The randomized study of enteral nutrition with rapid versus conventional administration in acute stroke patients; the protocol of rapid EN trial.

Rationale: Enteral nutrition is beneficial for stroke patients with oral intake difficulties. However, it is time consuming and may interfere with routine medical care. Therefore, there is a clinical benefit if enteral nutrition can be safely administered in a short time. Although our retrospective study showed the safety of rapid administration, it remains unclear whether rapid administration of enteral nutrition is as safe as conventional administration. Aim: The randomized study of Enteral Nutrition with Rapid versus conventional administration in acute stroke patients (Rapid EN trial) aims to clarify the safety of rapid feeding of enteral nutrition compared with conventional feeding. Methods and design: This is an investigator-initiated, multicenter, prospective, randomized, open-label, blinded end-point clinical trial. Eligible criteria include acute stroke patients who have difficulty with oral intake defined as severe altered consciousness (Japan Coma Scale 10-300) or modified water swallowing test <4. The target enrollment is 700 patients, with 350 patients receiving rapid enteral nutrition at a rate of 100 mL in 5 min (Rapid EN group) and 350 patients receiving conventional enteral nutrition at a rate of 100 mL in 30 min (Conventional EN group). Study outcome: The primary outcome is the incidence of one or more complications of vomiting or diarrhea or pneumonia within 7 days would be non-inferior in the rapid EN group compared to the conventional EN group. Secondary outcomes were total time spent on enteral nutrition within 7 days from enteral nutrition, the incidence of vomiting, diarrhea and pneumonia within 3 or 7 days, and the rate of favorable clinical outcome. Discussion: Since no previous reports have focused on the speed of administration, we felt it was necessary to prove the safety of rapid administration. If this study shows positive results, it will not only benefit patients, but also reduce the burden of medical care. We believe this study is novel and will be useful in clinical practice. Clinical trial registration: https://rctportal.niph.go.jp/s/detail/um?trial_id=UMIN000046610 Identifier UMIN000046610.

Effect of Enteral Nutrition on In-hospital Infection and Hospital Expense in Stroke Patients: A Retrospective Assessment.

Infection is a common complication of stroke and is associated with unfavorable outcomes. Although nutritional intervention reduces the risk of postoperative infection, the impact of specific nutritional products remains unclear. From a hospital management perspective, we aimed to determine whether the provision of specific types of enteral nutrition in acute stroke patients affects infection control and hospital costs. In all, 45 acute hemorrhagic stroke patients receiving enteral nutrition in a single center (April 2017-March 2019) were retrospectively assessed. Patients were divided into two groups according to nutritional interventions: the 1.0-group with general nutrition (1.0 kcal/mL) (24 patients) and the 1.5+α-group with an initial high-protein, whey peptide-digested liquid diet (1.5 kcal/mL), followed by a highly fermentable fiber-containing liquid diet (1.5 kcal/mL initiated after 4 days) (21 patients). Changes in body mass index (BMI), duration of antibiotic use, incidence of postoperative infection, and medical cost were evaluated. Baseline patient characteristics were similar between groups. The mean BMI change was lower in the 1.5+α-group than in the 1.0-group, and the mean duration of antibiotic use throughout hospitalization was 12.8 and 18.3 days, respectively. Antibiotic use in the 1.5+α-group was lesser than that in Japanese patients from other hospitals. The incidence of postoperative infections was lower in the 1.5+α-group. Injection costs for the 1.5+α group (615 USD/patient) were lower than those for the 1.0-group. Enteral nutrition provided to acute stroke patients reduced the risk of hospital infection and medical costs.

High protein intake after subarachnoid hemorrhage improves oral intake and temporal muscle volume.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Dysphagia is a common sequela following stroke. Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) often develop atrophy of the temporal muscle, but its clinical significance remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether temporal muscle volume (TMV) is related to subsequent oral intake in patients with SAH and evaluate the predictors of temporal muscle atrophy. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of 60 SAH patients receiving enteral nutrition in the acute hospitalization phase at a single center between 2009 and 2019. The TMV was segmented automatically from computed tomography images and measured on admission and at week 2. Patients with a ≥20% TMV reduction were assigned to the atrophy group (n = 24) and those with a <20% TMV reduction were included in the maintenance group (n = 36). The patients' oral intake status was assessed at week 2 using the Food Intake LEVEL Scale (grade of 7-9 considered good ingestion), and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) was used at discharge (grade of 0-2 considered good prognosis). Additional data on age, sex, body mass index, severity of SAH, and protein intake were collected on day 4. RESULTS: The maintenance group had significantly better oral intake and mRS scores compared to the atrophy group. TMV maintenance significantly affected oral intake at week 2 and the mRS score at discharge. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that protein intake on day 4 significantly influenced the maintenance of TMV. CONCLUSIONS: High protein nutrition in the acute stage of SAH contributes to temporal muscle maintenance and improves oral intake.

[A Case of Internal Jugular Arteriovenous Fistula Presenting as Lower Cranial Nerve Palsy].

INTRODUCTION: Although arteriovenous fistulas(AVFs)are typically located within the cranium, there are several published reports documenting rare cases of extracranial AVFs between the ascending pharyngeal artery(APA)and the internal jugular vein(IJV). Herein, we report the case of a patient with APA-IJV AVFs who presented with symptoms of lower cranial nerve palsy that was treated with transvenous embolization(TVE). CASE: A 53-year-old man presented with chief complaints of numbness in the left oral cavity and a temple headache. Magnetic resonance angiography showed an abnormal signal in the left jugular bulb. An AVF was suspected; digital subtraction angiography revealed the presence of a shunt from the jugular branch of the APA to the jugular bulb which was accompanied by regurgitation into the inferior petrosal sinus(IPS)and sigmoid sinus(SS). Numbness in the oral cavity was diagnosed as lower cranial nerve palsy associated with increased pressure within the jugular foramen. As the nature of the AVF(single or multi-hole)was uncertain, a therapeutic TVE was planned. Microcatheters were guided into the IPS and SS, and TVE was performed using a double-catheter technique. Regurgitation into the IPS resolved; embolization via the APA was not performed, and symptoms improved postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: AVFs involving the APA and IJV are identified infrequently and there are only a few published case reports describing this vascular anomaly. Most reported cases were single-hole AVF and were treated with trans-arterial embolization via the APA. As noted in the present case, APA-IJV AVF can also be treated by TVE.

Status of In-Hospital Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated by Mechanical Thrombectomy.

Objective: To elucidate the current state of in-hospital acute ischemic stroke under the introduction of acute-phase mechanical thrombectomy. Methods: The study included 18 consecutive patients with in-hospital cerebral infarction who underwent thrombectomy between April 2014 and March 2020 at St. Marianna University School of Medicine Yokohama City Seibu Hospital. We analyzed the primary disease, department responsible for treatment, modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores before onset and on discharge, status of onset, treatment course, and so on. Results: The mean age was 79.9 (66-93) years. There were nine females. The admission methods included scheduled admission in 5 patients and non-scheduled admission in 13 patients. The primary diseases consisted of malignant tumors in five patients and heart disease in four patients. The departments responsible for treatment consisted of the Department of Digestive Surgery for six patients and Department of Cardiology for three patients. The mRS score before admission was evaluated as 0-2 in 15 patients and 3-5 in 3 patients. The embolism was evaluated as cardiogenic in 14 patients. Antithrombotic therapy was discontinued before the onset of cerebral infarction in three patients. The mean interval from onset or last well known (LWK) until CT/MRI and puncture was 88.4 and 157.6 minutes. The median Alberta stroke program early CT score (ASPECTS; minimum-maximum) was 8 (2-10). Tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) was administered to five patients. Concerning the degree of recanalization, the thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) grade was evaluated as 1 to 2a in 2 patients and 2b to 3 in 16. In the latter, the mean interval from onset or final onset-free confirmation until recanalization was 197.7 minutes. mRS score on discharge was evaluated as 0-2 in four patients, 3-5 in nine, and 6 in five patients. The mortality was related to a primary disease requiring admission in three patients. Conclusion: In-hospital onset cerebral infarction was markedly influenced by the primary disease requiring admission. Even when favorable recanalization was achieved, the number of patients with a favorable outcome was small.

Extraskeltal Outgrowth of Solitary Synovial Osteochondroma of the Cervical Spine: A Case Report.

We report a rare case of a solitary synovial osteochondroma (SSO) in the cervical canal. A 37-year-old man presented with neck pain and the forearm dysesthesia developed immediately after a trivial motor accident. Because of aggravation he visited our hospital though he was treated conservatively for 3 months. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed an oval shaped small mass with high density rim in the cervical canal at the level of the C6/7 facet joint. This mass compressing the dural sac was visualized with a high intensity signal in T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and, interestingly, with high intensity in T1-weighted images. A surgical removal was carried out. Macroscopically, it consists of a solitary, firm, juxta-articular mass associated with synobia but lacking connection with the adjacent bone. Microscopically, it is similar to conventional osteochondromas. It differs from this entity by not arising from a bone surface and by a whole coverage of synobial tissue. The final diagnosis was a SSO. There have been anecdotal case reports of a SSO in various site including knee, fingers, buttocks, wrist, and so on. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of SSO arising in the spinal canal.

Spinal Cord Infarction after Transcatheter Embolization of Pelvic Arteriovenous Malformation.

An 80-year-old woman presented with abdominal and right lower limb pain. Radiological examination revealed pelvic arteriovenous malformations (pAVMs). Although transarterial embolization was repeated, dilation of the common iliac vein worsened. Four sessions of embolization were performed for the internal iliac vein. Paraplegia gradually occurred a day after the final procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed thoracic spinal cord edema and paraspinal vasodilatation, suggesting spinal cord infarction. Additional angiography revealed a radiculomedullary vein draining into the spinal canal from the pAVM; hence, surgical interruption was performed. Incomplete venous embolization of the pAVM caused spinal cord congestion and infarction.

[A Case of Primary Intrasellar Chondroid Chordoma].

OBJECTIVES: Intracranial chordomas are thought to arise from remnants of the notochord and usually occur at the parasellar region. We present a case of a primary intrasellar chondroid chordoma in a patient who was initially diagnosed with a pituitary adenoma. CASE: A 77-year-old woman had a history of two surgeries for a tumor in the sella turcica(17 months after the 1st surgery). On initial MRI, the intrasellar mass showed low signal intensity on T1WI, very high signal intensity on T2WI, and inhomogeneous enhancement. On bone reconstructive CT, the sellar floor was thin, and no abnormalities were observed at the top of the clivus. Transsphenoidal surgery was performed. The pathological diagnosis was pituitary adenoma in both cases. Seventy-two months after the 1st(31 months after the 2nd)surgery, she developed right-sided oculomotor and abducent nerve palsies again. Since recurrence occurred during the relatively short period, the surgical specimens obtained from the 1st and 2nd surgeries were reexamined. Reexamination of the previously obtained specimen demonstrated areas of chondroid tissue that were embedded in a mucoid stroma and tumor cells that were composed of round or pleomorphic nuclei with vacuolated cytoplasm(physaliphorus cells)that were compatible with chondroid chordoma. The third surgery was performed. Postoperatively, her symptoms improved, and cyber knife therapy was administered for the residual part of the tumor. CONCLUSIONS: Although intrasellar chondroid chordomas are extremely rare, they should be considered in the differential diagnosis of tumors located in the sella turcica.

Successfully Treated Traumatic Dislocation of a Thoracic Vertebra Caused by Minor Trauma in a Patient with Neurofibromatosis Type I A Case Report and Literature Review.

The authors reported a rare case of young women with neurofibromatosis type I (NF-I) who were successfully treated from the traumatic dislocation of a thoracic vertebra caused by a simple fall, and the relevant literature was reviewed. Due to various spinal dystrophic changes, the conventional posterior spinal fusion surgery was modified for the treatment. Spinal deformity is a common feature of NF-1, and a dystrophic lesion, like dural ectasia, provokes weakness in spinal structural. Unexpectedly, only seven similar cases were found. The review suggested that it is mandatory to thoroughly examine the spine in patients with NF-1, and that a good outcome can be expected even for patients with NF-1 in severe neurological condition after acute spinal cord injuries.

[A Case of Primary Extradural Meningioma Located at the High Convexity:A Case Report and Review of the Literature].

OBJECTIVES: Primary meningiomas arising outside the intracranial component are rather rare and have been termed primary extradural meningiomas(PEMs). We present a case of an intraosseous-type PEM occurring at a high convexity location and discuss the clinical characteristics of PEMs. CASE: An 80-year-old woman presented with a soft and painless subcutaneous mass of approximately 10 cm in diameter in the right parietal region, which had appeared 1 year previously. Mild cognitive dysfunction and left hemiparesis were observed upon admission. A skull radiograph and a bone window computed tomography scan revealed an osteolytic lesion at the above-mentioned site. Magnetic resonance imaging indicated that the mass was inhomogeneously enhanced and seemed to extend through the skull defect both intra- and extra-cranially. The preoperative diagnosis was a metastatic skull bone tumor due to the patient's history of breast cancer. During surgery, the tumor was found to be solid and had expanded through both the inner and outer tables of the skull, destroyed the inner table at one location, and perforated into the subdural space via the thinned, but not infiltrated, dura mater. The tumor was removed along with a wide margin of surrounding healthy bone and a cranioplasty was performed using a titanium plate. The histopathological diagnosis was atypical meningioma(World Health Organization grade II). Postoperatively, no adjuvant therapies(radiation and/or chemotherapy)were administered and the patient was reported to be well at 8 months post-surgery with no evidence of tumor recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Although PEMs are rather rare, clinicians should consider the differential diagnosis of osteolytic skull vault tumors.

[De Novo Cavernous Angioma Secondary to a Developmental Venous Anomaly:A Case Report and Review of the Literature].

OBJECTIVE: Previously, cavernous angiomas(CAs)have been thought to be only congenital in origin. Recently, however, a few cases of de novo CAs have been reported in the literature. We present a case of a de novo CA and discuss the etiology of the newly appeared CA. CASE REPORT: A 29-year-old man was presented to a local clinic because of hypersomnia. MRI demonstrated a heterogeneous mass peripherally located, which was in contact with a developmental venous anomaly(DVA)at the left thalamus. Six years before the presentation, he visited the same clinic because of faintness, and MRI results indicated no abnormality except for the DVA. Three weeks later, he suddenly experienced difficulty in speech, and the MRI revealed an increase in the size of the mass. Subsequently, he was admitted at our institution, and neurological examination revealed aphasia and right hemiparesis. A left carotid angiogram on venous phase showed a narrowing of the DVA, which was seen as it entered the internal cerebral vein. The diagnosis of a de novo CA was made. The mass was completely resected through the transcallosal transventricular approach to avoid injuring the DVA. The DVA could not be found during surgery. The pathological diagnosis was in line with the findings of CA. Postoperatively, the patient continued having difficulty in speech and was transferred to another institution for speech rehabilitation. CONCLUSIONS: Although the association of CA and DVA has been described with increasing frequencies recently, the etiology of de novo CA in the case of this association has been a matter of debate. In the present case, it was speculated that a narrowing of the DVA resulted in increased venous pressure and caused the development of de novo CA.

[Dural cavernous angioma:a case report and review of the literature].

Here, we report a case of dural cavernous angioma. A 54-year-old man presented with headache in his right frontal area for the previous few weeks. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a well-demarcated extramedullary mass, 3 x 2.5cm in size, within the subdural space at the right frontal region. The mass was not enhanced on a contrast-enhanced CT scan, and heterogeneously enhanced after administration of Gd-DTPA on magnetic resonance images. Cerebral angiography revealed an avascular mass. Right frontal craniotomy was performed. On surgery, the mass was found to be mainly extramedullar, and partially intramedullar. No adhesion between the mass and the overlying dura was observed. It was removed in an en bloc fashion. The pathological diagnosis was cavernous angioma. The patient's headache was resolved soon after surgery. Cavernous angiomas are usually intramedullar in the subcortical white matter of the cerebral hemispheres;extramedullary cavernous angiomas are rare. Extramedullary dural cavernous angiomas located in the subdural space at the cerebral convexity are extremely rare. They usually present with headache or mass signs, and resemble meningioma radiologically. During surgery they are easily resected with minimal blood loss. Dural cavernous angiomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intradural extramedullary mass at the cerebral convexity.

Spinal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Caused by a Mycotic Aneurysm of the Radiculomedullary Artery: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

We report a case of spinal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) caused by rupture of a mycotic anerurysm. A 59-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a sudden onset of headache and tetraparesis. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain revealed SAH, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine showed an acute intradural hematoma. On angiogram, a saccular aneurysm was found on the C5 radiculomedullary artery, which arose from the left ascending cervical artery. Subsequently, her consciousness status deteriorated due to rebleeding, and she was brought to surgery. An aneurysm was found at the cephalad aspect of the left C5 root. On histological examination, it showed typical characteristics of mycotic aneurysms. Spinal mycotic aneurysm is a very rare entity with scant description in the literature. It can be extremely brittle and therefore warrants expeditious surgical treatment. When encountering spinal origin of subarachnoid hemorrhage, it should be included in the differential diagnosis.

[A case of solitary bone cyst in the skull increasing in size after trivial head injury].

A 12-year-old boy had been known to have a small swelling in the left high vertex for several years. After a trivial head hit to the site of the swelling, the swelling enlarged gradually. A bone window CT scan showed a lesion having bubble-like lytic change in the left parietal bone. Similar changes, but small, were able to be pointed out in a CT scan taken seven years previously. In the following 13 months CT scans eventually revealed sequential increases to 3.5 cm in diameter. Surgical exploratory resection of the mass was performed. Intraoperatively, partial destruction of the outer skull table and a simple cyst with serous yellowish brown colored fluid were identified. There was no finding adherent to the diploic structure. The bone defect after excision was reconstructed by using a titanium plate. The patient was followed up for 2 years after the surgery. Bone window CT showed bony development of normal appearance. Histological examination showed the cyst wall consisted of fibrous connective tissue but there were neither epithelial nor endothelial cells. The histopathological diagnosis of SBC was most likely. SBC is relatively common in long bones, but rarely in flat bones. Only several cases of the SBC of cranial bone have been reported. Although a craniectomy for total excision followed by cranioplasty by resin was common, in cases of children, cyst removal with titanium plate application would be an alterative. SBC increasing in size after head injury is extremely rare, but clinicians may need to be aware of cystic skull bone tumors increasing in size after head injury.

Intracranial foreign body granuloma caused by dural tenting suture.

Our patient presented with a mass lesion mimicking a meningioma. The mass was resected, but pathological examination confirmed a foreign body granuloma, which was caused by silk fibres used as tenting sutures 8 years previously. Herein, we describe the case and review the neurosurgical literature on intracranial foreign body granulomas.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage caused by ruptured dissecting aneurysm arising from the extracranial distal posterior inferior cerebellar artery--case report.

A 50-year-old man presented with a dissecting aneurysm arising from the extracranial portion of the right posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) causing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and manifesting as sudden onset of disturbed consciousness. Computed tomography showed SAH with ventricular reflux predominantly in the posterior fossa. Angiography revealed a fusiform aneurysm of the right PICA originating extracranially from the right vertebral artery. The aneurysm was isolated and excised. Histological examination showed dissection of the aneurysm wall. Dissecting aneurysm arising from the extracranial portion of the PICA is extremely rare.