatelet therapy varied widely across the included studies. Additionally, most studies reported a median follow-up of 24 months or more after antiplatelet discontinuation. We extracted and analyzed the odds of thromboembolic complications occurring within 6 to 24 months after the discontinuation of antiplatelets. The pooled rate of thromboembolism after antiplatelet discontinuation in this meta-analysis was 0.01 (95% CI: 0.006 to 0.018). Conclusion: This review demonstrates that the risk of thromboembolic complications after discontinuing antiplatelet therapy post-SACE is low. However, no strong consensus exists on the ideal duration for maintaining dual- or single-antiplatelet therapy. Further prospective studies with longer follow-ups are warranted to clarify the optimal durations needed to balance thromboembolic risk with hemorrhagic complications.

Background: Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); however, their association with post-stroke outcomes following acute ischemic stroke (AIS) remains uncertain. Methods: We conducted a retrospective propensity score-matched (PSM) cohort study using the TriNetX Global Collaborative Network. Adults with T2DM and AIS between January 2020 and January 2025 were included. Pre-stroke GLP-1 RA users were compared with non-users. Primary outcomes were all-cause mortality, intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), ICD-10-coded stroke severity (NIHSS categories), and transient ischemic attack (TIA). Results: After PSM, GLP-1 RA use was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality at all time points (RR 0.44–0.52; HR 0.43–0.45; all p<0.001). ICH risk was reduced within 1–3 days (RR 0.683; 95% CI 0.496–0.940; p=0.019) and within 7 days (RR 0.575; 95% CI 0.516–0.641; p20; RR 0.327; all p<0.001). TIA risk was 29% lower (RR 0.712; 95% CI 0.668–0.759; p<0.001). E-value analysis demonstrated that an unmeasured confounder would need to be associated with both GLP-1 RA use and 30-day mortality by a risk ratio of at least 3.95 to fully explain the observed association, and by a risk ratio of at least 3.53 to shift the confidence interval to include the null. Conclusions: In this large real-world cohort, pre-stroke GLP-1 RA use was associated with lower post-stroke mortality, reduced ICH, and a severity-dependent reduction in ICD-10-coded stroke severity among patients with T2DM. Residual confounding cannot be excluded, and these findings warrant confirmation in prospective randomized trials.