Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
-
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Oct 2014
Case ReportsA traveling "spot sign" in recurrent amaurosis fugax and central retinal artery occlusion.
Sudden monocular blindness is frequently caused by central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) from embolic sources. Treatment options are insufficient, and spontaneous prognosis toward visual recovery is poor. In addition to ophthalmologic evaluation, transorbital sonographic assessment of the central retinal artery may help establish early diagnosis by Doppler sonographic proof of occlusion and, in some cases, by B-mode detection of an intra-arterial "spot sign". ⋯ Thrombolytic treatment did not result in clinical improvement. In conclusion, this case report describes a single case of repeated amaurosis fugax and deterioration to CRAO via embolization into the central retinal artery and consecutive downstream dislodgment. It emphasizes that ultrasound may render valuable diagnostic information in patients with acute central retinal artery embolization toward its embolic etiology and its risk of subsequent deterioration.
-
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Oct 2014
Review Case Reports Meta AnalysisIntracerebral hemorrhage associated with oral phenylephrine use: a case report and review of the literature.
Prior reports have linked both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke to use of sympathomimetic drugs including phenylephrine. The purpose of this study is to describe the first case, to our knowledge of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after oral use of phenylephrine and to systematically review the literature on phenylephrine and acute stroke. ⋯ It is scientifically plausible that phenylephrine may cause strokes, consistent with the pharmacologic properties and adverse event profiles of similar amphetamine-like sympathomimetics. As RCVS has been well described in association with over-the-counter sympathomimetics, a likely, although not definitive, causal relationship between phenylephrine and ICH is proposed.
-
J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Oct 2014
Relationship between diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy and long-term motor outcome in patients with hemiparesis after middle cerebral artery infarction.
Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor fractional anisotropy (DTI-FA) is often used to characterize neural damage after stroke. Here we assessed the relationship between DTI-FA and long-term motor outcome in patients after middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. ⋯ The results suggest that DTI-FA is applicable for predicting the long-term outcome of extremity functions after MCA infarction.