Advent of paradoxical flow after antihypertensive treatment in mid-ventricular obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - A case report.

A 69-year-old woman was admitted our hospital due to acute cerebral infarction. Transthoracic echocardiography showed massive left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy with small ventricles and normal LV ejection fraction. Apical 4-chamber and longitudinal images showed mild LV obstruction. After treatment for hypertension, her blood pressure decreased from 208/129 mmHg to 150/68 mmHg. Pulsed Doppler echocardiography revealed new paradoxical flow at the mid-ventricle. Decreased LV pressure following treatment with antihypertensive medications may have contributed to the development of early mid-ventricular obstruction and paradoxical flow in the present case. Learning objective: In mid-ventricular obstructive cardiomyopathy, apical aneurysm may be present and cause serious complications such as rupture of the apex and sudden death. In the present case, apical aneurysm newly developed after treatment for hypertension was suggested by advent of paradoxical flow. This case suggests that intraventricular hemodynamic change may become a trigger of paradoxical flow and apical aneurysm, becoming a risk of serious complication.

[Subdural hematoma with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: a case report].

A 71-year-old man had persistent cervical pain secondary to thunderclap headache during sleep. MRI conducted the next morning revealed subdural hematoma and convexity subdural hemorrhage on the right occipital region, and the patient was hospitalized. MRA showed vascular narrowing in the bilateral PCA. Follow-up MRA on day 8 of admission showed aggravated vascular narrowing of PCA, indicative of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). The patient was treated with a calcium-channel antagonist. Post-discharge MRA showed improvement of PCA narrowing, and the diagnosis of RCVS was confirmed.

A case of malignant hypertension with multi-organ injury.

A 33-year-old woman visited our hospital due to visual loss. Her BP was 280/150 mm Hg and pulse rate was 111 beats per minute. A urinalysis showed protein in urine, suggesting kidney injury. A transthoracic echocardiography showed left ventricular hypertrophy. A Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging suggested left ventricular endocardial edema or inflammation. Ophthalmoscopy showed optic disc edema and hard exudates in both eyes. A brain MRI showed multiple high-intensity areas at the pons and white matter of the cerebrum and cerebellum. Although the patient had malignant hypertension, she was successfully treated by medication.

[A case of antepartum reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome].

A 35-year-old pregnant woman with mild migraine experienced thunderclap headache at 37 weeks of gestation. Her cerebral MRA showed arterial segmental narrowing of right middle cerebral artery and bilateral posterior cerebral artery. When admitted, she had no sign of eclampsia/preeclampsia. After 4 days, she had premature rupture of the membrane and gave birth by caesarean section. Caesarean section immediately resolved the headache. The postpartum course of the patient and her baby was uneventfull. One month after her onset, her cerebral MRA showed improvement in arterial segmental narrowing of cerebral artery. We diagnosed reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) assoiated with pregnancy. Pregnancy-related RCVS develops primarily during the puerperal period, but our case was a rare case that developed just before delivery and was successful with aggressive intervention. When antepartum RCVS develops, early cesarean section with epidural anesthesia in parallel with active treatment for headache may lead to good outcomes for both mother and child.

Binasal hemianopia caused by bilateral optic perineuritis due to sarcoidosis.

•We describe the first case of binasal hemianopia due to bilateral optic perineuritis.•Bilateral optic perineuritis should be considered as a causative disease of binasal hemianopia.•Early diagnosis of optic perineuritis is crucial to avoid irreversible visual impairment.

Preceding direct oral anticoagulant administration reduces the severity of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation - K-PLUS registry.

BACKGROUND: Stroke severity can be mitigated by preceding anticoagulant administration in acute ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We investigated if such mitigative effects are different between warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We collected data from a regional multicenter stroke registry. Ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack patients with AF were included. Background characteristics, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission, lesion characteristics, and in-hospital death were analyzed according to preceding antithrombotic agents at onset. RESULTS: A total of 2173 patients had AF; 628 were prescribed warfarin, 272 DOACs, 429 antiplatelets alone, and 844 no antithrombotics. The NIHSS score on admission was lowest in the DOACs group compared to the other groups. In neuroimaging analysis, small ischemic lesions were observed more frequently in the DOACs group, while large ischemic lesions were less frequent in this group. When the no antithrombotics group was used as a reference, the adjusted odds ratio for moderate to severe stroke was 0.56 (95% confidence interval, 0.40-0.78) in the DOACs group, while it was 0.98 (0.77-1.24) in the warfarin group and 0.94 (0.72-1.22) in the antiplatelets group. In-hospital mortality was lowest in the DOACs group compared to the other groups. CONCLUSION: Preceding DOAC administration might mitigate the severity of stroke in AF patients more strongly than other antithrombotics, possibly leading to a better outcome in patients with stroke.

Pre-hospital Diagnosis of Large Vessel Occlusion in Patients Being Transported by Helicopter.

BACKGROUND: During the helicopter transportation of patients suspected of large vessel occlusion (LVO), an accurate and rapid decision-making process is required. AIMS: We attempted to create an algorithm for the pre-hospital diagnosis of the presence of LVO in patients suspected of stroke using data from patients transported urgently by helicopter. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-five patients transported by helicopter were divided into two subgroups: a training dataset and a validation dataset. We extracted clinical information obtained on site, the unadjusted score of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and previously reported pre-hospital scales as an LVO screen. On the basis of the analyses of these factors, an algorithm was devised to predict the presence of LVO and its predictive accuracy was evaluated using the validation dataset. RESULTS: Ischemic stroke with LVO was diagnosed in 36 out of 121 cases (29.8%) in the training dataset and in 10 out of 44 cases (22.7%) in the validation dataset. Combining five factors (conjugate deviation, upper limb paresis, atrial fibrillation, Japan Coma Scale ≥ 200, and systolic blood pressure ≥ 180), an algorithm was created to classify cases into six groups with different likelihoods of LVO presence. The algorithm predicted correctly 6 out of 10 cases in the validation dataset. Furthermore, it definitively ruled out 17 out of 34 cases in the validation dataset. CONCLUSIONS: Using the newly created algorithm, emergency staff could easily and accurately distinguish patients suitable for urgent endovascular thrombectomy from patients with non-LVO or stroke mimics.

[COVID-19 and stroke].

Due to the pandemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the stroke medical care system is unavoidably undergoing major changes such as a decrease in the number of stroke patients receiving consultation, delay in consultation, and a decrease in the number of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy procedures. Stroke incidence in COVID-19 patients is approximately 1.1%. The features of stroke with COVID-19 have been elucidated: higher incidence in ischemic stroke than hemorrhagic stroke, increasing number of young patients, high D-dimer levels, and higher risk in elderly patients with cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. In patients with COVID-19, venous thromboembolism is more common than arterial thromboembolism, and stroke is more common than acute coronary syndrome. Protected code stroke (PCS) has been proposed which provides safe, effective and prompt treatment under complete infection control.

Pre-Hospital Delay in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Multicenter Stroke Registry: K-PLUS.

PURPOSE: There is scant data related to prehospital delay in cases of acute ischemic stroke from multicenter studies conducted after change of the therapeutic window of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (iv-tPA) administration to within 4.5 h of onset. We investigated factors causing prehospital delay and their associations with clinical outcomes using data from a regional multicenter stroke registry. METHODS: Data from the multicenter regional stroke registry were analyzed. Patients admitted within 24 h of the last known well time were categorized according to whether their admission was early (≤ 4 h; n = 2350) or delayed (> 4 h; n = 2752). We then compared patients' backgrounds and outcomes between the two groups. RESULTS: Five-thousand, one-hundred two patients presented at hospitals within 24 h of onset. On multivariate analysis, atrial fibrillation, higher NIHSS score on admission, anterior circulation stroke, detection of symptoms immediately after onset, and emergency system use were positively associated with early admission, whereas modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score before onset, onset at home, diabetes, current smoking, dementia and symptom detection between 00:00 and 06:00 h were negatively associated. Early admission was associated with mRS scores of 0-2 at discharge independent of backgrounds, stroke severity, and thrombolytic therapy (odds ratio, 1.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.32-1.84). CONCLUSIONS: Certain patient factors relating to prehospital delay, such as lack of awareness of onset or non-cardioembolic etiology, are crucial but often inevitable. However, earlier admission was associated mRS scores of 0-2 independent of other factors. This study may help to plan educational activities to general population or public awareness campaigns.

Percutaneous Transluminal Angioplasty as Potentially Effective Treatment for Persistent Cognitive Decline due to Intracranial Carotid Artery Stenosis.

Objective: We describe a male patient with covert sustained cognitive impairment who underwent endovascular treatment for severe stenosis in the left intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA). Case Presentation: A 64-year-old man presented with transient dysarthria and dysphagia. Although he was alert, a cognitive evaluation revealed significant dysgraphia and a remarkable reduction in cognitive function. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) revealed scattered high-intensity regions in the watershed area of the left cerebral hemisphere and severe stenosis in the C2 portion of the left ICA. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) was performed; a detailed examination revealed significantly improved cognitive function. One year later, the patient demonstrated further cognitive improvement, without any recurrent stroke. Conclusions: We consider that patients with severe intracranial stenosis, who have covert cognitive decline without apparent sustained symptoms, might be promising candidates for revascularization. Higher brain function in patients with severe intracranial arterial stenosis should be carefully screened because cognitive decline might not be evident at the time of initial presentation.

Stent Retriever-Assisted Continuous Aspiration for Distal Intracranial Vessel Embolectomy: The Distal Combined Technique.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the efficacy of a combined approach with stent retriever-assisted aspiration catheter for distal intracranial vessel occlusion (distal combined technique [DCT]). METHODS: We evaluated consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke with distal occlusion in anterior circulation, including occlusions of the M2/M3 or A2/A3 segments, who received endovascular therapy (EVT) in a single center. Modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infraction (mTICI) score including TICI 2C category, processing time from puncture to reperfusion, proportion of a favorable clinical outcome at discharge (modified Rankin Scale [mRS] score ≤2), and incidence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) were compared between the DCT and single device approach technique (non-DCT) groups. RESULTS: Of 65 patients, 28 were treated with EVT using the DCT and 37 were treated with EVT with a single device approach (non-DCT). In the DCT group, a higher reperfusion rate at the first pass (mTICI score ≥2B, 92% vs. 54%; P = 0.0008; mTICI score ≥2C, 71% vs. 16%; P < 0.0001; mTICI score 3, 57% vs. 14%; P = 0.0004) and shorter time from puncture to successful reperfusion (median, 31 vs. 43 minutes; P = 0.0006) were achieved, respectively. The final successful reperfusion rate was also higher in the DCT group than in the non-DCT group (mTICI score ≥2C, 85% vs. 51%; P = 0.004; mTICI score 3, 75% vs. 43%; P = 0.012), respectively. sICH occurred in 2 patients in the non-DCT group. Patients with mRS score ≤2 at discharge were more prevalent in the DCT than in the non-DCT group (57% vs. 27%, respectively; P = 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: This retrospective analysis indicated that the DCT is a useful and safe strategy for patients with distal anterior intracranial vessel occlusion.

Clinical features of stroke mimics in the emergency department.

AIM: To clarify the features of stroke mimics. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated stroke mimic cases among the suspected stroke cases examined at our emergency department, over the past 9 years, during the tissue-type plasminogen activator treatment time window. RESULTS: Of 1,557 suspected acute stroke cases examined at the emergency department, 137 (8.8%) were stroke mimics. The most common causes were symptomatic epilepsy (28 cases, 20.4%), neuropathy-like symptoms (21 cases, 15.3%), and hypoglycemia (15 cases, 10.9%). Outcomes were survival to hospital discharge for 91.2% and death for 8.8% of the cases. Clinical results were significantly different between stroke mimics and the stroke group for low systolic blood pressure, low National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score on initial treatment, history of diabetes, and no history of arrhythmia. On multivariate analysis, distinguishing factors for stroke mimics include systolic blood pressure ≤ 140 mmHg, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score ≤ 5 points, history of diabetes, and no history of arrhythmia. CONCLUSIONS: Frequency of stroke mimics in cases of acute stroke suspected cases is 8.8%, and the most common cause is epilepsy. In order to distinguish stroke mimics, it is useful to understand common diseases presenting as stroke mimics and evaluate clinical features different from stroke by medical interview or nerve examination.

[Cerebral infarction related to varicella zoster virus vasculopathy].

A 14-year-old girl developed transient disturbance of consciousness, dysarthria, and clumsiness of the right upper limb 4 months after herpes zoster ophthalmicus. Brain MRI showed acute cerebral infarction in the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory. CT angiography demonstrated mild stenosis in the top of the left internal carotid artery and the proximal side of the MCA. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination showed slightly mononuclear pleocytosis (6/µl). Titer of the anti-varicella zoster virus (VZV) IgG antibodies in CSF was increased, and gadolinium-enhanced brain MRI (T1-weighted imaging) revealed enhancement of the vessel walls at the stenotic lesions. Based on the diagnosis of VZV vasculopathy, methylprednisolone and valacicrovir were administered, followed by acyclovir, in addition to antithrombotic therapy using aspirin and warfarin. After these treatment, her right upper clumsiness was resolved and gadolinium-enhancement of the vessel walls was disappeared on MRI. VZV vasculopathy may cause ischemic stroke in young patients, especially in children. A careful history-taking about herpes is necessary to detect the disease as a potential cause in young stroke patients.

Calcified Cerebral Embolism Due to a Calcified Amorphous Tumor.

A 59-year-old man developed brain embolism in the frontal and parietal cortex. Brain CT showed a high-density spot in the upper branch of the left middle cerebral artery, indicating calcified cerebral embolism. Calcified amorphous tumor attached to the mitral valve was identified as the cause of embolism. After surgical resection, anticoagulation was started and recurrent stroke did not occur.

Paradoxical brain embolism associated with HCV-related type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.

Central nervous system involvement in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cryoglobulinemia is uncommon. We report a patient with HCV-related type II mixed cryoglobulinemia who suffered a transient ischemic attack (TIA) associated with deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism. The mechanism of TIA was diagnosed as paradoxical embolism, and we suspect that the cause of the TIA was associated with HCV-related type II mixed cryoglobulinemia.

First impression at stroke onset plays an important role in early hospital arrival.

BACKGROUND: Treatment for acute ischemic stroke should be administered as soon as possible after symptom onset. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the patient's and bystander's first impression at stroke onset was associated with hospital arrival time. METHODS: To investigate the factors influencing the prehospital delay, we prospectively interviewed consecutive stroke patients and bystanders about their first impression at the stroke onset and assessed the methods of transportation, and clinical characteristics. Early arrival was defined as a hospital arrival of within 2 h from stroke onset. RESULTS: One hundred thirty patients were enrolled: 82% were ischemic stroke and 18% were cerebral hemorrhage. The median interval between symptom onset and the hospital arrival was 7.5 h and 30% of patients presented within 2 h of stroke onset. First impression of stroke (odds ratios [OR] 4.56, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.54-13.5, p=0.006), presence of consciousness disturbance (OR 4.29, CI 1.39-13.3, p=0.011), arrival through other facilities (OR 0.25, CI 0.08-0.76, p=0.015), a history of diabetes (OR 0.23, CI 0.06-0.80, p=0.028) and nocturnal onset (OR 0.19, CI 0.04-0.88, p=0.042) independently contributed to the early arrival. CONCLUSIONS: The first impression of patients and bystanders at stroke onset is important in order to reach hospital earlier in Japan. Public educational systems such as those, which advertise stroke warning signs, are necessary.