Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases : the official journal of National Stroke Association
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Feb 2014
Case ReportsCentral alveolar hypoventilation (Ondine's curse) caused by megadolichobasilar artery.
Central alveolar hypoventilation (CAH) syndrome is a clinical condition that is characterized by the loss of automatic breathing, particularly during sleep. Most forms in adults are caused by brainstem ischemia, mass, infection, demyelinating disease, or anoxic-ischemic damage. We present a case of a fatal symptomatic acquired CAH syndrome caused by megadolichobasilar artery. ⋯ During an unobserved episode, the patient was found unresponsive, with chemical signs of prolonged hypoventilation not explainable by cardiopulmonary disease. A diaphragmatic pacemaker, assisted ventilation, and repeated resuscitation were refused by the patient, who died some days later. CAH is a rare complication that can occur in patients with megadolichobasilar artery.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Feb 2014
Multicenter StudyQuality of acute ischemic stroke care in Thailand: a prospective multicenter countrywide cohort study.
Data concerning quality of acute stroke care and outcome are scarce in developing countries. ⋯ Limited access to acute ischemic stroke care interventions were observed in many domains especially thrombolysis and stroke unit admission. These findings emphasize an urgent need for strategies to improve standard acute stroke care among developing countries.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Feb 2014
Case ReportsPostoperative brain stroke after shoulder arthroscopy in the lateral decubitus position.
The beach chair position is used frequently for shoulder arthroscopy surgery. However, the beach chair position has been reported to be linked to postoperative cerebral stroke. ⋯ The patient experienced a brief period of intraoperative hypotension. Physicians should be aware of this potential complication that could be irrelevant to the position used.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Jan 2014
Decompressive surgery for malignant cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: a retrospective case series from Pakistan and comparative literature review.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) is a rare cause of stroke in the West; however, it is prevalent in Asia and the Middle East. CVST is treated with dose-adjusted heparin or heparinoid followed by warfarin to facilitate recanalization of venous sinuses. For those with progressive malignant cerebral edema, the role of decompressive surgery has been reported from developed countries. We present data on decompressive craniectomy from a tertiary care stroke center in a developing country and compare our results and population with that described in the international literature. ⋯ Patients who received decompressive hemicraniectomy in Pakistan for CVST had excellent outcomes in all cases when intervention was performed with intact preoperative pupillary reflexes. Of the data reviewed, most reported (two-third) patients show the same prognosticators; however, one third show that even with nonreactive pupils complete recovery is possible.
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J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis · Jan 2014
Comparative StudyRelative changes in transcranial Doppler velocities are inferior to absolute thresholds in prediction of symptomatic vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage.
The absolute transcranial Doppler (TCD) velocity threshold has been validated as a screening tool for vasospasm after subarchnoid hemorrhage (SAH). We assessed whether relative changes in velocity were superior to absolute TCD thresholds in the detection of symptomatic vasospasm. We reviewed consecutive patients with aneurysmal SAH who underwent serial TCD monitoring and survived at least 7 days. ⋯ The best characteristics were observed for the combination of MFV >175 cm/s and/or maximal LR >6 (AUC 0.81). Our data suggest that absolute thresholds of TCD FVmean provide the most accurate prediction of symptomatic MCA vasospasm after SAH. Other thresholds, including relative change from baseline and day-to-day changes, are inferior to established absolute thresholds.