Stroke Incidence and Outcome in a Population With COVID-19.

Background and Purpose: COVID-19 is associated with systemic thromboembolism including stroke. The study evaluated the 30-days stroke incidence in SARS-CoV-2 PCR positive patients and described the outcome of such patients. Methods: This is a retrospective study of consecutive patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test between March 1st, 2020 and August 30th, 2020. The study included COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized and had a stroke within 30 days from the positive PCR test. Results: During the study period, there were 4301 patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test. Of those, 1786 patients (41.5%) were hospitalized and 4 patients developed a stroke within 30 days. The 30-days stroke incidence was 0.09% and 0.2% of all and hospitalized patients, respectively. The mean age of stroke patients was 78 years and 2 died during the same hospitalization. The 4 patients had comorbidities, one had pre-existing atrial fibrillation and all had ischemic stroke. Conclusion: This study showed a low 30-day incidence of stroke among COVID-19 patients.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) in a patient with lymphoma treated with rituximab: A case report and literature review.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a rare demyelinating disease caused by reactivation of a latent JC polyoma virus. The first cases of PML were described 50 years ago in patients with lymphoma. PML typically occurs in immunocompromised individuals, particularly those infected with HIV. We present a 52-year-old male with lymphoma who was treated with R-CHOP (R: Rituximab; C: Cyclophosphamide; H: Doxorubicin; O: Vincristine; P: Prednisone). After six cycles of therapy, the patients developed tonic-clonic seizure. MRI of the brain showed multiple brain lesions. The pathology of a brain biopsy was diagnostic for PML. We review radiographic and histopathological features of the disease. The literature on PML and its association with immunosuppressant agents is reviewed, and the impact of rituximab and other biological agents in the setting is highlighted.

Sterile cyst formation after intrathecal stem cell transplant for Parkinson's disease: A case presentation and literature review.

In recent years, fetal or autologous stem cell transplant for the treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) has been practiced in a few medical organizations. However, the potential complications related to the growth of allograft tissue have not yet been well described apart from case reports. Here, we present a 42-year-old Saudi male who suffered from early onset Parkinson's disease. He sought medical care in China and received autologous intrathecal stem cell transplantation. He did not demonstrate any significant improvement. A few months later, the patient went back to China and underwent fetal cell transplantation into the left hemisphere and a second stem cell transplantation intrathecally. He presented with seizures and had a left frontal brain cyst. The cyst was drained and contained clear fluid. All cultures were negative. He had an uneventful recovery.

Acanthamoeba encephalitis in a patient with systemic lupus treated with rituximab.

Acanthamoeba species are free-living protozoa that can infect humans and animals. Acanthamoeba can cause serious central nervous system infections in immunocompromised hosts. Here we report a case of Acanthamoeba encephalitis in a patient with lupus nephritis, 1 month after completing a course of rituximab, an anti-CD20 chimeric antibody.