Journal of the neurological sciences
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To examine the role of carotid stenosis (CS) and other independent risk factors of perioperative stroke following either mitral valve repair or replacement. ⋯ CS is a significant risk factor for perioperative strokes following mitral valve surgery. Further prospective clinical studies are needed that look into risk stratification of patients for better patient selection and the question of whether carotid revascularization procedures will be beneficial in reducing stroke rates.
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Recent studies using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have reported that wake-up stroke (WUS) patients may be able to be treated using tissue-plasminogen activator (tPA) when showing no ischemia on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (Negative-FLAIR). We investigated the frequency of WUS and calculated what percentage of WUS patients with Negative-FLAIR meets most of the conventional tPA criteria. We did not include a time parameter in this study. ⋯ About 30% of WUS patients may be candidates for tPA therapy based upon Negative-FLAIR findings.
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Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is associated with poor clinical outcome and high mortality. Sulfonylurea (SFU) use may be a viable therapy for inhibiting sulfonylurea receptor-1 and NCCa-ATP channels and reducing perihematomal edema and blood-brain barrier disruption. We sought to evaluate the effects of prehospital SFU use with outcomes in diabetic patients with acute ICH. ⋯ SFU pretreatment may be an independent predictor for improved functional outcome in diabetic patients with acute ICH. This association requires independent confirmation in a large prospective cohort study.
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Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe autoimmune inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system. NMO and its abortive forms are referred to as NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSD). NMOSD are mostly associated with antibodies to aquaporin-4 (AQP4-IgG). However, recent studies have demonstrated antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-IgG) in a subset of patients. Data on NMOSD in North Africa are sparse. ⋯ MOG-IgG and AQP4-IgG are found in a substantial subset of Algerian patients with ON and/or myelitis, are present predominantly in women, and may be associated with differences in clinical presentation and, possibly, outcome. Only a subset of MOG-IgG positive patients meets the current diagnostic criteria for NMOSD.
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An outbreak of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), a disorder characterized by acute, symmetric limb weakness with decreased or absent deep-tendon reflexes, was reported in Barranquilla, Colombia, after the introduction of Zika virus in 2015. We reviewed clinical data for GBS cases in Barranquilla and performed a case-control investigation to assess the association of suspect and probable Zika virus disease with GBS. ⋯ We confirmed a Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) outbreak in Barranquilla, Colombia, during October 2015-April 2016. A case-control investigation using neighborhood controls showed an association of suspected and probable Zika virus disease with GBS.