Three years' interventional neurology experience in Turkey with the Thrombite thrombectomy device in large vessel occlusion in the anterior circulation: safety, efficacy, and clinical outcome.

Introduction: While the Thrombite device differs from the Solitare stent with its Helical open-side structure feature, it shows great similarity with its other features. We assessed the Thrombite device's effectiveness and safety in this study. Materials and methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of patients who were included in the Turkish Interventional Neurology database and who had mechanical thrombectomy with the Thrombite device as the first choice between January 2020 and January 2023. The type of study is descriptive research. Result: Using the Thrombite thrombectomy device, 525 patients received treatment. The median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 13, the median initial Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography (ASPECT) score was 8, and the mean patient age was 68.6+11.7 years. Between the groin puncture and the successful recanalization, the median time was 34 minutes (interquartile range [IQR]: 15-45). 48.2% (modified treatment in cerebral infarction; mTICI) 2b/3% and 33.9% (mTICI 2c/3) were the first-pass recanalization rates. In the end, 87.7% of patients had effective recanalization (thrombolysis in cerebral infarction 2b/3). In the "first-pass" subgroup, the favorable functional result (modified Rankin Scale 0-2) was 51.8%, while it was 41.6% for the entire patient population. The rate of embolization into new territory/different territory were 2.1/0.1%. 23 patients (4.5%) had symptomatic hemorrhage. Conclusion: The Thrombite device showed a good safety profile and high overall successful recanalization rates in our experience.

Large vessel occlusion detection by non-contrast CT using artificial intelligence.

INTRODUCTION: Computer vision models have been used to diagnose some disorders using computer tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images. In this work, our objective is to detect large and small brain vessel occlusion using a deep feature engineering model in acute of ischemic stroke. METHODS: We use our dataset. which contains 324 patient's CT images with two classes; these classes are large and small brain vessel occlusion. We divided the collected image into horizontal and vertical patches. Then, pretrained AlexNet was utilized to extract deep features. Here, fc6 and fc7 (sixth and seventh fully connected layers) layers have been used to extract deep features from the created patches. The generated features from patches have been concatenated/merged to generate the final feature vector. In order to select the best combination from the generated final feature vector, an iterative selector (iterative neighborhood component analysis-INCA) has been used, and this selector has chosen 43 features. These 43 features have been used for classification. In the last phase, we used a kNN classifier with tenfold cross-validation. RESULTS: By using 43 features and a kNN classifier, our AlexNet-based deep feature engineering model surprisingly attained 100% classification accuracy. CONCLUSION: The obtained perfect classification performance clearly demonstrated that our proposal could separate large and small brain vessel occlusion detection in non-contrast CT images. In this aspect, this model can assist neurology experts with the early recanalization chance.

Endovascular Thrombectomy With or Without Intravenous Thrombolysis: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

BACKGROUND: We performed this meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials to compare the outcomes in patients treated with endovascular thrombectomy who receive prior intravenous thrombolysis with those who do not receive such treatment. Recently, one randomized trial reported outcomes to address this issue, so timely update of meta-analysis is needed to determine the value of administering intravenous thrombolysis before endovascular thrombectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four randomized clinical trials are included in our meta-analysis. We calculated pooled odds ratios and 95% CIs using random-effects models. The primary efficacy endpoint was a favorable outcome defined by a modified Rankin Scale score of 0 (no symptoms), 1 (no significant disability), or 2 (slight disability) at 90 days post-randomization. Secondary endpoints analyzed were any intracerebral hemorrhage, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage, and mortality. RESULTS: Of the 1633 patients randomized, the proportion of patients who achieved a favorable outcome was similar between endovascular thrombectomy alone and combined approach with intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular thrombectomy (1631 patients analyzed; odds ratio 1.02; CI 0.84-1.25; p = 0.83). Risk of any intracerebral hemorrhage was significantly lower among those randomized to endovascular thrombectomy alone (1633 patients analyzed; odds ratio 0.75; CI 0.57-0.99; p = 0.04). Rates of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (p = 0.36) and mortality (p = 0.62) were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with endovascular thrombectomy preceded by intravenous thrombolysis, endovascular thrombectomy resulted in similar rates of favorable outcome with a lower rate of intracerebral hemorrhage. A large phase 3 trial is required to conclusively demonstrate equivalency of both approaches to guide future practice.

Predictors of Symptomatic Hemorrhage After Endovascular Treatment for Anterior Circulation Occlusions: Turkish Endovascular Stroke Registry.

We evaluated the predictive factors of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (SICH) in endovascular treatment of stroke. We included 975 ischemic stroke patients with anterior circulation occlusion. Patients that had hemorrhage and an increase of ≥4 points in their National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) after the treatment were considered as SICH. The mean age of patients was 65.2±13.1 years and 469 (48.1%) were women. The median NIHSS was 16 (13-18) and Alberta Stroke Program Early CT 9 (8-10). In 420 patients (43.1%), modified Rankin Scale was favorable (0-2) and mortality was observed in 234 (24%) patients at the end of the third month. Patients with high diastolic blood pressure (P<.05) had significantly higher SICH. SICH was significantly higher in those with high NIHSS scores (P<.001), high blood glucose (P<.001), and leukocyte count at admission (P<.05). Diabetes mellitus (DM) (OR 1.90; P<.001), NIHSS (OR 1.07; P<.05), adjuvant intra-arterial thrombolytic therapy (IA-rtPA) (OR, 1.60; P<.05), and puncture-recanalization time (OR 1.01; P<.05) were independent factors of SICH. Higher baseline NIHSS score, longer procedure time, multiple thrombectomy maneuvers, administration of IA-rtPA, and the history of DM are independent predictors of SICH in anterior circulation occlusion.

Restless legs syndrome affecting the head region: "restless head syndrome".

OBJECTIVE: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a well-established disease that has recently been shown to have variants affecting the arms, face, abdomen, and genital area. To our knowledge, there has been no study reporting on the RLS variant affecting the head region. METHODS: The retrospective study reviewed a total of 460 patients who presented to Firat University Medical School and were diagnosed as having RLS based on the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) criteria between June 2017 and January 2020. Of these, 18 patients that presented with head-related RLS symptoms (in addition to legs or arms) and four cases that presented with isolated head involvement were included in the study. RESULTS: In 15 out of 18 (81.8%) patients, the restless head syndrome was accompanied by restless arm syndrome (RAS). In the remaining four (18.2%) patients, the disease involved the head region alone. The disease initially emerged in a single region in the body and gradually spread to one or multiple other regions in most patients and the symptoms were relieved by head rubbing. Serum iron level was low in 8 (36.4%) patients and normal in 14 (63.6%) patients. All the patients had normal cranial imaging and the symptoms were eliminated after dopaminergic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Although RLS typically involves the legs alone, it may also affect other body parts such as upper extremities, abdomen, face, and genital area. We propose that the novel RLS variant described in the present study could be termed "restless head syndrome."

Headache as the sole presenting symptom of cerebral venous sinuses thrombosis: Subgroup analysis of data from the VENOST study.

OBJECTIVES: Headache is the most common complaint in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) and it may sometimes be the only symptom in these patients. This retrospective and prospective study was an investigation of any differences in terms of clinical risk factors, radiological findings, or prognosis in patients with CVST who presented with isolated headache (IH) and cases with other concomitant findings (non-isolated headache [NIH]). METHODS: A total of 1144 patients from a multicenter study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST study) were enrolled in this research. The demographic, biochemical, clinical, and radiological aspects of 287 IH cases and 857 NIH cases were compared. RESULTS: There were twice as many women as men in the study group. In the IH group, when gender distribution was evaluated by age group, no statistically significant difference was found. The onset of headache was frequently subacute and chronic in the IH group, but an acute onset was more common in the NIH group. Other neurological findings were observed in 29% of the IH group during follow-up. A previous history of deep, cerebral, or other venous thromboembolism was less common in the IH group than in the NIH group. Transverse sinus involvement was greater in the IH group, whereas sagittal sinus involvement was greater in the NIH group. The presence of a plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI) mutation was significantly greater in the IH group. CONCLUSION: IH and CVST should be kept in mind if a patient has subacute or chronic headache. PAI, which has an important role in thrombolytic events, may be a risk factor in CVST. Detailed hematological investigations should be considered. Additional studies are needed.

Changes in Neuroendovascular Procedural Volume During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An International Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on performance of neuroendovascular procedures has not been quantified. METHODS: We performed an audit of performance of neuroendovascular procedures at 18 institutions (seven countries) for two periods; January-April 2019 and 2020, to identify changes in various core procedures. We divided the region where the hospital was located based on the median value of total number of COVID-19 cases per 100,00 population-into high and low prevalent regions. RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2020, there was a reduction in number of cerebral angiograms (30.9% reduction), mechanical thrombectomy (8% reduction), carotid artery stent placement for symptomatic (22.7% reduction) and asymptomatic (43.4% reduction) stenoses, intracranial angioplasty and/or stent placement (45% reduction), and endovascular treatment of unruptured intracranial aneurysms (44.6% reduction) and ruptured (22.9% reduction) and unruptured brain arteriovenous malformations (66.4% reduction). There was an increase in the treatment of ruptured intracranial aneurysms (10% increase) and other neuroendovascular procedures (34.9% increase). There was no relationship between procedural volume change and intuitional location in high or low COVID-19 prevalent regions. The procedural volume reduction was mainly observed in March-April 2020. CONCLUSIONS: We provided an international multicenter view of changes in neuroendovascular practices to better understand the gaps in provision of care and identify individual procedures, which are susceptible to change.

S100B and neuron-specific enolase levels in episodic and chronic migraine.

OBJECTIVES: In recent years, radiological and biochemical data have emerged regarding the development of cellular damage in the brain of patients with migraine, calling into question what has traditionally been accepted as a benign disorder. In order to investigate whether cellular damage develops in the brain of episodic migraine patient, serum levels of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and S100B have been evaluated in recent studies. However, contradictory results were obtained in these studies. Moreover, there is no study on NSE and S100B in cases of chronic migraine. METHODS: Patients with episodic migraine with or without aura and chronic migraine were included. In addition, 27 healthy volunteers were included as a control group. Control group was selected from healthy volunteers of the same age and sex. We investigated serum NSE and S100B levels during the interictal period in 26 patients with episodic migraine and 27 patients with chronic migraine. RESULTS: The serum NSE and S100B levels were significantly higher in both patients with episodic and chronic migraine than controls. Although there were no significant differences in the serum NSE and S100B levels between the two patients' groups, these markers were found to be higher in cases of chronic migraine. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that there is both neuronal and glial involvement in the two migraine groups. Elevations in these markers in cases of episodic migraine suggest that cellular damage not only results from headache episodes, but that there may be also an ongoing pathological process during the interictal period.

Assessment of Patients with Intracerebral Hemorrhage or Hemorrhagic Transformation in the VENOST Study.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral venous and sinus thrombosis (CVST) may lead to cerebral edema and increased intracranial pressure; besides, ischemic or hemorrhagic lesions may develop. Intracerebral hemorrhages occur in approximately one-third of CVST patients. We assessed and compared the findings of the cerebral hemorrhage (CH) group and the CVST group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the VENOST study, medical records of 1,193 patients with CVST, aged over 18 years, were obtained from 35 national stroke centers. Demographic characteristics, clinical symptoms, signs at the admission, radiological findings, etiologic factors, acute and maintenance treatment, and outcome results were reported. The number of involved sinuses or veins, localizations of thrombus, and lesions on CT and MRI scans were recorded. RESULTS: CH was detected in the brain imaging of 241 (21.1%) patients, as hemorrhagic infarction in 198 patients and intracerebral hemorrhage in 43 patients. Gynecologic causes comprised the largest percentage (41.7%) of etiology and risk factors in the CVST group. In the CH group, headache associated with other neurological symptoms was more frequent. These neurological symptoms were epileptic seizures (46.9%), nausea and/or vomiting (36.5%), altered consciousness (36.5%), and focal neurological deficits (33.6%). mRS was ≥3 in 23.1% of the patients in the CH group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: CVST, an important cause of stroke in the young, should be monitored closely if the patients have additional symptoms of headache, multiple sinus involvement, and CH. Older age and parenchymal lesion, either hemorrhagic infarction or intracerebral hemorrhage, imply poor outcome.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis in Women: Subgroup Analysis of the VENOST Study.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST) associated with reproductive health-related risk factors (RHRF) including pregnancy, puerperium, and oral contraceptive (OC) use can prevent severe neurological sequelae; thus, the symptoms must be documented in detail for each group. METHODS: Out of 1144 patients with CVST, a total of 777 women were enrolled from a multicenter for the study of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (VENOST). Demographic, biochemical, clinical, and radiological aspects were compared for 324 cases with RHRF and 453 cases without RHRF. RESULTS: The mean age of the RHRF (-) group (43.2 ± 13 years) was significantly higher than of the RHRF (+) group (34 ± 9 years). A previous history of deep venous thrombosis (3%), isolated cavernous sinus involvement (1%), cranial neuropathy (13%), comorbid malignancy (7%), and its disability scores after 12 months (9%) were significantly higher in the RHRF (-) group. The RHRF (+) group consisted of 44% cases of puerperium, 33% cases of OC users and 23% of pregnant women. The mean age was found to be higher in OC users (38 ± 9 years). A previous history of deep venous thrombosis was slightly higher in the pregnancy subgroup (4%). Epileptic seizures were more common in the puerperium group (44%). CONCLUSION: The results of our study indicate that the risk of CSVT increases parallel to age, OC use, and puerperium period. In addition, when considering the frequency of findings and symptoms, epileptic seizures in the puerperium subgroup of the RHRF (+) group and malignancies in the RHRF (-) group may accompany the CSVT. In daily practice, predicting these risks for the CSVT and early recognition of the symptoms will provide significant benefits to patients.

Management of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection: Report of an international panel.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: On 11 March 2020, World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 infection a pandemic. The risk of ischemic stroke may be higher in patients with COVID-19 infection similar to those with other respiratory tract infections. We present a comprehensive set of practice implications in a single document for clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. METHODS: The practice implications were prepared after review of data to reach the consensus among stroke experts from 18 countries. The writers used systematic literature reviews, reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinion to summarize existing evidence, indicate gaps in current knowledge, and when appropriate, formulate practice implications. All members of the writing group had opportunities to comment in writing on the practice implications and approved the final version of this document. RESULTS: This document with consensus is divided into 18 sections. A total of 41 conclusions and practice implications have been developed. The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patients with caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinical evaluation and performance of imaging and laboratory procedures with special considerations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. CONCLUSIONS: These practice implications with consensus based on the currently available evidence aim to guide clinicians caring for adult patients with acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19 infection. Under certain circumstances, however, only limited evidence is available to support these practice implications, suggesting an urgent need for establishing procedures for the management of stroke patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Epileptic seizures in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: Subgroup analysis of VENOST study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the presence and prognostic impact of early seizures in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis patients (CVST). METHOD: VENOST is a retrospective and prospective national multicenter observational study. CVST patients with or without epileptic seizures (ES) were analyzed and compared in terms of demographic and imaging data, causative factors, clinical variables, and prognosis in a total of 1126 patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in the ES group was 39.73 ± 12.64 and 40.17 ± 14.02 years in the non-ES group (p > 0.05). Epileptic seizures were more common (76.6 %) in females (p < 0.001). Early ES occurred in 269 of 1126 patients (23.9 %). Epileptic seizures mainly presented in the acute phase (71.4 %) of the disease (p < 0.001). Majority of these (60.5 %) were in the first 24 h of the CVST. The most common neurological signs were focal neurologic deficits (29.9 %) and altered consciousness (31.4 %) in the ES group. Superior sagittal sinus (SSS) and cortical veins (CV) involvement were the most common sites of thrombosis and the mostly related etiology were found puerperium in seizure group (30.3 % vs 13.9 %). Patients with seizures had worse outcome in the first month of the disease (p < 0.001) but these did not have any influence thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: In this largest CVST cohort (VENOST) reported female sex, presence of focal neurological deficits and altered consciousness, thrombosis of the SSS and CVs, hemorrhagic infarction were risk factors for ES occurrence in patients with CVST.

Management of acute ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection: Insights from an international panel.

OBJECTIVE: To present guidance for clinicians caring for adult patients with acuteischemic stroke with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 infection. METHODS: The summary was prepared after review of systematic literature reviews,reference to previously published stroke guidelines, personal files, and expert opinionby members from 18 countries. RESULTS: The document includes practice implications for evaluation of stroke patientswith caution for stroke team members to avoid COVID-19 exposure, during clinicalevaluation and conduction of imaging and laboratory procedures with specialconsiderations of intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in strokepatients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: Conclusions-The summary is expected to guide clinicians caring for adult patientswith acute ischemic stroke who are suspected of, or confirmed, with COVID-19infection.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage following intravenous thrombolytic treatment in acute ischemic stroke: a case series.

Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) following fibrinolytic therapy is a rare but a life-threatening complication. In acute ischemic stroke (AIS), DAH as a complication was not reported following intravenous thrombolytic therapy (ITT). The demographic, clinical, radiologic, and prognostic data of 4 patients with AIS who developed DAH after ITT are presented in this case series, along with a literature review.

Assessment of Cerebral Vasodilatory Capacity as Part of Catheter-Based Cerebral Angiography.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral vasodilatory capacity assessment for risk stratification in patients with extracranial arterial stenosis or occlusion may be useful. We describe a new method that assesses cerebral vasodilatory capacity as part of catheter-based cerebral angiography. METHODS: We prospectively assessed regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) in the arterial distribution of interest using a controlled contrast injection in the common carotid or the subclavian arteries. rCBV maps were created using a predefined algorithm based on contrast distribution in the venous phase (voxel size: .466 mm3 ). rCBV maps were acquired again after selective administration of intra-arterial nicardipine (2.0 mg) distal to the stenosis. Two independent observers graded the change in rCBV in 10 predefined anatomical regions within the tributaries of the artery of interest (0 = reduction, 1 = no change, 2 = increase) and total rCBV change scores were summated. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients with internal carotid artery stenosis (n = 18; 0-90% in severity) or extracranial vertebral artery stenosis (n = 7; 0-100% in severity) were assessed. There was an increase in rCBV in a tributary of the artery of interest in 18 of 25 after intra-arterial nicardipine (mean score: 11.98; range 0-19.5). There was no change or decrease in rCBV in 7 of 25 patients. The mean rCBV change score was similar in patients with an assessment of internal carotid artery or vertebral artery distributions (12.2 ± 5.3; 11.4 ± 2.5; P = .68). CONCLUSION: Selective vasodilatory response to intra-arterial nicardipine in the affected arterial distribution during catheter-based cerebral angiography may provide new data for risk stratification.

A case report of Morvan syndrome.

Morvan syndrome is a rare disease characterized by peripheral nerve hyperexcitability, encephalopathy, dys-autonomia and significant insomnia. The patient, who was included in the present study, was followed-up at our clinics for confusion, myokymia, hyperhidrosis, epileptic seizures, tachycardia, agitation, hypokalemia, and hyponatremia. The cranial MRI of the patient demonstrated hyperintensities at the T2 and FLAIR sections of the medial temporal lobe and insular lobes. Electromyography and neurotransmission examination results were concordant with peripheral nerve hyperreactivity. Contactin-associated protein-like 2 antibodies and leucine-rich glioma inactivated protein 1 antibodies were detected as positive. The patient was diagnosed with Morvan syndrome; intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroid treatment was started. Almost full remission was achieved. This very rare syndrome implies challenges in diagnosis and treatment; however, remission can be achieved during the follow-up. In addition, caution is needed in the long-term follow-up of these patients regarding the development of malignancies.

Preprocedure Intravenous Recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator and Risk of Distal Embolization with Thrombectomy in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) prior to thrombectomy may reduce the risk of intraprocedural distal embolization in acute ischemic stroke patients. METHODS: We analyzed the diffusion-weighted imaging acquired with 1.5- or 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans obtained within 24 hours of thrombectomy in consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients. An independent physician identified distal embolization, defined as discrete foci of restricted diffusion independent of the primary area of infarction on MRI scan. Patients were stratified based on whether they had or did not receive IV rt-PA prior to thrombectomy. RESULTS: Distal embolization was seen in 59 (ipsilateral in 56) of 63 patients (mean age ± SD; 64.6 ± 15.3 years) who underwent thrombectomy (mean number 8.6; range 0-32). There was no difference in mean number of ipsilateral hemispheric distal embolization between the 2 groups (7.9 ± 6.1 versus 7.5 ± 7.6, P = .82). After adjusting for age, admission National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, the time interval between symptom onset and thrombectomy, there was no association between receiving IV rt-PA prior to thrombectomy and number of ipsilateral distal emboli (P = .90). There was no relationship between the number of ipsilateral emboli and rates of favorable outcome after adjusting for other confounders (adjusted odds ratio 1.0; 95% confidence interval .89 - 1.0; P = .40). CONCLUSIONS: Although distal embolization is very common after thrombectomy, IV rt-PA prior to procedure does not reduce the risk of intraprocedural distal embolization.

Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis as a Rare Complication of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Subgroup Analysis of the VENOST Study.

AIM: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an unusual risk factor for cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). As few CVST patients with SLE have been reported, little is known regarding its frequency as an underlying etiology, clinical characteristics, or long-term outcome. We evaluated a large cohort of CVST patients with SLE in a multicenter study of cerebral venous thrombosis, the VENOST study, and their clinical characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Among the 1144 CVST patients in the VENOST cohort, patients diagnosed with SLE were studied. Their demographic and clinical characteristics, etiological risk factors, venous involvement status, and outcomes were recorded. RESULTS: In total, 15 (1.31%) of 1144 CVST patients had SLE. The mean age of these patients was 39.9 ± 12.1 years and 13 (86.7%) were female. Presenting symptoms included headache (73.3%), visual field defects (40.0%), and altered consciousness (26.7%). The main sinuses involved were the transverse (60.0%), sagittal (40.0%), and sigmoid (20.0%) sinuses. Parenchymal involvement was not seen in 73.3% of the patients. On the modified Rankin scale, 92.9% of the patients scored 0-1 at the 1-month follow-up and 90.9% scored 0-1 at the 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: SLE was found in 1.31% of the CVST patients, most frequently in young women. Headache was the most common symptom and the CVST onset was chronic in the majority of cases. The patient outcomes were favorable. CVST should be suspected in SLE patients, even in those with isolated chronic headache symptoms with or without other neurological findings.

Suboccipital steroid injection alone as a preventive treatment for cluster headache.

BACKGROUND: Suboccipital steroid injection can be used as a preventive treatment for episodic and chronic cluster headache (CH). In recent studies, prophylactic treatment has been used in addition to suboccipital steroid injection. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effectivity of the sole use of rapid- and long-acting steroid injections without prophylactic treatment in patients with episodic and chronic CH. METHODS: The retrospective study included 51 patients with episodic and chronic CH that underwent greater occipital nerve (GON) blockade with a single dose of rapid- and long-acting steroid injection without additional prophylactic treatment. The frequency, severity, and duration of attacks after GON blockade as well as the side effects and long-term outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: In 28 (54.9%) patients, no attack occurred after GON blockade and cluster bouts were aborted. Mean duration of attacks was 86.67 ±â€¯37.45 min before the treatment. However, in the 23 patients that had at least one attack after GON blockade, the mean duration of attacks was 31.73 ±â€¯36.10 min between post-treatment days 0-3, 29.35 ±â€¯40.49 min between post-treatment days 4-10, 28.48 ±â€¯42.17 min between post-treatment days 11-28, and 35.65 ±â€¯46.55 min after the post-treatment day 28 (p < 0.001). Moreover, 10 (37.04%) out of 27 patients with episodic CH who periodically had one or two cluster bouts in a year had no CH attack at the time of the expected subsequent cluster bout. CONCLUSION: GON blockade is a practical, reliable, and cost-effective treatment option for patients with episodic and chronic CH. Moreover, GON blockade is highly effective in reducing headache attacks and even aborting cluster bouts in CH patients without requiring additional prophylactic treatment.