ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Silent brain infarctions are the silent cerebrovascular events that are distinguished from symptomatic lacunar infarctions by their 'silence'; the origin of these infarctions is still unclear. This study analyzed the characteristics of silent and symptomatic lacunar infarctions and sought to explore the mechanism of this 'silence'. METHODS: In total, 156 patients with only silent brain infarctions, 90 with only symptomatic lacunar infarctions, 160 with both silent and symptomatic lacunar infarctions, and 115 without any infarctions were recruited. Vascular risk factors, leukoaraiosis, and vascular assessment results were compared. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores were compared between patients with only symptomatic lacunar infarctions and patients with two types of infarctions. The locations of all of the infarctions were evaluated. The evolution of the two types of infarctions was retrospectively studied by comparing the infarcts on the magnetic resonance images of 63 patients obtained at different times. RESULTS: The main risk factors for silent brain infarctions were hypertension, age, and advanced leukoaraiosis; the main factors for symptomatic lacunar infarctions were hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and atherosclerosis of relevant arteries. The neurological deficits of patients with only symptomatic lacunar infarctions were more severe than those of patients with both types of infarctions. More silent brain infarctions were located in the corona radiata and basal ganglia; these locations were different from those of the symptomatic lacunar infarctions. The initial sizes of the symptomatic lacunar infarctions were larger than the silent brain infarctions, whereas the final sizes were almost equal between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic ischemic preconditioning and nonstrategic locations may be the main reasons for the 'silence' of silent brain infarctions.
Subject(s)
Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Brain Infarction/etiology , Brain Ischemia/complications , Stroke, Lacunar/etiology , Brain Infarction/pathology , Brain Infarction/physiopathology , Case-Control Studies , Chronic Disease , Magnetic Resonance Angiography , Risk Assessment , Risk Factors , Stroke, Lacunar/pathology , Stroke, Lacunar/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical and imaging characteristics of isolated pontine infarction as well as the influencing factors for early progressive motor deficits (PMD) and short-term prognosis.Methods A total of 86 patients with isolated pontine infarction who admitted in hospital within 24 hours of symptom onset were analyzed retrospectively.The patients were divided into paramedian pontine infarction (PPI) and lacunar pontine infarction (LPI) according to the maximal diameter of the lesions and the locations of infarction.They were divided into either a PMD group or a non-PMD group according to the early status of PMD.They were also divided into a poor outcome group (mRS score ＞ 2) and a good outcome group (mRS score ≤ 2) according to the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores at discharge.The clinical and imaging features of the different patient groups were compared.Results The patients' constituent ratios of hyperlipidemia (57.14％ vs.33.33％;x2 =4.80,P=0.028),hemiplegia (97.14％ vs.72.55％;x2 =8.718,P=0.003),basilar artery stenosis (45.71％ vs.17.65％;x2=7.930,P=0.005) and poor outcome at discharge (54.29％ vs.31.37％ ; x2 =4.515,P =0.034),and the baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores (6.00 ± 2.39 vs.4.61 ± 3.41; t =2.087,P =0.040) in the PPI group (n =35) were significantly higher than those in the LPI group (n =51).The constituent ratios of the baseline diastolic blood pressure levels (97.82 ± 15.61 mm Hg vs.89.55 ± 12.23 mm Hg,1 mm Hg=0.133 kPa; t =2.258,P =0.031),PPI (63.64％ vs.32.81％ ;x2 =6.445,P =0.011) and basilar artery stenosis (59.10％ vs.18.75％ ;x2 =12.922,P =0.000) in the PMD group (n =22) were significantly higher than those in the non-PMD group (n =64).The baseline NIHSS scores (6.80 ± 2.63 vs.3.73 ± 2.55; t =5.426,P =0.000),fasting blood glucose levels (9.40 ±5.15 mmol/L vs.6.56 ±2.69 mmol/L; t =2.985,P=0.004) and the constituent ratios of PPI patients (54.29％ vs.31.37％ ;x2 =4.515,P =0.034) in the poor outcome group (n =35) were significantly higher than those in the good outcome group (n =51).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that basilar artery stenosis was an independent risk factor for the onset of PPI (odds ratio [OR] 3.801,95％ confidence interval [CI] 1.357-10.646; P =0.011) and the early PMD of isolated pontine infarction (OR 4.571,95％ CI 1.214-17.214; P=0.025).The baseline NIHSS score ≥ 5 was its independent predictor for poor outcome (OR 4.277,95％ OR 1.505-12.151; P =0.006).Conelusions PPI is mainly associated with the lesions in the branches of basilar artery.The baseline NIHSS score ≥ 5 may be an independent predictor for short-term poor outcome of isolated pontine infarction.Its early PMD and short-term poor outcome may be associated with the basilar artery lesions.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the predictive value of the 40 Hz auditory steady state response (40-Hz ASSR) in the short-term prognosis of patients with brainstem stroke.Methods The 40-Hz ASSR and brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) examinations were recorded and graded from 36 patients with brainstem stroke admitted in the Neurological Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Tue end point of short-term prognostic evaluation was at the time of leaving the NICU. Tue patients with brainstem stroke were divided into the survival group (n =21) and the death group (including brain death,n = 15). The correlation between the grade of the 40-Hz ASSR or BAEP and the short-term prognosis was analyzed. Results The grade of the 40-Hz ASSR (r=0.571,P =0.000) or BAEP (r =0.441,P =0.001 ) was significantly correlated with the short-term prognosis in patients with brainstem stroke. The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the 40-Hz ASSR were 60.00％,100％ and 83.33％,respectively,and those for BAEP were 66. 67％,71.43％ and 69. 44％,respectively. Conclusions Tue 40-Hz ASSR has a certain short-term prognostic value in patients with brainstem stroke. The higher the grade of 40-Hz ASSR is,the more serious the illness,and the worse the prognosis.
ABSTRACT
Una de las complicaciones neurológicas más devastadoras de la anemia drepanocítica son los ictus, tanto isquémicos como hemorrágicos. El 11 por ciento de los pacientes con hemoglobina SS (HbSS) tienen un ictus antes de los 20 años de edad. Se presenta el caso de un niño de 14 años, congolés, gravemente desnutrido, con anemia drepanocítica y antecedentes de ictus isquémicos de repetición, que fue atendido en la Clínica Internacional Cira García. La resonancia magnética evidenció signos de infartos antiguos a diferentes niveles en ambos hemisferios y zonas de encefalomalacia. Este paciente muestra la evolución natural de las complicaciones cerebrovasculares de la anemia de células falciformes
Among the most devastating neurologic complications from sickle-cell anemia are the ischemic and hemorrhagic ictus. The 11 percent of patients with SS hemoglobin (HbSS) has ictus before the twenties. This is the case of a child from the Congo aged 14 severely undernourished presenting with sickle-cell anemia and backgrounds of repeated ischemic ictus, seen in the Cira García International Clinic. Magnetic resonance showed signs of an old infarction at different levels of both hemispheres and encephalomalacia zones. This patient shows the natural course of the cerebrovascular complications of sickle-cell anemia
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Adolescent , Anemia, Sickle Cell/complications , Cerebral Infarction/etiologyABSTRACT
Objective To summarize the treatment experience of acute cerebral infarction (ACI)combined with deep venous thrombosis (DVT) of lower extremities in the elderly. Methods Thirty cases of elder patients with ACI combined with DVT (ACI group) were enrolled in this study, and 31 cases of elder patients with DVT were served as control group. All the patients were immobilized for 3 days and treated with low molecular heparin calcium (100 IU/kg,Q12 hX14 d). On the tenth day,warfarin was used and INR was controlled in 2.0～2.5. Low molecular dextran was infused intravenously per day for 14 days (500mg/d). Results Edema in the lower limbs of patients were apparently reduced. 4 eases had cerebral hemorrhage in ACI group, and none in the control group.Hemorrhage occured from 3 to 7 days during the treatment with low molecular heparin calcium. One of the patient died of massive intraeranial hemorrhage with lung infection. Conclnsions It should be more careful to use the low molecular heparin to treat the elder patients older than 80 years old with ACI combined with DVT.