[Ethiopathogenetic features and course of ischemic stroke associated with COVID-19]. / Etiopatogeneticheskie osobennosti i techenie ishemicheskogo insul'ta, assotsiirovannogo s COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze etiopathogenetic factors and course of ischemic stroke associated with new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective clinical study of 173 patients with ischemic stroke and COVID-19 (main group) and 86 patients with ischemic stroke without COVID-19 (comparison group) was carried out. There were no statistically significant differences in age and gender. All patients underwent standard clinical-instrumental, laboratory and neuroimaging assessments. RESULTS: Compared with the comparison group, patients with COVID-19 were less likely to have cardiovascular risk factors, the difference being statistically significant. Stroke in the main group was more severe than in the comparison group. According to the TOAST classification, an unknown stroke subtype significantly predominated in the main group. Laboratory data in the main group indicated the significance of an increase in renal-hepatic markers (creatinine, aspartate aminotransferase) and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (C-reactive protein). CONCLUSION: The development of cardiovascular diseases in patients with COVID-19 is an important negative prognostic factor that requires further study to determine the optimal management strategy.

[An analysis of clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with ischemic stroke and COVID-19]. / Analiz kliniko-laboratornykh kharakteristik patsientov s ishemicheskim insul'tom, assotsiirovannym s COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with ischemic stroke associated with COVID-19. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all cases of COVID-19, including those complicated with ischemic stroke, admitted to the multispecialty infectious hospital in Ufa (Russia) in 2020, was performed. Multivariate analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of the development of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19. RESULTS: Eleven thousand forty hundred and thirty-two patients were admitted to the multidisciplinary infectious hospital during 2020, 1226 of them also suffered from ischemic stroke. Independent predictors of ischemic stroke in COVID-19 included age and laboratory parameters: increase in number of leucocytes, erythrocytes and platelets, increase of the level of creatinine, glucose, total bilirubin and decrease of the level of total protein, and activated partial thromboplastin time. CONCLUSION: Elderly people, patients with prominent systemic inflammatory response, which presented with leukocytosis, hypercoagulation, multiorgan failure of different severity and hypoproteinemia, were at higher risk of the development of ischemic stroke in COVID-19.

Croatian study on COVID-19-positive stroke patients during the second wave of the pandemic.

AIM: To investigate stroke characteristics in patients with concomitant coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection in Croatia during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This retrospective study investigated the characteristics of two groups of ischemic stroke patients: those who developed COVID-19 infection before stroke and those who developed the infection during the hospital stay after stroke onset. Stroke etiology was classified according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. RESULTS: We analyzed data from 255 stroke patients from 12 Croatian hospitals. The two groups of ischemic stroke patients differed in stroke etiology (P=0.038). Patients with COVID-19 infection before stroke had fewer cardioembolic strokes (46% vs 29.1%), more cryptogenic strokes (32.5% vs 14.3%), and more strokes in multiple vascular territories (12.4% vs 1.8%). The percentage of large-vessel occlusions was high in both groups (49.6% and 44.4%). Median modified Rankin Scale score on discharge was 4 in both groups. Mortality was 36.4% in the group with stroke after COVID-19 and 33.3% in the group with COVID-19 after stroke. CONCLUSION: Ischemic stroke after COVID-19 differs in etiology from ischemic stroke complicated by COVID-19 infection. Both patient groups are characterized by severe disability and high mortality. Raising the awareness of prehospital stroke and optimization of clinical workflow are important if we want to improve the stroke outcomes by acute recanalization techniques.

SARS-COV-ATE risk assessment model for arterial thromboembolism in COVID-19.

Patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection are at an increased risk of cardiovascular and thrombotic complications conferring an extremely poor prognosis. COVID-19 infection is known to be an independent risk factor for acute ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction (MI). We developed a risk assessment model (RAM) to stratify hospitalized COVID-19 patients for arterial thromboembolism (ATE). This multicenter, retrospective study included adult COVID-19 patients admitted between 3/1/2020 and 9/5/2021. Among 3531 patients from the training cohort, 15.5% developed acute in-hospital ATE, including stroke, MI, and other ATE, compared to 13.4% in the validation cohort. The 16-item final score was named SARS-COV-ATE (Sex: male = 1, Age [40-59 = 2, > 60 = 4], Race: non-African American = 1, Smoking = 1 and Systolic blood pressure elevation = 1, Creatinine elevation = 1; Over the range: leukocytes/lactate dehydrogenase/interleukin-6, B-type natriuretic peptide = 1, Vascular disease (cardiovascular/cerebrovascular = 1), Aspartate aminotransferase = 1, Troponin-I [> 0.04 ng/mL = 1, troponin-I > 0.09 ng/mL = 3], Electrolytes derangement [magnesium/potassium = 1]). RAM had a good discrimination (training AUC 0.777, 0.756-0.797; validation AUC 0.766, 0.741-0.790). The validation cohort was stratified as low-risk (score 0-8), intermediate-risk (score 9-13), and high-risk groups (score ≥ 14), with the incidence of ATE 2.4%, 12.8%, and 33.8%, respectively. Our novel prediction model based on 16 standardized, commonly available parameters showed good performance in identifying COVID-19 patients at risk for ATE on admission.

Ischemic Stroke Due to Heparin-induced Thrombocytopenia during Severe COVID-19 Infection.

A 53-year-old woman with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia was admitted and treated with intravenous unfractionated heparin for thromboprophylaxis under general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation. She developed right hemiparesis after hospitalization due to a large hemorrhagic infarction. Her platelet count decreased from 243,000/µL at administration to 121,000/µL. Anti-platelet factor 4-heparin antibody testing was positive according to a latex immunoturbidimetric assay. She was therefore diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. We immediately stopped the heparin and started argatroban; the platelet count recovered, and thrombosis did not relapse. Physicians should consider heparin-induced thrombocytopenia as a cause of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection.

Carotid free-floating thrombus during COVID-19 vaccine era: causality or not?

Carotid free-floating thrombus (FFT) is very rarely diagnosed in patients with acute ischemic stroke. It is a real clinical emergency due to the significant risk of death associated with thromboembolic complications. Herein, we present three patients with ischemic stroke caused by carotid FFT after less than 20 days from administration of mRNA vaccine BNT162b1 (Pfizer/BioNTech) for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To our knowledge, these are the first cases reporting carotid FTT following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.

Acute ischemic stroke and vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia post COVID-19 vaccination; a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: One of the rare but potentially serious side effects of COVID-19 vaccination is arterial and venous thrombosis. Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) cases have been reported post COVID-19 vaccination. Herein, we systematically reviewed the reported cases of AIS after COVID-19 vaccination. METHOD: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline. We searched PubMed and Scopus until April 14, 2022 to find studies that reported AIS post COVID-19 vaccination. RESULTS: We found 447 articles. From those, 140 duplicates were removed. After screening and excluding irrelevant articles, 29 studies (43 patients) were identified to be included. From all cases, 22 patients (51.1%) were diagnosed with AIS associated with Vaccine-induced immune thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). Among AIS associated with VITT group, all received viral vector vaccines except one. The majority of cases with AIS and VITT were female (17 cases, 77.2%) and aged below 60 years (15 cases, 68%). Fourteen patients (32.5%) had additional thrombosis in other sites. Four of them (0.09%) showed concurrent CVST and ischemic stroke. Hemorrhagic transformation following AIS occurred in 7 patients (16.27%). Among 43 patients with AIS, at least 6 patients (14%) died during hospital admission. CONCLUSION: AIS has been reported as a rare complication within 4 weeks post COVID-19 vaccination, particularly with viral vector vaccines. Health care providers should be familiar with this rare consequence of COVID-19 vaccination in particular in the context of VITT to make a timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan.

Rapidly progressive ischemic strokes and transient antiphospholipid syndrome during a mild SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with an increased risk of thrombotic events, especially during severe forms of disease. Here we describe the clinical history of a patient with a mild form of Covid-19 infection presenting with multiple cerebral ischemic lesions that evolved in an atypical way.

Large Vessel Occlusions By Free Floating Thrombi in Strokes During the COVID-19 pandemic- A Single Center Observational Study.

Background: An increased incidence of systemic macrothrombotic phenomena such as strokes has been observed in moderate and severe COVID. However, strokes have also been increasingly observed in mild COVID, post COVID, or without obvious COVID illness. Objective: To share our experience with a specific stroke type noted during the COVID pandemic period. Materials and Methods: A single-center observational study was conducted in Western India from January to December 2020, and data regarding stroke patients admitted under Neurology services were noted. Clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of strokes and subtypes were documented. Results: A total of 238 stroke patients were admitted in 2020, 76.5% during the COVID pandemic period. Among 153 ischemic strokes, 16.3% and 56.2% had large vessel occlusion (LVO) in pre-COVID and COVID pandemic period, respectively. Of all ischemic strokes, 20.9% (18 patients) and 12% (3 patients) had free floating thrombus (FFT) in the COVID versus pre-COVID period, respectively. Only 44.4% of all FFT patients could be proven SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR positive while 50% were COVID suspect with surrogate markers of heightened inflammation at time of stroke. All patients were given anticoagulation and average mRS at discharge was 3.1 (range: 1-6) and 1.84 (range: 0-4) at 3-month follow-up in survivors. Conclusions: This study highlights the presence of FFT causing LVO as a new stroke subtype during the COVID-19 pandemic. With renewed and steeper spike in COVID-19 cases, especially new variants, the resurgence of this stroke subtype needs to be actively explored early in the course of illness to reduce morbidity and mortality.

Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with COVID-19 Infection and Acute Ischemic Stroke at Eka Kotebe General Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Acute ischemic stroke has been reported to occur in a significantly higher number of COVID-19 patients as compared to healthy controls with variable proposed pathophysiologic mechanisms. To our knowledge, sufficient data regarding this subject is lacking in Ethiopia and the African continent at large. In this case series, we report the clinical characteristics and management of 5 cases with COVID-19 infection and acute ischemic stroke to shed light on the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in resource-limited setups. Methods: This is a case series including data collected from the medical records of 5 participants with confirmed RT-PCR positive COVID-19 infection and radiologically confirmed acute ischemic stroke, admitted at Eka Kotebe General Hospital Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from June 10, 2020, to November 04, 2020. Results: Cryptogenic stroke was documented in 4/5 participants included in this series with the most common vascular risk factors identified for stroke being hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The median time from onset of COVID-19 symptoms to the identification of stroke was 07 days. Two fifth of the participants in this series died during their ICU admission with the immediate cause of deaths reported to be related to the severe COVID-19 infection but not stroke. Conclusion: Cryptogenic stroke was documented in 4/5 patients in this series despite the presence of vascular risk factors for other stroke subtypes. The overall prevalence, subtypes, and outcomes of stroke in COVID-19 patients in Ethiopia and the African continent as a whole needs additional research to elucidate the local burden of the disease and define the predominant pathophysiologic mechanisms for stroke in COVID-19 in the region.

Retinal manifestations of ophthalmic artery occlusion with ischemic stroke in a young patient with COVID-19.

COVID-19-associated coagulopathy (CAC) has led to an increase in the incidence of large vessel stroke and cryptogenic shock. We present a case of a 30-year-old COVID-19-positive patient who developed an internal carotid artery (ICA) thrombosis, which led to ischemic stroke, aphasia, and unilateral blindness. Ophthalmic artery occlusion (OAO) was found to be the cause of vision loss. We thereby aim to highlight the detailed ophthalmic manifestations of OAO with features of posterior ciliary artery occlusion (PCAO) in this patient with proven ICA thrombosis.

Mechanical thrombectomy in COVID-19-associated ischaemic stroke: patient characteristics and outcomes in a single-centre study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical profiles and outcomes of patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection and acute ischaemic stroke (AIS) treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) at the Comprehensive Stroke Centre (CSC) of the University Hospital in Krakow. CLINICAL RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY: COVID-19 is a risk factor for AIS and worsens prognosis in patients with large artery occlusions. During the pandemic, the global number of MT has dropped. At the same time, studies assessing outcomes of this treatment in COVID-19-associated AIS have produced divergent results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this single-centre study, we retrospectively analysed and compared the clinical profiles (age, sex, presence of cardiovascular risk factors, neurological deficit at admission), stroke size (measured using postprocessing analysis of perfusion CT with RAPID software), time from stroke onset to arrival at the CSC, time from arrival at the CSC to groin puncture, treatment with intravenous thrombolysis, length of hospitalisation, laboratory test results, and short-term outcomes (measured with Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale, modified Rankin Scale and National Health Institute Stroke Scale) in patients with AIS treated with MT during the pandemic. A comparison between patients with and without concomitant SARS-CoV2 infection was then performed. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between 15 COVID (+) and 167 COVID (-) AIS patients treated with AIS with respect to clinical profiles (p > 0.05), stroke size (p > 0.05) or outcomes (NIHSS at discharge, 8.1 (SD = 7.1) vs. 8.8 (SD = 9.6), p = 0.778, mRS at discharge 2.9 (SD = 2) vs. 3.1 (SD = 2.1), p = 0.817, death rate 6.7% vs. 12.6%, p = 0.699). There was a significant difference between patients with and without COVID-19 concerning time from arrival at the CSC to groin puncture [104.27 (SD = 51.47) vs. 97.63 (SD = 156.94) min., p = 0.044] and the length of hospitalisation [23.7 (SD = 11.9) vs. 10.5 (SD = 6.9) days, p < 0.001]. CONCLUSION: In AIS patients treated with MT, concomitant SARS-CoV2 infection did not affect the outcome. Our observations need to be confirmed in larger, and preferably multicentre, studies.

Acute delirium as an initial manifestation of COVID-19 patients with acute ischemic stroke: Report on two cases.

Psychiatric and neurological complications of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are common. Psychiatric symptoms are so common that they are easily misinterpreted as an affective disorder induced by SARSCoV-2 infection. However, psychiatric symptoms, such as acute delirium, though rarely seen, can be the initial manifestations of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). These psychiatric symptoms may confuse the diagnosis of acute stroke, which needs correct and timely management. We report two hospitalized cases with SARS-CoV-2 infection and elevated serum D-dimer levels having acute delirium as the initial manifestation of AIS. The diagnostic processes were challenging and time-consuming, so reperfusion therapy could not be given in the therapeutic time window. The diagnoses of AIS were finally made by brain magnetic resonance imaging which showed diffusion restriction at the right middle cerebral artery territory in both cases. Features of psychiatric complications and stroke in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients are reviewed. For the hospitalized COVID-19 patients with elevated levels of serum Ddimer and acute delirium, acute stroke with neuropsychiatric manifestations should beconsidered.