Diffusion weighted image documented cerebral ischemia in the postprocedural period following pipeline embolization device with shield technology treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms: a prospective, single center study.

OBJECTIVE: Acute ischemic stroke and silent cerebral infarctions following pipeline embolization device (PED) treatment of intracranial aneurysms have been estimated to occur in 3-6% and in 50.9-90% of patients respectively. The PED with Shield technology (PED-Shield) incorporates a surface phosphorylcholine polymer to reduce the thrombogenicity of the implant. We sought to determine the incidence of diffusion weighted image (DWI) documented cerebral ischemia after PED-Shield treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms. METHODS: This prospective study involved a single center series of consecutive patients treated for an unruptured intracranial aneurysm with the PED-Shield. All participants underwent clinical evaluation on admission, after the procedure, at discharge, and 30 days following treatment. Brain MRI was obtained within 72 hours of the procedure. Ischemic lesions identified on DWI sequences where examined as to their number, size, and location in relation to the procedure. RESULTS: Over 12 months, 33 patients harboring 38 intracranial aneurysms were treated with the PED-Shield in 36 procedures. Neither mortality nor clinically evident ischemic events were noted in the 30 day postprocedural period. DWI documented, silent cerebral ischemia occurred in six patients (18.18%) after six procedures (16.66%). No statistically significant risk factors for postprocedural silent cerebral ischemia were identified. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated a reduced rate of silent cerebral infarcts following PED-Shield treatment of intracranial aneurysms than previously reported with other endovascular treatment modalities and with the previous device generations. Further research is necessary to evaluate our results and to identify methods to reduce the incidence of postprocedural cerebral ischemic events.

Pituitary abscess: a case report and review of the literature.

UNLABELLED: Pituitary abscess is a rare life-threating entity that is usually misdiagnosed as a pituitary tumor with a definite diagnosis only made postoperatively. Over the last several decades, advances in healthcare have led to a significant decrease in morbidity and mortality due to pituitary abscess. We report a case of a 34-year-old woman who was admitted to our department for investigation of a pituitary mass and with symptoms of pituitary dysfunction, headaches and impaired vision. During her admission, she developed meningitis-like symptoms and was treated with antibiotics. She eventually underwent transsphenoidal surgery for excision of the pituitary mass. A significant amount of pus was evident intraoperatively; however, no pathogen was isolated. Six months later, the patient was well and had full recovery of the anterior pituitary function. Her menses returned, and she was only on treatment with desmopressin for diabetes insipidus that developed postoperatively. LEARNING POINTS: Pituitary abscess is a rare disease and the reported clinical features vary mimicking other pituitary lesions.The diagnosis of pituitary abscess is often very difficult to make and rarely included in the differential.The histological findings of acute inflammatory infiltration confirm the diagnosis of pituitary abscess.Medical and surgical treatment is usually recommended upon diagnosis of a pituitary abscess.

Young adult patient with headache, fever and blurred vision.

BACKGROUND AND IMPORTANCE: This case highlights the fact that acute pituitary apoplexy may be misdiagnosed due to being confused with other entities exhibiting similar symptoms, such as meningitis or subarachnoid hemorrhage. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A patient in his late 30s presented with sudden and severe frontal headache, fever, blurred vision, nausea, confusion, as well as oculomotor palsy (CN III) with partial ptosis of the left eyelid, dilated left pupil and left eye globe deviation inferiorly and laterally. The final diagnosis was acute pituitary apoplexy complicating a pituitary macroadenoma. In this setting, headache is usually present due to stretching and irritation of the dura mater, and fever due to meningeal irritation or upward expansion leading to hypothalamic dysfunction. Decreased visual acuity and defects in visual fields are caused by upward expansion, which compresses the optic chiasm. Ophthalmoplegia can also be observed due to lateral expansion with invasion of the cavernous sinus. CONCLUSION: Medical professionals involved in emergency care should be aware of this clinical entity and collaborate with endocrinologists using a multidisciplinary team approach for prompt diagnosis and optimal treatment of such patients.

Recurrent inguinal hernia repair: what is the evidence of case series? A meta-analysis and metaregression analysis.

To examine, if case series considered together with observational studies tend to produce similar results as randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), on recurrent hernia repair. A systematic literature review and meta-analysis between 1990 and 2013 revealed 46 nonrandomized studies (NRCTs) and 5 RCTs including 25,730 patients. A direct comparison of the summary estimates between RCTs and NRCTs is presented. Outcomes, within or across studies, were compared. Comparisons of all outcomes in NRCTs and RCTs failed to show statistical significance. Prospective/retrospective cohort studies, case series, and RCTs did not differ significantly in their estimates. Adjusted testing for metaregression disclosed that rerecurrence among NRCTs was independent of the study design. The number of included patients and study setting were independent predictors of outcome. Our proposed methodology for a systematic review could potentially give answers where level I evidence is missing or could be a tool for optimization of a RCT design.

New cerebral ischemic lesions after carotid endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND: We sought to investigate the incidence and location of new cerebral ischemic lesions after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI). METHODS: Sixty-six consecutive patients (50 males with a mean [±SD] age of 69 ± 9 years) who underwent CEA were included in this prospective study. Seventeen patients were symptomatic and 49 patients were asymptomatic. CEA was performed with patch closure without using a shunt. Carotid plaque echostructure was evaluated with the grayscale median (GSM) score. DW-MRI scanning of the brain was performed 24 hours before and 48 to 72 hours after the procedure. RESULTS: Thirty-day stroke and mortality rates were 0%. The mean GSM score for symptomatic patients was 27 ± 15; for asymptomatic patients, the mean GSM score was 39 ± 18 (P = 0.006). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to GSM score: GSM scores ≤25 (22 patients) and GSM scores >26 (44 patients). New brain lesions were detected after 6 endarterectomies (8.9%), and all were clinically silent. These lesions were ischemic in 5 cases (7.5%) and micro-hemorrhagic in 1 case (1.4%). In 3 cases, new ischemic lesions were located within the treated carotid artery territory. In 2 cases, new lesions on DW-MRI were located outside of the treated carotid artery territory. There was no significant difference in the incidence of ischemic lesions between the 2 groups (GSM scores ≤25, 2 lesions; GSM scores >26, 3 lesions; P = 0.544). CONCLUSIONS: New ischemic lesions on DW-MRI are detected in 7.5% of patients after CEA, and most of these lesions are clinically silent. Plaque echogenicity does not affect their incidence. New lesions seen on DW-MRI may be generated outside of the treated carotid artery territory.

A 17 year-old girl with a demyelinating disease requiring mechanical ventilation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Demyelinating diseases cause destruction of the myelin sheath, while axons are relatively spared. Pathologically, demyelination can be the result of an inflammatory process, viral infection, acquired metabolic derangement and ischemic insult. Three diseases that can cause inflammatory demyelination of the CNS are: Multiple sclerosis (MS), Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and Acute hemorrhagic leucoencephalitis. Differentiation is not always easy and there is considerable overlaping. Data about adults with acute demyelination requiring ICU admission is limited. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17 year old Greek female was hospitalised in the ICU because of acute respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation. She had a history of febrile disease one month before, acute onset of paraplegia, diplopia, progressive arm weakness and dyspnea. Her consciousness was not impaired. A demyelinating central nervous system (CNS) disease, possibly post infectious encephalomyelitis (ADEM) was the underlying condition. The MRI of the brain disclosed diffused expanded cerebral lesions involving the optic nerve, basal ganglia cerebellum, pons and medulla oblongata. There was also extended involvement of the cervical and thoracic part of the spinal cord. CSF leukocyte count was elevated with lymphocyte predominance. The patient required mechanical ventilation for two months. Then she was transferred to a rehabilitation centre. Three years later she remains paraplegic. Since then she has not suffered any other demyelination attack. CONCLUSIONS: Demyelinating diseases can cause acute respiratory failure when the spinal cord is affected. Severe forms of these diseases, making necessary ICU admission, is less frequently reported. Intensivists should be aware of the features of these rare diseases.