Cerebral Microembolism in Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Prospective Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND: Small and remote acute ischemic lesions may occur in up to one-third of patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Possible mechanisms include cerebral embolism, small vessel disease, blood pressure variability and others. The embolic mechanism has not been adequately studied. Using transcranial Doppler (TCD), we assessed the incidence of spontaneous microembolic signals (MESs) in patients with acute ICH. METHODS: Twenty acute ICH patients were prospectively evaluated within 48 h of hospital admission. Clinical and imaging data were collected. Continuous TCD monitoring was performed in both middle cerebral arteries for a one-hour period on days 1, 3 and 7 of hospital admission. Monitoring was performed in the emergency room, ICU or ward, according to patient location. We compared the frequency and risk factors for MES in patients with ICH and in 20 age- and gender-matched controls without history of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke. RESULTS: The mean age was 57.5 ± 14.1 years, and 60% were male. MESs were detected in 7 patients with ICH and in one control patient without ICH (35% vs 5%, p = 0.048). The frequency of MES on day 1 was 15% (3 of 20 patients), on day 3, 26% (5 of 19 patients) and on day 7, 37.5% (3 of 8 patients). Among patients with ICH, those with MES had a tendency to higher frequencies of dyslipidemia (83% vs 33%, p = 0.13) and lobar location of hemorrhages (71% vs 30%, p = 0.15). Two out of 6 patients with ICH who also underwent MRI had remote DWI lesions, of whom one showed MES on TCD. CONCLUSION: Micro-embolic signals occur in over one-third of patients with ICH. Further research is needed to identify the sources of cerebral microembolism and their relationship with small acute infarcts in ICH.

Successful intra-arterial thrombolysis in a patient with an intracranial meningioma.

Alteplase (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [rt-PA]) label approval by the Food and Drug Administration remarks the contraindication of its use with known intracranial neoplasm because of potential bleeding complications. Despite this concern, the real risk of intracerebral bleeding in patients with intracranial neoplasms treated with rt-PA is unknown, and there are few reports of thrombolysis in patients with brain tumors. We report a case of a 78-year-old man who was seen in our emergency department within 2 hours from sudden onset of aphasia, right-sided hemiplegia, hypoesthesia, and homonymous hemianopsia. The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score at admission was 20. Intra-arterial thrombolysis was performed with administration of .3 mg/kg of alteplase combined with mechanical thrombectomy. At discharge, his NIHSS score was 1, and after 90 days, his modified Rankin score was 1. To our knowledge, this is the first report of intra-arterial thrombolysis in a patient with acute ischemic stroke with an intracranial tumor.