European journal of neurology : the official journal of the European Federation of Neurological Societies
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Decompressive craniectomy is used regularly in traumatic brain injury (TBI) and malignant middle cerebral artery infarction. Its benefits for other causes of non-traumatic brain swelling, if any, are unclear, especially after a devastating primary event. ⋯ Mortality after non-traumatic neurological emergencies leading to decompressive craniectomy was high, and the HRQoL index of the survivors was poor. Most survivors were, however, able to live at home, and the cost of neurosurgical treatment for a QALY gained was acceptable.
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Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) constitutes a neurological emergency. In most cases, the diagnosis is easy to establish; however, in rare cases, verification of the diagnosis is difficult. In this retrospective analysis, we report the clinical characteristics of patients with SAH who were admitted to our neurological intensive care unit. We focus on the additional diagnostic approaches in patients with a high suspicion of SAH but failure of the 'classic' diagnostic tools. ⋯ Subarachnoid haemorrhage with negative CCT and CSF is a rare presentation of a severe acute neurological emergency. Further diagnostic as TCD/computed tomography (CT)-A or MR-A should be considered in all patients with typical clinical presentation for SAH but unremarkable CCT and CSF as an additional diagnostic tool. Ultimately, a conventional angiography should be performed if distinct clinical signs of SAH are presented.
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Age at menarche is associated with cardiovascular events and lifestyle factors such as body mass index (BMI), certain women's diseases like breast cancer and endometriosis and with occurrence of certain physical symptoms during puberty. It is unclear whether age at menarche is an independent determinant of headache. ⋯ Headache, both migraine and non-migrainous headache, was more prevalent amongst both adolescents and adult females with early menarche. Early menarche may increase headache susceptibility, or be a consequence of a common pathogenetic factor, e.g., sensitivity to estrogens.
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our aim was to investigate the course of medication-overuse headache in the general population and the effect of simple advice regarding medication overuse. ⋯ our examination and short information served as a modified brief intervention which can improve chronic headache and medication overuse in the general population.
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atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most powerful predictor of early death in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. We investigated whether the plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level on admission can serve as a biological marker of in-hospital death in acute ischaemic stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) patients with AF. ⋯ the plasma BNP level on admission can predict in-hospital death in acute ischaemic stroke and TIA patients with AF.