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Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases: the official journal of National Stroke Association 08/2012;
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ABSTRACT: Temporal patterns in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) may provide insight into modulation, and therefore, prevention of hemorrhage. We investigated the time of hemorrhage and its relationship to traditional risk factors among patients admitted with aSAH.
Admitted patients with aSAH were prospectively followed through outcomes and baseline demographics were abstracted through chart review. The group temporal distribution by hour of onset was summarized with cosinor nonlinear least squares. aSAH onset was gathered into night (2300-0500), morning (0500-1100), afternoon (1100-1700), and evening (0500-2300) daily phases. The odds ratio (OR) with 95% CI was calculated for having an aSAH during the morning, afternoon, and evening hours using night as a reference. Multinomial logit models were fitted using aSAH cases across time blocks to determine their associations with different risk factors.
202 patients had the hour of hemorrhage available, and 49 had phase identifiable [total 251: 38 (15%) night, 98 (39%) morning, 58 (23%) afternoon, 57 (23%) evening]. The peak hours of aSAH were between 0700 and 0800 representing 13% of the sample, with a significant cosinor-fitted phase of 7.33(95% CI 5.30, 9.36). For all aSAH cases, morning onset was significantly more common than night onset (OR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.77-3.75). Nonsmokers were more likely to have aSAH in the morning than smokers (P = 0.043, OR = 3.10, 95% CI = 1.33-7.23).
aSAH occur in a diurnal, morning prevalent pattern regardless of traditional aSAH risk factors. The association of these risk factors with existing onset patterns should be investigated in future studies.
Neurocritical Care 11/2011; 16(2):219-23. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: We report the histopathologic examination of Wingspan stent in acute ischemic stroke.
A 75-year-old female presented with acute left-hemiplegia due to right carotid terminus occlusion. Mechanical embolectomy was unsuccessful.
A Wingspan stent was placed from the distal intracranial carotid artery to the proximal middle cerebral artery stem and established partial antegrade flow. The patient died of malignant infarction on post-stroke day 7. At autopsy, embolized calcified atherosclerotic plaque fragments were noted within a non-occlusive thrombus over which the Wingspan stent was deployed. There was no evidence of intimal or media dissection or perforator ostium occlusion.
Our case provides a rare pathological description of intracranial stent placement in the setting of acute ischemic stroke.
Neurocritical Care 09/2009; 11(3):377-80. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES) is a clinico-radiological entity characterized by headache, encephalopathy, visual disturbances, and seizures in association with reversible vasogenic edema on neuroimaging. Intracerebral hemorrhage associated with PRES (PRES-ICH) is generally considered an atypical finding.
Retrospective case series.
Seven patients were identified with PRES-ICH, four males and three females. The presenting clinical symptoms included headache (2), encephalopathy (5), vision changes (2), seizures (2), and hemiparesis (1). The co-morbid conditions included acute renal dysfunction (3), solid organ transplantation (3), bone marrow transplant (1), use of calcineurin inhibitor agents (4), and pre-eclampsia (1). Neuroimaging revealed intraparenchymal hemorrhage in six patients and subarachnoid hemorrhage in one patient. Six of the seven patients with PRES-related ICH had underlying bleeding diathesis, including one patient who was anti-coagulated with a heparin drip. The mean platelet count was 82.1 x 10(3)/microl (range, 4-232 x 10(3)/microl), and the mean INR value was 2.18 (range, 0.9-6.7). Two patients died during the acute hospitalization. Among the five survivors, only two patients had good functional outcome (pre-defined as mRS < or = 1).
In our series, the majority of patients with PRES-ICH (85%) had an underlying bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy. Although PRES is typically considered to have a favorable prognosis, the clinical outcome of PRES with associated ICH can be more variable.
Neurocritical Care 03/2009; 10(3):306-12. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Heroin-associated spongiform leukoencephalopathy (HASL) is a rare complication of heroin abuse. We report a case that highlights the increased sensitivity of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) compared with T2-weighted imaging in the acute setting of HASL.
Single case report.
A 36-year-old male with a history of heroin abuse (snorting) presented with a 3-day history of lethargy. MRI brain revealed restricted diffusion involving the globus pallidum and cerebral cortex bilaterally that was not seen on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. The patient was diagnosed with acute HASL. Repeated MRI FLAIR at 3 months confirmed the development of atrophy and T2 hyperintensity in the subcortical white matter, consistent with leukoencephalopathy. Neurological exam at 3-month follow-up was nonfocal.
Restricted diffusion, which likely corresponds to electron microscopic findings of fluid entrapment between the myelin lamellae, may be detectable earlier than changes on FLAIR. Clinicians should be aware of the neuroimaging findings of HASL and the increased sensitivity of MRI DWI over T2-weighted images in detecting HASL acutely.
Neurocritical Care 01/2009; 10(3):352-4. · 2.47 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Neurogenic stunned myocardium is characterized by transient left ventricular systolic dysfunction in the absence of significant obstructive coronary artery disease. Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome (RPLS) is characterized by transient vasogenic subcortical edema without infarction. Both syndromes are hypothesized to result from sympathetic dysregulation. We report a case of neurogenic-stunned myocardium and RPLS occurring simultaneously in a patient.
Single case report.
We present a 55-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and chronic back pain status post spinal cord stimulator who presented with severe headache, seizure, and confusion associated with acute hypertension. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain revealed bilateral patchy T(2) signal hyperintensity, consistent with RPLS. Transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) showed regional-wall motion abnormalities in the apical regions, consistent with neurogenic-stunned myocardium. The patient's TTE and MRI abnormalities resolved on follow-up studies.
Neurogenic-stunned myocardium and RPLS are two reversible clinical syndromes that are hypothesized to be a result of sympathetic dysregulation. Our case suggests that these two syndromes may occur together in the same patient.
Neurocritical Care 06/2008; 9(1):108-11. · 2.47 Impact Factor
