ABSTRACT
Background@#and Purpose Recent studies suggested an increased incidence of cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We evaluated the volume of CVT hospitalization and in-hospital mortality during the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the preceding year. @*Methods@#We conducted a cross-sectional retrospective study of 171 stroke centers from 49 countries. We recorded COVID-19 admission volumes, CVT hospitalization, and CVT in-hospital mortality from January 1, 2019, to May 31, 2021. CVT diagnoses were identified by International Classification of Disease-10 (ICD-10) codes or stroke databases. We additionally sought to compare the same metrics in the first 5 months of 2021 compared to the corresponding months in 2019 and 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04934020). @*Results@#There were 2,313 CVT admissions across the 1-year pre-pandemic (2019) and pandemic year (2020); no differences in CVT volume or CVT mortality were observed. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT volumes compared to 2019 (27.5%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 24.2 to 32.0; P<0.0001) and 2020 (41.4%; 95% CI, 37.0 to 46.0; P<0.0001). A COVID-19 diagnosis was present in 7.6% (132/1,738) of CVT hospitalizations. CVT was present in 0.04% (103/292,080) of COVID-19 hospitalizations. During the first pandemic year, CVT mortality was higher in patients who were COVID positive compared to COVID negative patients (8/53 [15.0%] vs. 41/910 [4.5%], P=0.004). There was an increase in CVT mortality during the first 5 months of pandemic years 2020 and 2021 compared to the first 5 months of the pre-pandemic year 2019 (2019 vs. 2020: 2.26% vs. 4.74%, P=0.05; 2019 vs. 2021: 2.26% vs. 4.99%, P=0.03). In the first 5 months of 2021, there were 26 cases of vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT), resulting in six deaths. @*Conclusions@#During the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, CVT hospitalization volume and CVT in-hospital mortality did not change compared to the prior year. COVID-19 diagnosis was associated with higher CVT in-hospital mortality. During the first 5 months of 2021, there was an increase in CVT hospitalization volume and increase in CVT-related mortality, partially attributable to VITT.
ABSTRACT
Dementia is defined as cognitive impairment in more than one cognitive area and leads to an abnormal degree of impairment in the ability to remember past events. Among mice models of dementia the most used strains are SAMP8 and C57BL/6. There is no reference to characterizing a model of dementia in naturally aged mice of the BALB/c strain, or to the minimum age at which these animals can be used. The aim of this study was the characterization of aged male BALB/ccenp mice as a model of dementia from the evaluation of behavioural, pathological and biochemical markers. One hundred and twenty mice were used and 10 of these were analysed from 8 to 9 months of age, and every 4 months, in a comparative way to young control animals from 4 to 5 months. At the age of 12–13 months there was cognitive impairment in the animals from the Y-maze and object recognition tests and this impairment was maintained at 16–17 months of age. An increase in oxidative damage to proteins in the brains of aged animals was also found in relation to young animals; as well as a decrease in the concentration of triglycerides. At the age of 16–17 months, a significant decrease in the size of the thymus and brain was obtained. We consider that it’s a very useful option to use animals 12–13 months of age where there are symptoms of cognitive deficiency, histopathological and biochemical elements characteristic of dementia.
ABSTRACT
Dementia is defined as cognitive impairment in more than one cognitive area and leads to an abnormal degree of impairment in the ability to remember past events. Among mice models of dementia the most used strains are SAMP8 and C57BL/6. There is no reference to characterizing a model of dementia in naturally aged mice of the BALB/c strain, or to the minimum age at which these animals can be used. The aim of this study was the characterization of aged male BALB/ccenp mice as a model of dementia from the evaluation of behavioural, pathological and biochemical markers. One hundred and twenty mice were used and 10 of these were analysed from 8 to 9 months of age, and every 4 months, in a comparative way to young control animals from 4 to 5 months. At the age of 12–13 months there was cognitive impairment in the animals from the Y-maze and object recognition tests and this impairment was maintained at 16–17 months of age. An increase in oxidative damage to proteins in the brains of aged animals was also found in relation to young animals; as well as a decrease in the concentration of triglycerides. At the age of 16–17 months, a significant decrease in the size of the thymus and brain was obtained. We consider that it’s a very useful option to use animals 12–13 months of age where there are symptoms of cognitive deficiency, histopathological and biochemical elements characteristic of dementia.
ABSTRACT
A 64-year-old female presented with an incidentally-discovered right posterior inferior cerebral artery (PICA) aneurysm, initially treated in 2015 by simple coiling. Follow-up demonstrated significant coil compaction that required retreatment. Retreatment was done uneventfully using a Pipeline embolization device (PED) shield deployed starting from the basilar artery and ending at the V4 segment of the vertebral artery. Eight-weeks post-deployment, a follow-up digital subtraction imaging (DSA) and intravascular imaging with optical coherence tomography were obtained. The intravascular imaging demonstrated that the flow diverter had good wall apposition and concentric neointimal growth over the braid with exception to the areas that the PED was not in contact with the endothelial wall, such as at the right PICA ostium and at the vertebrobasilar junction. The entire procedure was safe, and the patient had no complications. In this article, we describe for the first time the assessment of the status of endothelial “healing” of the PED shield at 8-weeks.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Aneurysm , Basilar Artery , Cerebral Arteries , Follow-Up Studies , Pica , Retreatment , Tomography, Optical Coherence , Vertebral ArteryABSTRACT
Endoluminal reconstruction with a flow diverter device has emerged as a viable and often preferable alternative to traditional techniques for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Precise measurement and device selection are mandatory steps when considering flow diverters usage in order to avoid potential complications. In this sense, incomplete wall-apposition has been described as a predictive factor for immediate in-stent and delayed thrombosis after stent use. One significant usage limitation of flow diverter devices is the parent artery diameter, since the maximum opening of the sizes available are recommended for vessel diameters between 5.2–5.75 mm. Here we present the first clinical use of the largest flow diverter available, the 6×50 mm DERIVO embolization device (Acandis GmbH & Co. KG, Pforzheim, Germany), into the arterial circulation for a cervical internal carotid artery endovascular reconstruction. This is a new device for large or fusiform aneurysms requiring flow diversion, especially located in the vertebrobasilar system or extracranial segments.