Application of the "1-2-3-4-day" rule to stroke severity at baseline versus at 24 h to start direct oral anticoagulant for atrial fibrillation within 7 days from symptom onset.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to compare the "1-2-3-4-day" rule applied to stroke severity at baseline versus at 24 h to start DOAC for AF within 7 days from symptom onset. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort observational study based on 433 consecutive AF-related stroke patients starting DOAC within 7 days from symptom onset. Four groups were identified according to the timing of DOAC introduction: 2-day, 3-day, 4-day, and 5-7-day. RESULTS: Three models of multivariate ordinal regression including unbalanced variables among four groups (enrolment year, dyslipidemia, known AF, thrombolysis, thrombectomy, hemorrhagic transformation, DOAC type) were used to estimate the association of neurological severity categories (reference: NIHSS > 15) at baseline (Brant test: 0.818), at 24 h (Brant test: 0.997), and radiological severity categories (reference: major infarct) at 24 h (Brant test: 0.902) in the direction of earlier DOAC introduction on days (from 5-7-day to 2-day). Number of deaths was higher in early DOAC group than in late DOAC group according to the "1-2-3-4-day" rule (5.4% versus 1.3%, 6.8% versus 1.1%, and 4.2% versus 1.7% when it was applied to baseline neurological severity, 24-h neurological and radiological severity, respectively), but no significant difference was found and deaths were not caused by early DOAC introduction. Rates of ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage were not different between early and late DOAC groups. CONCLUSIONS: The application of "1-2-3-4-day" rule to start DOAC for AF within 7 days from symptom onset differed when applied to baseline neurological stroke severity versus 24-h neurological and radiological severity, but safety and effecacy are similar.

Subclinical Vascular Brain Lesions in Young Adults With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND: Subclinical vascular brain lesions are highly prevalent in elderly patients with stroke. Little is known about predisposing factors and their impact on long-term outcome of patients with stroke at a young age. METHODS: We quantified magnetic resonance-defined subclinical vascular brain lesions, including lacunes and white matter hyperintensities, perivascular spaces and cerebral microbleeds, and assessed total small-vessel disease (SVD) score in patients with first-ever acute ischemic stroke aged 18 to 45 years, and followed them up, as part of the multicentre Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults. The primary end point was a composite of ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, myocardial infarction, or other arterial events. We assessed the predictive accuracy of magnetic resonance features and whether the addition of these markers improves outcome prediction over a validated clinical tool, such as the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults score. RESULTS: Among 591 patients (males, 53.8%; mean age, 37.5±6.4 years), 117 (19.8%) had subclinical vascular brain lesions. Family history of stroke was associated with lacunes (odds ratio, 2.24 [95% CI, 1.30-3.84]) and total SVD score (odds ratio, 2.06 [95% CI, 1.20-3.53] for score≥1), hypertension with white matter hyperintensities (odds ratio, 2.29 [95% CI, 1.22-4.32]). After a median follow-up of 36.0 months (25th-75th percentile, 38.0), lacunes and total SVD score were associated with primary end point (hazard ratio, 2.13 [95% CI, 1.17-3.90] for lacunes; hazard ratio, 2.17 [95% CI, 1.20-3.90] for total SVD score ≥1), and the secondary end point brain ischemia (hazard ratio, 2.55 [95% CI, 1.36-4.75] for lacunes; hazard ratio, 2.61 [95% CI, 1.42-4.80] for total SVD score ≥1). The predictive performances of the models, including magnetic resonance features were comparable to those of the random model. Adding individual magnetic resonance features to the Italian Project on Stroke in Young Adults score did not improve model prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical vascular brain lesions affect ≈2 in 10 young adults with ischemic stroke. Although lacunes and total SVD score are associated with thrombotic recurrence, they do not improve accuracy of outcome prediction over validated clinical predictors.

Age-dependent effect of susceptibility factors on the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage: Multicenter Study on Cerebral Hemorrhage in Italy (MUCH-Italy).

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the age-dependent impact of traditional stroke risk factors on the occurrence of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH). METHODS: We performed a case-control analysis, comparing consecutive patients with ICH with age-matched and sex-matched stroke-free controls, enrolled in the setting of the Multicenter Study on Cerebral Hemorrhage in Italy (MUCH-Italy) between 2002 and 2014 by multivariable logistic regression model within subgroups stratified by age quartiles (Q1-Q4). RESULTS: We analysed 3492 patients and 3492 controls. The impact of untreated hypertension on the risk of ICH was higher in the lower than in the upper age quartile (OR 11.64, 95% CI 7.68 to 17.63 in Q1 vs OR 6.05, 95% CI 3.09 to 11.85 in Q4 with intermediate ORs in Q2 and Q3), while the opposite trend was observed for untreated hypercholesterolaemia (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.97 in Q1 vs OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.26 to 0.56 in Q4 with intermediate ORs in Q2 and Q3). The effect of untreated diabetes and excessive alcohol intake was detected only in the older age group (OR 3.63, 95% CI 1.22 to 10.73, and OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.13 to 2.51, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide evidence of age-dependent differences in the effects of susceptibility factors on the risk of ICH.

Thrombectomy for ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion and concomitant subarachnoid hemorrhage.

To report our experience in treating one patient with nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and concurrent acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessels occlusion (LVO). A man in his 50 s presented with acute right hemiparesis and aphasia. Brain CT showed a SAH in the left central sulcus; CT-angiography revealed a tandem occlusion of the left internal carotid artery and homolateral middle cerebral artery. He underwent an angiographic procedure with successful recanalization. Follow-up CT demonstrated a striatal-lenticular stroke without SAH progression. While the absolute contraindication to IVT during intracranial bleeding remains unquestionable, the potential injury/benefit from MT is still debatable. Such cases constitute a blind spot in the guidelines where physicians face the dilemma of choosing between an acute endovascular treatment with the risks of hemorrhage progression and a conservative treatment with the associated poor clinical outcome. We decided to treat our patient invasively, considering the young age, also given the absence of prognostic factors that generally predict post-procedural reperfusion injury. We believe that, in similar cases, MT should be considered-despite not free of risks and drawbacks-to avoid the detrimental consequences of untreated AIS from LVO.

Factors influencing cognitive performance after 1-year treatment with direct oral anticoagulant in patients with atrial fibrillation and previous ischemic stroke: a pilot study.

Anticoagulant treatment as stroke prevention, particularly direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC), may reduce the risk of dementia in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We aimed to assess factors influencing cognitive performance after 1-year treatment with DOAC in patients with AF and previous ischemic stroke. We recruited 33 ischemic stroke patients who were discharged from Verona Stroke Unit with diagnosis of AF and prescription of treatment with DOAC. For each cognitive test, we estimated the effect of T0 (first session) variables on T1 (1-year session) cognitive performance using ordinal logistic regression fitted to a 1 point-shift from 4 to 0 on ESs. The effect of T0 clinical variables was presented as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) after adjustment for T0 total score of the corresponding cognitive test. Sustained AF (OR: 4.259, 95% CI 1.071-16.942) and ischemic heart disease (OR: 6.654, 95% CI 1.329-33.300) showed a significant effect on T1 MoCA Test; congestive heart failure on T1 RAVLT Immediate recall (OR: 9.128, 95% CI 1.055-78.995), T1 RAVLT Delayed recall (OR: 7.134, 95% CI 1.214-52.760), and T1 Trail Making Test (Part A) (OR: 16.989, 95% CI 1.765-163.565); sustained AF (OR: 5.055, 95% CI 1.224-20.878) and hyperlipidemia (OR: 4.764, 95% CI 1.175-19.310) on T1 Digit span forward Test; ischemic heart disease (aOR: 8.460, 95% CI 1.364-52.471) on T1 Stroop Color and Word Test (time); Dabigatran use (aOR: 0.084, 95% CI 0.013-0.544) on FAB; age ≥ 75 years (aOR: 0.058, 95% CI 0.006-0.563) and hyperlipidemia (aOR: 5.809, 95% CI 1.059-31.870) on T1 Phonemic word fluency Test; female sex (aOR: 6.105, 95% CI 1.146-32.519), hyperlipidemia (aOR: 21.099, 95% CI 2.773-160.564), total Modified Fazekas Scale score > 1 (aOR: 78.530, 95% CI 3.131-1969.512) on Semantic word fluency Test. Sustained AF, ischemic heart disease, congestive heart failure, hyperlipidemia, and female sex were the factors influencing cognitive performance after 1-year treatment with DOAC in patients with AF and previous ischemic stroke. Modified Fazekas Scale score in the first session was the only radiological variable that had a significant effect on cognitive performance.

Introduction of direct oral anticoagulant within 7 days of stroke onset: a nomogram to predict the probability of 3-month modified Rankin Scale score > 2.

In clinical practice, direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are often started earlier (≤ 7 days) than in randomized clinical trials after stroke. We aimed to develop a nomogram model incorporating time of DOAC introduction ≤ 7 days of stroke onset in combination with different degrees of stroke radiological/neurological severity at the time of treatment to predict the probability of unfavorable outcome. We conducted a multicenter prospective study including 344 patients who started DOAC 1-7 days after atrial fibrillation-related stroke onset. Computed tomography scan 24-36 h after stroke onset was performed in all patients before starting DOAC. Unfavorable outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score > 2 at 3 months. Based on multivariate logistic model, the nomogram was generated. We assessed the discriminative performance by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) and calibration of risk prediction model by using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test. Onset-to-treatment time for DOAC (OR: 1.21, p = 0.030), NIH Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at the time of treatment (OR: 1.00 for NIHSS = 0-5; OR: 2.67, p = 0.016 for NIHSS = 6-9; OR: 26.70, p < 0.001 for NIHSS = 10-14; OR: 57.48, p < 0.001 for NIHSS ≥ 15), size infarct (OR: 1.00 for small infarct; OR: 2.26, p = 0.023 for medium infarct; OR: 3.40, p = 0.005 for large infarct), and age ≥ 80 years (OR: 1.96, p = 0.028) remained independent predictors of unfavorable outcome to compose the nomogram. The AUC-ROC of nomogram was 0.858. Calibration was good (p = 2.889 for the Hosmer-Lemeshow test). The combination of onset-to-treatment time of DOAC with stroke radiological/neurological severity at the time of treatment and old age may predict the probability of unfavorable outcome.

The dispersion of myocardial repolarization in ischemic stroke and intracranial hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Markers of dispersion of myocardial repolarization have been proposed to identify the patients at higher risk of malignant arrhythmic events. The aim of the present study is to assess a possible association of the electrocardiografic (ECG) markers of the dispersion of repolarization with the type of stroke, involvement of insula, neurological severity (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS score), and disability (modified Rankin Scale, mRS score) in patients with a cerebrovascular event. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis based on data prospectively collected from consecutive patients with a cerebrovascular event who underwent 12­lead ECG at admission to the Verona Stroke Unit. RESULTS: Of the 63 patients included in the study, 55 had ischemic stroke and 8 intracranial hemorrhage. TpTe (time between the peak and the end of the T wave) and TpTe/QTc (TpTe/corrected time between the start of the Q wave and the end of the T wave) in lead V5 were higher in intracranial hemorrhage than in ischemic stroke (p = 0.03 and p = 0.04, respectively) and QT max (the longest QT calculated in the 12 leads) was higher in patients with involvement of insula (p ≤ 0.01). A correlation was found between QTc max and NIHSS score at admission (p = 0.02), QT max and NIHSS score at discharge (p = 0.05), and QT max and mRS score at discharge (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: TpTe and TpTe/QTc in V5 lead were associated with intracranial hemorrhage and QT max was associated with involvement of insula. The prolongation of QT was correlated with neurological severity and disability.

Prognostic Importance of Lesion Location on Functional Outcome in Patients with Cerebellar Ischemic Stroke: a Prospective Pilot Study.

To date, few studies focused on prediction of functional recovery after cerebellar stroke. The main aim of this prospective pilot study was to determine the association between cerebellar lesion location and functional outcome in adults with acute cerebellar infarction. We examined 14 patients with first-ever unilateral cerebellar ischemic stroke within 7 days and at 90 days from the onset of stroke by means of the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale. Cerebellar lesions were traced from magnetic resonance imaging performed within 72 h since stroke and region of interest were generated. The association between the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale score and lesion location was determined with the voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping methods implemented in the MRIcro software. Colored lesion-symptom maps representing the z statistics were generated and overlaid onto the MNI-ICBM 152 linear probabilistic atlas of the human brain and the Johns Hopkins University white matter templates. Our results documented that injuries to the V, VI, VIIA Crus I, VIIA Crus II, VIIB, VIIIA, and VIIIB lobules and the middle cerebellar peduncle are significantly associated with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) score at 1 week after the onset of stroke. Furthermore, we found that injuries to the VI, VIIA Crus I, VIIA Crus II, VIIB, VIIIA, and VIIIB lobules, the dentate nucleus, and the middle cerebellar peduncle are significantly associated with the ICARS score at 3 months since the cerebellar stroke onset. The findings of this pilot study might improve prognostic accuracy of functional outcome in patients with acute cerebellar infarction.

Modulation of somatoparaphrenia following left-hemisphere damage.

Somatoparaphrenic symptoms after left-hemisphere damage are rare. To verify the potential role of body-related sensory (proprioceptive, visual, and somatosensory) manipulation in patients experiencing sensations of hand disownership, the symptoms of a patient suffering from right-hand somatoparaphrenia were monitored and clinical and neuropsychological variables were controlled. Four types of manipulation were administered: changes in spatial position of the hand, multisensory stimulation, and self-observation using video or mirrors. Multisensory visuo-tactile stimulation was efficacious in terms of reducing somatoparaphrenia, and changes in the position of the hand produced some positive effects. Third-person perspective self-observation did not, however, result in any changes.

Stroke etiologic subtype may influence the rate of hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign disappearance after intravenous thrombolysis.

Disappearance of hyperdense middle cerebral artery sign (HMCAS) on non-contrast brain computed tomography (CT) scan is a reliable sign of arterial recanalization after intravenous (IV) thrombolysis for ischemic stroke. We aimed to assess whether stroke etiologic subtype may influence the rate of HMCAS disappearance and the clinical outcome after IV thrombolysis. We conducted a retrospective analysis of data prospectively collected from 1031 consecutive stroke patients treated with IV thrombolysis. Outcome measures were HMCAS disappearance on follow-up CT scan within 22-36 h of IV thrombolysis, neurologic improvement (NIH Stroke Scale [NIHSS] ≤4 points from baseline or NIHSS score of 0) at 7 days, and modified rankin scale (mRS) ≤1 at 3 months. Of 256 patients with HMCAS on admission CT scan, 125 had a cardioembolic stroke, 67 a stroke due to large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), 58 a stroke of undetermined etiology, and six a stroke secondary to carotid artery dissection. HMCAS disappearance occurred in 145 (56.6 %) patients, neurologic improvement in 122 (55.0 %) patients, and mRS ≤1 in 64 (32.8 %) patients. Compared with cardioembolic stroke patients, patients with stroke due to LAA had lower odds ratios (OR) for HMCAS disappearance (OR 0.29, 95 % CI 0.15-0.58, p < 0.001), neurologic improvement (OR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.22-0.82, p = 0.011), and mRS ≤1 (OR 0.18, 95 % CI 0.06-0.52, p = 0.002). No significant differences in outcome measures were found between cardioembolic strokes and strokes of undetermined etiology. This study suggests that stroke due to LAA is associated with lower rates of HMCAS disappearance, neurologic improvement, and mRS ≤1 after IV thrombolysis, compared with cardioembolic stroke.

Clinical outcomes of secondary prevention strategies for young patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale.

Background The aim of this study was to compare the immediate and long-term clinical outcomes of medical therapy and percutaneous patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure as secondary prevention strategies in patients younger than 55 years of age presenting with cryptogenic stroke and PFO. Methods Between January 2006 and April 2015, all patients with the diagnosis of cryptogenic stroke and PFO were analysed and prospectively followed. Stroke was confirmed in 159 out of 309 patients (51%). In the remaining cases, other neurological conditions were found and therefore excluded from further analysis. Patients received PFO closure or medical therapy on the basis of a pre-specified algorithm. Primary outcome was the assessment of recurrent ischaemic events at follow-up. Results Percutaneous PFO closure was performed in 77 patients (48%) and 82 (52%) were treated medically. Mean follow-up was 51.6 ± 34.8 months. Two ischaemic strokes occurred in the medical group only (2.4% vs 0%; P = 0.16) and no complications related to the invasive procedure were observed. Conclusions The diagnosis of stroke in patients with PFO could be confirmed in 50% of cases only, underlining the importance of a multidisciplinary evaluation of these patients. A very low ischaemic recurrence rate was observed in the medical therapy group, suggesting that a personalized treatment based on a prespecified diagnostic algorithm yields good clinical results irrespective of the treatment modality. Given the low number of recurrences, larger cohorts may be needed to prove significant differences.

Serum cholesterol levels, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors and the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage. The Multicenter Study on Cerebral Haemorrhage in Italy (MUCH-Italy).

OBJECTIVE: Although a concern exists that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins) might increase the risk of intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), the contribution of these agents to the relationship between serum cholesterol and disease occurrence has been poorly investigated. METHODS: We compared consecutive patients having ICH with age and sex-matched stroke-free control subjects in a case-control analysis, as part of the Multicenter Study on Cerebral Haemorrhage in Italy (MUCH-Italy), and tested the presence of interaction effects between total serum cholesterol levels and statins on the risk of ICH. RESULTS: A total of 3492 cases (mean age, 73.0±12.7 years; males, 56.6%) and 3492 control subjects were enrolled. Increasing total serum cholesterol levels were confirmed to be inversely associated with ICH. We observed a statistical interaction between total serum cholesterol levels and statin use for the risk of haemorrhage (Interaction OR (IOR), 1.09; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.12). Increasing levels of total serum cholesterol were associated with a decreased risk of ICH within statin strata (average OR, 0.87; 95% CI 0.86 to 0.88 for every increase of 0.26 mmol/l of total serum cholesterol concentrations), while statin use was associated with an increased risk (OR, 1.54; 95% CI 1.31 to 1.81 of the average level of total serum cholesterol). The protective effect of serum cholesterol against ICH was reduced by statins in strictly lobar brain regions more than in non-lobar ones. CONCLUSIONS: Statin therapy and total serum cholesterol levels exhibit interaction effects towards the risk of ICH. The magnitude of such effects appears higher in lobar brain regions.

Reasons for exclusion from intravenous thrombolysis in stroke patients admitted to the Stroke Unit.

Intravenous (IV) thrombolysis is the treatment in ischemic stroke, but only the minority of patients receive this medication. The primary objective of this study was to explore the reasons associated with the decision not to offer IV thrombolysis to stroke patients admitted to the Stroke Unit (SU). We conducted a retrospective analysis based on data collected from 876 consecutive stroke patients admitted to the SU <12 h of symptoms onset, treated or not with IV thrombolysis at the discretion of the treating neurologist. Of the 876 patients, 449 were thrombolysed and 427 non-thrombolysed. Stroke onset >4.5 h (p = 0.001) and unknown time of onset (or stroke present on awakening) (p = 0.004) were reasons listed in the current SPC of Actilyse reasons for exclusion even they occurred singly, whereas mild deficit (or rapidly improving symptoms) (p < 0.001), extra-cranial conditions with increased risk of bleeding (p = 0.004), and history of SNC diseases (p = 0.001) only when they occurred in combination. Severe pre-stroke disability (p = 0.003) was extra-SPC reason for exclusion even when it occurred singly, whereas early CT hypodensity (p < 0.001) only when it occurred in combination. After stratification for intra-SPC reasons for exclusion, early CT hypodensity was associated with decision not offer IV thrombolysis in patients with mild deficit (p < 0.001), age >80 years (p < 0.001), stroke onset >4.5 h (p = 0.005), and unknown time of onset (p = 0.037), while severe pre-stroke disability (p = 0.025) and admission under non-stroke specialist neurologist assessment (p = 0.018) in patients with age >80 years. There are often unjustified reasons for exclusion from IV thrombolysis in SU.

Off-label thrombolysis versus full adherence to the current European Alteplase license: impact on early clinical outcomes after acute ischemic stroke.

According to current European Alteplase license, therapeutic-window for intravenous (IV) thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke has recently been extended to 4.5 h after symptoms onset. However, due to numerous contraindications, the portion of patients eligible for treatment still remains limited. Early neurological status after thrombolysis could identify more faithfully the impact of off-label Alteplase use that long-term functional outcome. We aimed to identify the impact of off-label thrombolysis and each off-label criterion on early clinical outcomes compared with the current European Alteplase license. We conducted an analysis on prospectively collected data of 500 consecutive thrombolysed patients. The primary outcome measures included major neurological improvement (NIHSS score decrease of ≤8 points from baseline or NIHSS score of 0) and neurological deterioration (NIHSS score increase of ≥4 points from baseline or death) at 24 h. We estimated the independent effect of off-label thrombolysis and each off-label criterion by calculating the odds ratio (OR) with 2-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) for each outcome measure. As the reference, we used patients fully adhering to the current European Alteplase license. 237 (47.4%) patients were treated with IV thrombolysis beyond the current European Alteplase license. We did not find significant differences between off- and on-label thrombolysis on early clinical outcomes. No off-label criteria were associated with decreased rate of major neurological improvement compared with on-label thrombolysis. History of stroke and concomitant diabetes was the only off-label criterion associated with increased rate of neurological deterioration (OR 5.84, 95% CI 1.61-21.19; p = 0.024). Off-label thrombolysis may be less effective at 24 h than on-label Alteplase use in patients with previous stroke and concomitant diabetes. Instead, the impact of other off-label criteria on early clinical outcomes was not different compared with current European Alteplase license.

Yield of ultra-rapid carotid ultrasound and stroke specialist assessment in patients with TIA and minor stroke: an Italian TIA service audit.

In Italy the vast majority of TIA and minor strokes are seen in the A&E. Early diagnosis and management of TIA and minor stroke in this setting is habitually difficult and often lead to cost-ineffective hospital admissions. We set up an ultra-rapid TIA service run by neurovascular physicians based on early specialist assessment and ultrasound vascular imaging. We audit the clinical effectiveness and feasibility of the service and the impact of this service on TIA and minor strokes hospital admissions. We compared the rate of TIA and minor stroke admissions/discharges in the year before (T0) and in the year during which the TIA service was operating (T1). At T1 57 patients had specialist evaluation and 51 (89.5 %) of them were discharged home. Two (3.5 %) patients had recurrent symptoms after discharge. Seven had a pathological carotid Doppler ultrasound. Four of them had hospital admission and subsequent carotid endoarterectomy within a week. Taking the whole neurology department into consideration at T1 there was a 30-41 % reduction in discharges of patients with TIA or minor stroke. Taking the stroke unit section into consideration at T1 there was a 25 % reduction in admissions of patients with NIHSS score <4 and 40 % reduction in admissions of patients with Barthel Index above 80. The model of TIA service we implemented based on ultra-rapid stroke physician assessment and carotid ultrasound investigation is feasible and clinically valid. Indirect evidence suggests that it reduced the rate of expensive TIA/minor stroke hospital admissions.

Hemiparesthesias in lacunar pontine ischemic stroke.

Isolated paresthesia, or paresthesia not accompanied by sensory and/or motor deficits, is an extremely rare manifestation of a cerebrovascular accident. Lacunar pure sensory stroke (PSS) confined to thalamus is characterized by persistent or transient numbness, tingling, pain, burning, or another unpleasant sensation on one side of the body. However, in this condition a sensory loss to all primary modalities in the contralateral face and body is very often encountered. Also previous reported cases of PSS due to lacunar stroke in regions other than thalamus are characterized by the presence of sensory loss together with positive sensory symptoms, none of them reporting isolated paresthesia as the only clinical feature of PSS. We present a case of isolated paresthesia as only clinical manifestation of a lacunar PSS involving both trigeminal and medial lemniscus in dorsal paramedian pontine region. A PSS manifesting with isolated paresthesias may be secondary not only to a thalamic lacunar stroke, but also to a small ischemic lesion confined to both trigeminal and medial lemniscus in dorsal paramedian pontine region.

Chronic fusiform aneurysm evolving into giant aneurysm in the basilar artery.

Fusiform basilar aneurysm is a rare condition with elevated mortality within a few days if untreated. On the basis of clinical course, the fusiform aneurysm can be distinguished in an acute type, such as dissecting aneurysm, which usually causes subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral ischemia and in a chronic type with a relatively slow growth, which may evolve into a giant aneurysm leading to serious complications. We report a case of an 80-year-old man with a surgically untreated fusiform aneurysm that evolved into a giant aneurysm of the basilar artery within 4 years. The patient presented recurrent ischemic events involving the posterior circulation without aneurysmal rupture or bleeding.

A model of multi-disciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of young patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of patent foramen ovale in young patients with stroke is not supported by robust scientific evidence. In clinical practice, a pragmatic approach is needed to guide such therapeutic decisions. This study aims at standardising the diagnostic pathway for stroke patients younger than 55 years of age with a patent foramen ovale; elaborating a therapeutic algorithm; discussing every case in regular interdisciplinary counselling meeting; and setting up a follow-up schedule to assess clinical outcomes. METHODS: This is a cohort study on the effect of a standardised treatment of stroke patients with a patent foramen ovale. The primary endpoints include occurrence of recurrent ischaemic events, major bleeding, and device-related complications. The secondary endpoints include drug- or procedure-related side effects, persistence of right-to-left shunt, and persistent cardiac arrhythmia of new onset. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients have been enrolled. In all, 51 patients underwent percutaneous atrial septal repair; of these, one had minor post-procedural bleeding. At 12 months, 25% of this group of patients showed a latent I grade shunt, one patient a latent II degree shunt, and none had a persistent shunt. The remaining 52 patients were addressed to medical therapy; one of them experienced stroke recurrences while on medical therapy. CONCLUSIONS: This model of implementation of available evidence to clinical practice via a group-based, multi-disciplinary counselling provides a shared and coherent decision pathway and yielded a very low rate of recurrent events and therapy-related complications. This approach could be replicated in specific protocols for other complex or neglected clinical problems.

Oculo-pyramidal crossed syndrome heralded by seizure: a case report.

Ischemic oculo-pyramidal crossed syndrome, i.e. amaurosis fugax contralateral to hemiparesis, is caused by an embolus from internal carotid artery occluding the retinal or the ophthalmic artery as well as the middle cerebral artery. We report on a patient with an oculopyramidal crossed syndrome due to internal carotid artery dissection and clinically manifesting with amaurosis fugax and seizure. Ischemic lesions can present with symptomatic seizures and, conversely, seizures may precede ischemic strokes, thus being a warning sign of a cerebrovascular event.

Dide-Botcazo syndrome due to bilateral occlusion of posterior cerebral artery.

Dide-Botcazo syndrome is a rare clinical syndrome characterized by a combination of cortical blindness with anosognosia for blindness, amnesia and topographical disorientation, secondary to bilateral occipital cortex lesions also involving the infero-medial temporal lobe structure. We report a case of a man who acutely presented confusion and cortical blindness. The cerebral angiography demonstrated bilateral occlusion of posterior cerebral artery (PCA). Sequential intravenous (i.v.) and intra-arterial (i.a.) thrombolysis were ineffective and the patient developed a complete Dide-Botcazo syndrome.