Efficacy analysis of anti-platelet in the treatment of high-risk non-disabling ischemic cerebrovascular events guided by point-of-care testing of CYP2C19 gene / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of different anti-platelet regimens in the treatment of high-risk non-disabling ischemic cerebrovascular events (HR-NICE) guided by point-of-care testing of CYP2C19 gene. Methods:A single-centre, prospective, randomised, open-label, and blinded endpoint design was uesd in the study. From July 2020 to January 2022, HR-NICE patients were enrolled in the Stroke Green Channel and Department of Neurology of Xuzhou Central Hospital, and all patients were scraped the buccal mucosa for screening for CYP2C19 loss-of-function allele carriers by point-of-care testing . Patients with intermediate metabolism were defined as those who carried 1 loss-of-function allele and patients with poor metabolism were those who carried 2 loss-of-function alleles. This study reduced the test turnaround time to 1 hour by using a fully automated medical polymerase chain reaction analyzer for a point-of-care test of CYP2C19 genotype. CYP2C19 loss-of-function allele carriers were divided according to the random number table method into the conventional treatment group (clopidogrel 75 mg, once a day), the ticagrelor group (ticagrelor 90 mg, twice a day) and the intensive dose group (clopidogrel 150 mg, once a day) separately combined with aspirin (100 mg, once a day) dual antiplatelet for 21 days. Baseline information, Acute Stroke Org 10172 Treatment Trial staging, 90-day modified Rankin Scale score, occurrence of adverse events and severe adverse events were collected for all the 3 groups. The primary efficacy outcome was new stroke within 90 days, and the primary safety outcome was severe or moderate bleeding within 90 days. Results:A total of 716 patients were included: 240 in the conventional treatment group, 240 in the ticagrelor group and 236 in the intensive dose group. There was no statistically significant difference between the 3 groups at baseline (all P>0.05). There were 26 cases (10.8%) with new stroke events in the conventional treatment group, 11 cases (4.6%) in the ticagrelor group and 4 cases (1.7%) in the intensive dose group, with statistically significant differences among the 3 groups (χ 2=19.28, P<0.05), and the differences between the conventional treatment group and the ticagrelor group (χ 2=6.59, P=0.010) and between the conventional treatment group and the intensive dose group (χ 2=16.83, P<0.001) were statistically significant, whereas the difference between the ticagrelor group and the intensive dose group was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). In the 3 groups, there was 1 case (0.4%) of severe bleeding in the conventional treatment group, 6 cases (2.5%) in the ticagrelor group and none in the intensive dose group, which showed statistically significant differences (χ 2=7.23, P<0.05), and there was statistically significant difference between the ticagrelor group and the intensive dose group ( P=0.030). Among the patients with intermediate CYP2C19 metabolism, there were 13 cases (13/158, 8.2%) with 90-day recurrent stroke in the conventional treatment group, 4 cases (4/153, 2.6%) in the ticagrelor group, and 0 case (0/159) in the intensive dose group, with statistically significant difference (χ 2=16.04, P<0.001), and the differences between the intensive dose group and the conventional treatment group were statistically significant (χ 2=13.64, P<0.001), whereas there was no statistically significant difference between the intensive dose group and the ticagrelor group ( P>0.05). In the patients with 90-day recurrent stroke in the intensive dose group, there was 0 case (0/159) with intermediate metabolism and 4 cases (4/77,5.2%) with poor metabolism, with statistically significant differences ( P=0.011), whereas there were no statistically significant differences in the conventional treatment group and the ticagrelor group ( P>0.05). Conclusions:Screening carriers of CYP2C19 loss-of-function alleles by point-of-care testing can quickly and precisely guide the treatment of patients with non-cardiogenic HR-NICE. An intensive clopidogrel dose of 150 mg, once a day combined with aspirin was effective in reducing stroke recurrence with less occurrence of any bleeding and adverse events, and patients with intermediate CYP2C19 metabolism may be the best population to benefit.

Carotid endarterectomy for symptomatic carotid artery near-occlusion / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of carotid endarterectomy(CEA) in the treatment of symptomatic carotid artery near-occlusion(CNO).Methods:Clinical symptoms, imaging examination, treatment and prognosis of 122 symptomatic CNO patients admitted to China-Japan Friendship Hospital from Jan 2014 to Jan 2020 undergoing CEA were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups based on the collapse condition,full collapse group(54 cases) and non-full collapse group(68 cases).Results:The difference was insignificant between the two groups at the 30-day and 12-month occurrence rate of primary endpoints(1.85% vs. 4.41%, P=0.629;7.41% vs. 4.41%, P=0.698).Postoperative re-stenosis occurred in one case in the non-full collapse group 8 months after CEA. Conclusions:CEA can achieve good curative effect for patients with CNO with recurrent symptoms, irrelevant to the existence of distal full collapse. The shunt can prevent intraoperative hypoperfusion and postoperative hyperperfusion.

Influencing factors of intracranial in-stent restenosis / 国际脑血管病杂志

Intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is the main cause of ischemic stroke. Endovascular therapy (EVT) is a method of treating symptomatic ICAS, and in-stent restenosis (ISR) is an important factor affecting the efficacy of EVT. This article summarizes the influencing factors of ISR in patients with ICAS receiving EVT treatment.

Encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis for intracranial arterial steno-occlusive disease: a retrospective case series study of 40 cases / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis (EDAS) for intracranial atherosclerotic steno-occlusive disease (ICASD).Methods:Patients with symptomatic ICASD received EDAS treatment in the Department of Neurosurgery, the PLA General Hospital from January 2018 to January 2019 were retrospectively included. The baseline information, perioperative complications, primary endpoint events, and changes in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores before and after surgery were collected. The primary endpoint event was any stroke/death that occurred within 30 d after enrollment. The secondary endpoint events were any stroke/death, non-stroke bleeding (subdural or epidural bleeding), and clinical functional improvement after 30 d. The clinical functional improvement was defined as a decrease of ≥1 in the mRS score compared to before surgery.Results:A total of 40 patients were included, including 30 males and 10 females, aged 53.9±8.6 years old. The clinical symptoms were mainly limb weakness and dizziness. One case of ischemic stroke and one case of hemorrhagic stroke occurred during the perioperative period. The primary endpoint event incidence was 2.5%. The patients were followed up for 49.75±2.99 months after surgery. One patient died of cerebral hemorrhage 31 months after surgery, and one patient developed acute ischemic stroke 35 months after surgery. The postoperative mRS scores of 34 patients decreased compared to before surgery, and the clinical function improvement rate was 85%. The mRS score increased in 2 cases after surgery compared to before surgery and 4 cases had no change.Conclusion:EDAS can improve the clinical function of patients with symptomatic ICASD and reduce the incidence of long-term stroke.

Changes and clinical significance of plasma S100A1 protein, nuclear factor-κB p65 and interleukin-6 levels in patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular diseases / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the changes and clinical significance of plasma S100A1 protein, nuclear factor-κB p65 (NF-κB p65) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in patients with acute ischemic cerebrovascular diseases.Methods:A total of 141 patients with acute ischemic cerebral infarction (AICI; AICI group) and 20 patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA; TIA group) who received treatment in Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital from April to November 2020 were included in this study. According to the volume of cerebral infarct, the AICI group was subdivided into small-volume cerebral infarct (SCI group, n = 78), moderate-volume cerebral infarct (MCI group, n = 32) and large-volume cerebral infract (LCI group, n = 31) groups. An additional 31 healthy controls who concurrently received physical examination were included as controls (HC group). S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels were compared between AICI, TIA and HC groups and between SCI, MCI and LCI groups. S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels were correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score and the volume of cerebral infarct. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was drawn to analyze the diagnostic value of S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels for AICI. Results:S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels in the AICI group were (230.96 ± 39.37) ng/L, (3.99 ± 0.65) mg/L, (13.32 ± 1.57) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than (185.85 ± 43.24) ng/L, (3.58 ± 0.74) mg/L, (11.61 ± 1.67) ng/L in the TIA group ( t = 4.95, 2.39, 4.14, all P < 0.05) and (181.47 ± 27.39) ng/L, (3.51 ± 0.99) mg/L, (11.42 ± 2.34) ng/L in the HC group ( t = 6.54, 3.32, 5.55, all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels between TIA and HC groups (all P > 0.05). S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels in the LCI group were (254.25 ± 37.07) ng/L, (4.41 ± 0.45) mg/L, and (14.00 ± 1.40) ng/L, respectively, which were significantly higher than (225.42 ± 30.92) ng/L, (3.85 ± 0.64) mg/L, (12.77 ± 1.31) ng/L in the MCI group ( t = 3.04, 3.60, 3.20, all P < 0.05) and (223.98 ± 40.21) ng/L, (3.88 ± 0.66) mg/L, (13.27 ± 1.65) ng/L in the SCI group ( t = 3.79, 4.01, 2.25, all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels between MCI and SCI groups (all P > 0.05). S100A1 and NF-κB p65 levels in patients with AICI were positively correlated with the volume of cerebral infarct ( r = 0.24, 0.27, both P < 0.05). S100A1 and IL-6 levels in patients with AICI were positively correlated with the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ( r = 0.24, 0.28, both P < 0.05). The areas under the curves plotting S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels against AICI diagnosis were 0.818, 0.667 and 0.754, respectively. The optimal cutoff values were 181.03, 3.50 and 10.79, respectively. The corresponding sensitivities were 95.0%, 76.6% and 97.2%, respectively, and the specificities were 37.3%, 45.1% and 49.0%, respectively. Conclusion:Increased S100A1, NF-κB p65, and IL-6 levels in patients with AICI are closely related to the severity of AICI.

New evidence, new guidelines, and new criteria for secondary prevention of ischemic stroke / 中华神经科杂志

Ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are the most common subtypes of cerebrovascular diseases. Effective secondary prevention is an important approach to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence, disability, and mortality. With the development of international and domestic clinical research on the secondary prevention of ischemic stroke and TIA, new evidence-based medical evidence has been present, especially evidence in risk factor control, antithrombotic therapy, and other treatments. Based on these findings, the guidelines were updated in a timely and systematic manner to provide new standard of secondary prevention for stroke patients.

Determinants of success in treating acute ischemic cerebral and ocular ischemia through carotid revascularization. An observational study of a case series / Determinantes do sucesso no tratamento da isquemia cerebral e ocular aguda por meio da revascularização carotídea. Um estudo observacional de uma série de casos

ABSTRACT Objective: stroke etiology is ischemia in 85%, and in circa 25% of these, the source is the extracranial carotid. Recurrence is frequent and usually more severe. Carotid revascularization prevents new ischemic strokes. The sooner the treatment is undertaken, complete recovery chances are greater with less recurrences. But, historically, intervention in the acute setting was catastrophic. Objective: Identify determinants of success when carotid revascularization after a recent cerebral ischemic event is performed. Materials and Methods: A cohort of 50 subjects underwent carotid revascularization after ischemic symptoms, within a period of 71 months. The currently diagnostic tools were used, and the symptoms stratified by the Rankin scale. The extension of the cerebral lesion and the source location the source of the event was analyzed. Results: indications were based on the Rankin Scale (R0: 35.4%; R1: 45.8%; R2:18.8% and R3: zero), on the location of the source and the absence of ischemic areas greater than 15mm. An early surgical approach was adopted in all patients. Extreme care was applied to control arterial pressure. At discharge, no additional deficits were observed. Conclusions: carotid revascularization after ischemic events can be achieved without additional morbidity and no recurrences, using the most appropriate therapy in the shortest time, in patients with Rankin Scale up to 2, absence of intracranial hemorrhage and single or multiple ischemic intracerebral areas, with 15mm or less in their greater dimension.

RESUMO Introdução: isquemia é a etiologia do acidente vascular cerebral em 85% dos casos e em cerca de 25% destes, a fonte é a carótida extracraniana. Recorrência é frequente e usualmente mais grave que a inicial. A revascularização carotídea previne novos acidentes. Quanto mais cedo for realizado o tratamento, maiores as chances de recuperação e menor o risco de recorrência. Mas, historicamente, os resultados das intervenções precoces eram catastróficos. Objetivos: identificar determinantes de sucesso da revascularização carotídea após um evento isquêmico cerebral recente. Materiais e Métodos: uma coorte de 50 pacientes foi submetida à revascularização carotídea após sintomas isquêmicos, em um período de 71 meses. Foram empregados os métodos de investigação atuais e os sintomas estratificados pela Escala de Rankin. A extensão das lesões cerebrais e a fonte do evento foram estudados e analisados. Resultados: as indicações foram baseadas na escala de Rankin (R0: 35.4%; R1: 45.8%; R2: 18.8% e R3: zero), na localização da fonte e na ausência de áreas isquêmicas com menos de 15mm. Uma abordagem cirúrgica precoce foi empregada em todos os pacientes. Cuidados extremos com a pressão arterial foram aplicados. Na alta hospitalar, nenhum déficit adicional foi observado. Conclusões: a revascularização carotídea após eventos isquêmicos pode ser realizada sem morbidade adicional ou recorrências, empregando a terapêutica mais apropriada no período de tempo mais curto, em pacientes classificados como Rankin até 2, na ausência de hemorragia intracraniana e com áreas isquêmicas intracerebrais únicas ou múltiplas, com menos de 15mm em sua maior dimensão.

Ataque isquémico transitorio por embolia aérea iatrogénica secundaria a inyecciones intracavernosas en procedimiento urológico / Transient ischemic attack due to iatrogenic air embolism secondary to intracavernous injections during an urologic procedure

RESUMEN Se presenta un caso de ataque isquémico transitorio con sintomatología compatible con lesión de la circulación cerebral posterior, secundario a embolia aérea iatrogénica. Se describe la evolución clínica y las consideraciones más relevantes de la atención y el diagnóstico del ataque cerebrovascular de la circulación posterior. En cuanto a la embolia gaseosa, se describen los métodos diagnósticos, las intervenciones clínicas y las opciones de tratamiento disponibles.

SUMMARY Here ia a case of transient ischemic attack with symptoms compatible with injury to the posterior cerebral circulation, secondary to iatrogenic air embolism. Clinical evolution and the most relevant aspects for the care and diagnosis of cerebrovascular stroke of the posterior circulation are described. Regarding air embolism, the diagnostic methods, clinical interventions, and available treatment options are described.

Forma clínica indeterminada da doença de Chagas e o risco potencial de evento isquêmico / Indeterminate clinical form of Chagas disease and the potencial risk of ischemic event / Forma clínica indeterminada de la enfermedad de Chagas y potencial riesgo de evento isquémico

Acidentes vasculares cerebrais ou isquêmicos transitórios são eventos raros em pacientes jovens sem fatores de risco clássicos, correspondendo muitas vezes a eventos não definidos etiologicamente e caracterizados como fenômenos tromboembólicos criptogênicos. A doença de Chagas é um fator de risco que deve ser considerado como potencial causa etiológica quando especificamos áreas endêmicas, tanto pelo conhecido mecanismo cardioembólico de acometimento cardíaco como pelas demais formas sem acometimento cardíaco, uma vez que já é descrita como fator de risco independente para doenças cerebrovasculares. Este estudo demonstra, por meio de um relato de caso, o desfecho de uma paciente portadora da doença de Chagas crônica, na forma indeterminada, sem fatores de risco clássicos. A paciente foi acometida por um ataque isquêmico transitório, tendo como etiologia presumida a doença de Chagas, que pode determinar um perfil pró-inflamatório e pró-coagulante, de modo a corroborar a tese de que o prognóstico da forma indeterminada pode não ser benigno. A associação entre a forma indeterminada e as doenças cerebrovasculares incorre na necessidade de anexar ao protocolo de investigação de acidente vascular encefálico (AVE) criptogênicos da doença de Chagas, quando se refere a áreas endêmicas, bem como em alertar as áreas da saúde para essa forma da doença, como forma de ajudar em medidas de prevenção de fenômenos tromboembólicos encefálicos.

Transient strokes or ischemic attacks are rare events in young patients without classic risk factors, often corresponding to events not defined etiologically and characterized as cryptogenic thromboembolic phenomena. Chagas disease is a risk factor that should be considered as a potential etiological cause when specifying endemic areas, both for the cardioembolic mechanism and for other forms without cardiac involvement, since it is described as an independent risk factor for cerebrovascular diseases. This study shows, by means of a case report, the outcome of a patient with chronic indeterminate Chagas disease without classic risk factors. The patient was affected by a transient ischemic attack, with the presumed etiology being Chagas disease, which can determinate a pro-inflammatory and pro-coagulant profile, thus corroborating that the prognosis of the indeterminate form may not be benign. The association between the indeterminate form and stroke incurs in the need to attach to the investigation protocol for cryptogenic stroke of Chagas disease, when referring to endemic areas, as well as to take a better look at this form to help in prevention measures for encephalic thromboembolic phenomena.

Los accidentes cerebrovasculares o accidentes isquémicos transitorios son eventos raros en pacientes jóvenes sin factores de riesgo clásicos, que a menudo corresponden a eventos no definidos etiológicamente caracterizándose como fenómenos tromboembólicos criptogénicos. La enfermedad de Chagas es un factor de riesgo que debe ser considerado como una posible causa etiológica cuando especificamos áreas endémicas, tanto por el conocido mecanismo cardioembólico de afectación cardíaca como por otras formas sin afectación cardíaca, puesto que la enfermedad ya está descrita como factor de riesgo independiente de enfermedades cerebrovasculares. Este estudio demuestra, a partir de un reporte de caso, el desenlace de un paciente con enfermedad de Chagas crónica en forma indeterminada sin factores de riesgo clásicos. La paciente sufrió un ataque isquémico transitorio, con la enfermedad de Chagas como presunta etiología, lo que puede determinar un perfil proinflamatorio y procoagulante, por lo que corroboró con la tesis de que el pronóstico de la forma indeterminada puede no ser tan benigno. La asociación entre la forma indeterminada y las enfermedades cerebrovasculares incurre en la necesidad de adjuntar la enfermedad de Chagas al protocolo de investigación de accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) criptogénico cuando se habla de áreas endémicas, así como de incrementar la visión de las áreas de salud a esta forma de enfermedad, para así contribuir con las medidas preventivas de los fenómenos tromboembólicos cerebrales.

Correlation between metabolic syndrome and early neurological deterioration in patients with minor stroke or high-risk transient ischemic attack / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and early neurological deterioration (END) in patients with acute minor ischemic stroke (MIS) and high-risk transient ischemic attack (TIA).Methods:Consecutive patients with acute MIS or high-risk TIA admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University between May 2018 and June 2020 were enrolled prospectively. MIS was defined as the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤3, high-risk TIA was defined as ABCD 2 score ≥4, and END was defined as the highest score of NIHSS within 72 h after admission increased by ≥1 compared with the baseline. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the correlation between MetS or its component and END. Results:A total of 145 patients with acute MIS or high-risk TIA were enrolled, including 66 males (45.5%), aged 68.28±9.71 years. Fifty-two patients (35.9%) met the diagnostic criteria of MetS, and 46 (31.7%) developed END. Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in age, sex, atrial fibrillation, elevated blood glucose, MetS, fasting blood glucose and C-reactive protein between the END group and the non-END group (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that MetS (odds ratio 2.637, 95% confidence interval 1.127-6.169) and high blood glucose (odds ratio 2.672, 95% confidence interval 1.052-6.789) were the independent risk factors for END within 72 h of admission in patients with acute MIS or high-risk TIA. Conclusion:MetS is significantly associated with END in patients with acute MIS or high-risk TIA.

Dual antiplatelet therapy for mild stroke and transient ischemic attack / 国际脑血管病杂志

Patients with mild stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) have a high risk of early recurrence or deterioration. Antiplatelet therapy has been recognized to reduce the risk of ischemic vascular events. All guidelines recommend antiplatelet therapy for patients with ischemic stroke. Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) refers to the application of two drugs with different mechanisms to block platelet aggregation and prevent thrombosis. There are many combinations of DAPT, and its safety and effectiveness are still uncertain. This article reviews the efficacy and safety of DAPT in patients with mild stroke and TIA.

Treatment of hemiplegic stroke warning syndrome: comparison between tirofiban and aspirin combined with clopidogrel / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical safety and efficacy of tirofiban in the treatment of hemiplegic stroke warning syndrome.Methods:Patients with hemiplegic stroke warning syndrome admitted to Jining First People's Hospital without receiving intravenous thrombolysis from January 2018 to May 2020 were enrolled retrospectively. Some patients were given tirofiban intravenous infusion for at least 24 h in acute phase, then received oral antiplatelet therapy (tirofiban group); some only received aspirin+ clopidogrel dual antiplatelet therapy (control group). The primary endpoint was muscle strength at the paralytic side and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at day 7 after onset. The secondary endpoint was the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 3 months after onset, and ≤2 was defined as good clinical outcome. The safety endpoint was the bleeding events during treatment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent influencing factors of clinical outcome. Results:A total of 30 patients with hemiplegic stroke warning syndrome were enrolled, including 19 (63.3%) in the tirofiban group and 11 (36.7%) in the control group. There was no significant difference in baseline clinical data between the two groups, and no drug-related bleeding complications occurred during treatment. The muscle strength at paralytic side and NIHSS score at day 7 after onset, NIHSS score at discharge and good clinical outcome rate at 3 months in the tirofiban group were significantly better than those in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that tirofiban was an independent protective factor for good outcome after adjusting the NIHSS score at the beginning of treatment (odds ratio 0.040, 95% confidence interval 0.040-0.449; P=0.009). Conclusions:Tirofiban is safe and effective in the treatment of patients with hemiplegic stroke warning syndrome in acute phase. It can effectively block the progress of the disease, improve the outcome of patients, and will not increase the risk of bleeding.

Capsular warning syndrome / 国际脑血管病杂志

Capsule warning syndrome (CWS) is a special clinical subtype of transient ischemic attack involving internal capsule, no cortical involvement and showing stereotyped attack. Although CWS is rare in clinical practice, most patients have poor outcomes. Therefore, a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of CWS is helpful to improve the outcomes and quality of life of patients. This article reviews the recent research progress of CWS.

Thoracoscopic pulmonary vein and left atrial posterior wall isolation combined with left atrial appendage resection in patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a modified technique for totally thoracoscopic left atrial posterior wall and pulmonary vein isolation in patients with long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation. Methods: From April 2017 to December 2018, we included in this study 28 consecutive patients who underwent thoracoscopic left atrial posterior wall and pulmonary vein radiofrequency isolation combined with left atrial appendage resection. We used a device with irrigated electrodes (Medtronic Cardioblate Gemini-s). The original surgical technique "GALAXY" proposed by Doty in 2012 was modified. The number of ablations was significantly increased, and frequent position changing of the ablation device and change of device angulation were added. Results: Sinus rhythm was restored in all patients. There was no operative mortality, no myocardial infarction, and no stroke or transient ischemic attack. One patient required sternotomy and another survived left anterolateral thoracotomy due to bleeding. A 180-day follow-up (24-hour Holter monitoring) revealed no sign of recurrence of atrial fibrillation or other supraventricular arrhythmia in any patient. Mean follow-up was nine months (range: 6-16 months). At the last follow-up, 26 patients (92,9%) were in sinus rhythm (24-hour Holter monitoring). Conclusion: A frequent ablation device position changing during the surgery makes it possible to achieve complete left atrial posterior wall and pulmonary veins isolation. An increased number of applications allows to avoid a false positive transmural damage assessment showed by impedance drop. Also, frequent position changing of the ablation device and increased number of applications do not affect the number of postoperative complications.

Stroke and transient ischemic attacks related to antiplatelet or warfarin interruption / Acidente vascular cerebral e ataques isquêmicos transitórios relacionados à interrupção de antiplaquetários ou varfarina

ABSTRACT Patients on anticoagulant or antiplatelet therapy are often required to discontinue these medications before and during surgical or invasive procedures. In some cases, the patient stops the treatment without medical supervision. These situations may increase stroke risk. Objective To identify the ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) prevalence related to length of time of discontinuation of antiplatelet or vitamin K antagonist therapy, in a group of inpatients from a specialized neurological hospital in Brazil. Methods Cross-sectional, retrospective and descriptive study of stroke inpatients for three years. Medical reports were reviewed to find study participants, stroke characteristics, risk factors, reasons and time of drug interruption. Results In three years, there were 360 stroke and TIA inpatients, of whom 27 (7.5%) had a history of antiplatelet or vitamin K antagonist interruption correlated with the time of the event (81% ischemic stroke, 19% TIA). The median time between antiplatelet interruption and an ischemic event was five days, and 62% of events occurred within seven days after drug suspension. For vitamin K antagonists, the average time to the ischemic event was 10.4 days (SD = 5.7), and in 67% of patients, the time between drug discontinuation and the event was 7-14 days. The most frequent reason for drug suspension was patient negligence (37%), followed by planned surgery or invasive examination (26%) and side effects, including hemorrhage (18.5%). Conclusion Antiplatelet or vitamin K antagonist suspension has a temporal relationship with the occurrence of stroke and TIA. Since these events are preventable, it is crucial that healthcare professionals convince their patients that drug withdrawal can cause serious consequences.

RESUMO Pacientes em terapia anticoagulante ou antiagregante plaquetária frequentemente são solicitados a descontinuar essas medicações antes e durante procedimentos cirúrgicos ou invasivos. Se o paciente interromper tratamento sem supervisão médica, poderá aumentar de risco de acidente vascular cerebral (AVC). Objetivo Identificar prevalência de AVC isquêmico e ataque isquêmico transitório (AIT) associados à descontinuação de terapia antiplaquetária ou coumarínicos em pacientes internados em hospital especializado em atendimento neurológico no Brasil. Métodos Estudo transversal, retrospectivo de três anos, descritivo dos pacientes hospitalizados por AVC. A revisão de relatórios médicos determinou características do AVC, fatores de risco, motivos e tempo de interrupção medicamentosa. Resultados Em três anos, foram internados 360 pacientes por AVC ou AIT; destes, 27 interromperam temporariamente terapia antiplaquetária ou coumarínicos relacionando ao evento (81% acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico, 19% AIT). A prevalência foi de 7,5%. O tempo médio entre interrupção antiplaquetária e evento foi cinco dias, com 62% deles ocorrendo até sete dias após suspensão medicamentosa. Para coumarínicos, o tempo médio foi 10,4 dias (d.p.= 5,7), em 67% dos casos o tempo entre a descontinuação medicamentosa e o evento foi 7-14 dias. O motivo mais frequente para suspensão do medicamento foi negligência do paciente (37%), seguido por cirurgia planejada ou exame invasivo (26%) e efeitos colaterais, incluindo hemorragia (18,5%). Conclusão Suspensão de terapia de antiplaquetários ou coumarínicos tem relação temporal com ocorrência de AVC e de AIT. Esses eventos são passíveis de serem evitados, sendo imprescindível que profissionais de saúde convençam seus pacientes das consequências graves da retirada do medicamento.

Long-Term Stroke Recurrence after Transient Ischemic Attack: Implications of Etiology / 대한뇌졸중학회지

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To analyze long-term stroke recurrence (SR) characteristics after transient ischemic attack (TIA) according to initial etiological classification. METHODS: A prospective cohort of 706 TIA patients was followed up in a single tertiary stroke center. Endpoint was SR. Etiologic subgroup was determined according to the evidence-based causative classification system. Location of TIA and SR was recorded as right, left, or posterior territory. Disability stroke recurrence (DSR) was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score >1 or a one-point increase in those with previous mRS >1 at 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: During a follow-up of 3,493 patient-years (mean follow-up of 58.9±35.9 months), total SR was 125 (17.7%), corresponding to 3.6 recurrences per 100 patient-years. The etiology subgroups with a higher risk of SR were the unclassified (more than one cause) and large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA) categories. Of the SR cases, 88 (70.4%) had the same etiology as the index TIA; again, LAA etiology was the most frequent (83.9%). Notably, cardioaortic embolism was the most frequent cause (62.5%) of SR in the subgroup of 24 patients with undetermined TIA. Overall, SR occurred in the same territory in 74 of 125 patients (59.2%), with significant differences between etiological TIA subgroups (P=0.015). Eighty-two of 125 (65.6%) with SR had DSR, without differences between etiologies (P=0.453). CONCLUSIONS: SR occurred mainly with the same etiology and location as initial TIA, although undetermined TIA was associated with a high proportion of cardioaortic embolism SR. More than half of the recurrences caused some disability, regardless of etiology.

Effects of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid intake on serum lipoprotein, C-reactive protein and homocysteine in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the relationship between dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake and blood lipid, C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) in patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).@*Methods@#Patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA were enrolled consecutively from Nanjing Stroke Registry Program. The total dietary PUFA intake level was assessed by the food semi-quantitative frequency questionnaire. Venous blood samples were collected in the morning of the day after admission to the hospital to detect the levels of serum total cholesterol, triacylglycerol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, Hcy, and CRP. According to the median level of total PUFA intake, the patients were divided into low PUFA group and high PUFA group. The relationship between PUFA intake and blood lipid, CRP and Hcy was analyzed by Spearman correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the independent correlation.@*Results@#A total of 170 patients (85.1%) with acute ischemic stroke and 31 patients with TIA (14.9%) were enrolled. Their age was 62.9±14.1 years, 143 were males (71.1%), and the median PUFA daily intake was 12.8 g (interquartile range: 8.05-17.5 g). Compared with the high PUFA group (n=100), patients in the low PUFA group (n=101) were older, serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were lower, and CRP and Hcy levels were higher. The above differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Spearman correlation analysis showed that total dietary PUFA intake was significantly negatively correlated with the serum CRP (r=-0.24, P=0.001) and Hcy (r=-0.17, P=0.013) levels, and there was no significant correlation with the blood lipid levels. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that CRP was significantly negatively correlated with PUFA intake after adjusting for confounding factors (B=-0.28, P=0.012).@*Conclusions@#Dietary PUFA intake in patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA may affect blood metabolism index and oxidative stress index. It is necessary to adjust the dietary structure of patients with low PUFA intake to reduce the risk of stroke recurrence.

Analysis of seven cases of neurobrucellosis manifested as cerebrovascular diseases / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical features of neurobrucellosis manifested as cerebrovascular diseases and explore the possible pathogenesis.Methods Cases of neurobrucellosis presenting as cerebrovascular diseases in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2007 to February 2018 were analyzed retrospectively.The demographic information,epidemiological history,routine and etiology tests of blood and cerebrospinal fluid,imaging (magnetic resonance imaging + diffusion weighted imaging,magnetic resonance angiography/head and neck computed tomography angiography),echocardiography,treatment and prognosis of the above patients were collected.The possible mechanism of neurobrucellosis with cerebrovascular diseases was analyzed according to clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics.Results Totally,31 cases of neurobrucellosis were diagnosed,of which seven cases were mainly presented as cerebrovascular diseases (three cases as the first symptoms),accounting for 23％ of neurobrucellosis.There were three cases of cerebral infarction,one case of cerebral infarction accompanied with cerebral hemorrhage,one case of transient ischemic attacks (TIA),two cases of imaging abnormalities related to cerebral small vessel disease.Three patients were discharged voluntarily and four patients were treated with minocycline/doxycycline,rifampicin and ceftriaxone.The prognosis of the treatedcases was good.Conclusions Neurobrucellosis may be presented as TIA,cerebral infarction,cerebral hemorrhage or cerebral small vessel disease related imaging features.For cerebrovascular diseases with systemic nonspecific symptoms such as hearing loss and fatigue,it is necessary to differentiate Brucella infection.Vasospasm,vasculitis and infection-induced arteriosclerotic infarction may be the possible mechanism of stroke in these patients.

Pitfall in the detection of acute lesions of transient ischemic attack with fluid-inversion prepared diffusion weighted imaging / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective To explore the limits of fluid-inversion prepared diffusion weighted imaging (FLIPD) in detection of acute cerebral ischemic lesions.Methods From January 2012 to March 2014,forty-nine patients (33 males,16 females,age (55.6± 12.3) years) clinically diagnosed as transient ischemic attack (TIA) were included.Patients underwent brain MRI (conventional diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) and FLIPD) within 3 d after the onset of TIA.The detection ability of MRI with the two sequences was compared,and the relative signal intensity (rSI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of acute ischemic lesions based on two sequences were compared.Kappa test and two-sample t test were used to analyze the data.Results A total of 87 acute ischemic lesions were detected in 21 patients by conventional DWI,and 54 were detected in 19 patients by FLIPD (Kappa=0.916,P＜0.05).The rSI of ischemic lesions on FLIPD was significantly lower than that on conventional DWI (1.37±0.22 vs 1.57±0.26;t=6.647,P＜0.001).The ADC value of ischemic lesions on FLIPD was slightly lower than that on conventional DWI:(0.54 ±0.10) ×10-3 mm2/s vs (0.57±0.13)×10-3 mm2/s (t=2.120,P＜0.05).The missed lesions on FLIPD were located in the white matter (n =18),cerebellum and brainstem (n =8),and the cortex (n =7).Conclusions A slight diffuse abnormality may be missed on FLIPD,so this method is not suitable for the detection of acute ischemic lesions.FLIPD technology still needs improvement.

Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio predicts early stroke risk after transient ischemic attack / 国际脑血管病杂志

Objective To investigate the predictive value of peripheral blood neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) for early stroke risk after transient ischemic attack (TIA).Methods Patients with TIA admitted to the Department of Neurology,the Second Hospital of Tianjin Medical University from August 2015 to July 2017 were enrolled retrospectively.According to whether or not ischemic stroke occurred within 90 d after the onset of TIA,they were divided into stroke group and non-stroke group.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for early stroke after TIA,and the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive value of baseline NLR for early stroke risk after TIA.Results A total of 131 patients with TIA were enrolled.Among them,23 (17.5％) had a stroke within 90 d,mainly within 7 d after the onset of TIA (n =13,56.5％).Univariate analysis showed that the differences between the two groups were statistically significant in terms of age,ABCD2 score,hypertension,duration of symptoms ≥60 min,diabetes,triglyceride,baseline NLR level,intracranial artery stenosis,use of antiplatelet drugs and dual antiplatelet drugs (all P ＜ 0.05).Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for the confounding factors,the baseline NLR level (odds ratio [OR]2.631,95％ confidence interval [CI] 1.372-5.046;P =0.004) and ABCD2 score (OR 3.049,95％ CI 1.130-8.226;P =0.028) were the independent risk factors for early stroke after TIA,and use of dual antiplatelet agents (OR 0.195,95％ CI 0.046-0.826;P =0.026) were the independent protective factor.The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that when the NLR cut-off value was 2.84,the area under the curve was 0.803 (95％ CI 0.716-0.889),and the sensitivity and specificity of predicting early stroke risk after TIA were 80.8％ and 69.5％,respectively.Conclusion Higher baseline NLR has certain predictive value for early stroke risk after TIA.