The study of intermediate-term survival of the patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis

@#Objective: This study aimed to investigate the intermediate survival of patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). Methods: This is a retrospective study recruiting patients with a definite diagnosis of CVST who were referred to teaching hospitals of “Shiraz University of Medical Sciences” from 2007 to 2017. Follow-up phone calls were conducted in March 2019 till June 2019. All-cause mortality, mortality due to CVST, and CVST recurrence were investigated. Results: Of the total of 301 patients, 213 (70.8%) were female. Patients’ age ranged from 1 to 95 year with a mean of 39.9 year. Intermediate follow-up (mean 46.9, 95%CI: 43.6-50.2 months) was done. Intermediate term mortality was 12.3%, mostly from CVST, and largely occurred within the first month. Age was a significant risk factor for survival (HR=1.056, 95%CI:1.037-1.075). The difference was not statistically significant in males in comparison to females (HR=1.3, 95%CI:0.67-2.60, P=0.41). Patients with recurrent CVST hada higher risk of mortality (HR=9.14, 95%CI:4.70-17.89, P<0.001). There was statistically higher risk of mortality in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) (HR=8.97, 95%CI: 4.32-18.61, P<0.001). Although the risk of death for patients using oral contraceptives (OCPs) was 16% higher, this was not statistically significant (HR=1.16, 95%CI: 0.52-2.55, P= 0.21). Conclusions: Intermediate-term mortality was 12.3%, and associated with older age, recurrent CVST and DVT. The reasons for these findings need further investigation.

The McDonald criteria for dissemination in space in the differential diagnosis of multiple sclerosis and neuro-Behcet’s disease

Background: Neuro-Behcet’s disease (NBD) is similar to multiple sclerosis (MS) in multiple aspects. This study was conducted to investigate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values for the 2005 revised McDonald MRI criteria for the diagnosis of MS and NBD. Methods: This study enrolled 28 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of NBD and 48 patients with a diagnosis of clinically definite MS, who were referred to the Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, between March 2009 and March 2010. Brain and spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained. Two Radiologists, blinded to clinical diagnosis, reviewed the MRI. We investigated the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of the 2005 revision of the McDonald criteria for dissemination in space for the diagnosis of MS and NBD. Results: There were a total of 10 men and 38 women with a mean age of 32.76±7.5 years, with a diagnosis of MS, and 18 men and 10 women with a mean age of 26.8±5.9 years with a diagnosis of parenchymal NBD. The interobserver agreement for the diagnosis of MS using the 2005 revision of the McDonald criteria for dissemination in space with the use of the Cohen kappa scores was 0.82. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values were 80%, 61%, 71.5%, 77% and 64%, respectively. Conclusion: The accuracy and specificity of the McDonald criteria for dissemination in space for the differentiation of MS and NBD are not optimal.

Hospital mortality associated with stroke in southern Iran

Background: Unlike the western hemisphere, information about stroke epidemiology in southern Iran is scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the main epidemiological characteristics of patients with stroke and its mortality rate in southern Iran

Methods: A retrospective, single-center, hospital-based longitudinal study was performed at Nemazee Hospital in Shiraz, Southern Iran. Patients with a diagnosis of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes were identified based on the International Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th editions, for the period between 2001 and 2010. Demographics including age, sex, area of residence, socioeconomic status, length of hospital stay, and discharge destinations were analyzed in association with mortality

Results: 16351 patients with a mean age of 63.4 years [95% CI: 63.1, 63.6] were included in this analysis. Men were slightly predominant [53.6% vs. 46.4%]. Forty-seven percent of the total sample was older than 65,17% were younger than 45, and 2.6% were children younger than 18. The mean hospital stay was 6.3 days [95% CI: 6.2, 6.4]. Among all types of strokes, the overall hospital mortality was 20.5%. Multiple logistic regression revealed significantly higher in-hospital mortality in women and children [P<0.001] but not in patients with low socioeconomic status or from rural areas. During the study period, the mortality proportions increased from 17.8% to 22.2%

Conclusion: In comparison to western countries, a larger proportion of our patients were young adults and the mortality rate was higher

Neurological manifestations of Behcet's disease

To determine the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and laboratory features of Neuro-Behcets disease. This prospective study was carried out in the Behcets Research Clinic in Shiraz [south-west Iran] and included the patients referred from 1990-1999. The patients' clinical records, images, CSF analyses, and electrodiagnostic studies were reviewed. Eighteen [15 males and 3 females] out of 690 Behcet s patients [2.6%, 95% CI = 1.4-3.8%] were found to have neurological involvement. The mean +/- standard deviation age of these patients was 34.7 +/- 8.6 years. All fulfilled the criteria of the International Study Group of Behcet s Disease. Central nervous system involvement was more common than peripheral nervous system manifestations. Headache, weakness, tingling, and numbness were the most common symptoms. Hyperreflexia, upward plantar reflex, and somatosensory findings were the most frequent signs. Hemispheral and brainstem stroke-like syndromes and cerebral venous thrombosis were the major neurologic presentations. There were also cases of myelitic, pure meningoencephalitic, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like, multiple sclerosis-like, and Guillain Barre syndromes. Neuro-Behcets disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis of stroke in young adults, chronic meningitis, intracranial hypertension, multiple sclerosis, myelopathies, and peripheral neuropathies

Neurological manifestations of behcet's disease

To determine the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and laboratory features of Neuro-Behcet's disease. This prospective study was carried out in the Behcet's Research Clinic in Shiraz [south-west Iran] and included the patients referred from 1990-1999. The patients' clinical records, images, CSF analyses, and electrodiagnostic studies were reviewed. Eighteen [15 males and 3 females] out of 690 Behcet's patients [2.6%, 95% CI = 1.4-3.8%] were found to have neurological involvement. The mean +/- standard deviation age of these patients was 34.7 +/- 8.6 years. All fulfilled the criteria of the International Study Group of Behcet's Disease. Central nervous system involvement was more common than peripheral nervous system manifestations. Headache, weakness, tingling, and numbness were the most common symptoms. Hyperreflexia, upward plantar reflex, and somatosensory findings were the most frequent signs. Hemispheral and brainstem stroke-like syndromes and cerebral venous thrombosis were the major neurologic presentations. There were also cases of myelitic, pure meningoencephalitic, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis-like, multiple sclerosis-like, and Guillain Barre syndromes. Neuro-Behcet's disease must be considered in the differential diagnosis of stroke in young adults, chronic meningitis, intracranial hypertension, multiple sclerosis, myelopathies, and peripheral neuropathies