Decompressive Craniectomy for Stroke: Who, When, and How.

Malignant cerebral edema after large hemispheric infarct is a highly morbid condition, and major, randomized trials over the last 2 decades have affirmed the beneficial effect of surgical intervention in the form of decompressive craniectomy. Early (<48 hours) decompressive craniectomy increases good functional outcomes (mRS 0-3) and reduces mortality. Additionally, trials have found the benefit of surgery to persist in those patients more than 60 years, though the apparent benefit is of lesser magnitude. A summary table of the major randomized trials of decompressive craniectomy is included. A detailed description and figures of the decompressive craniectomy procedure is included. The complications of decompressive craniectomy are also discussed, and recent literature on promising alternatives, both surgical and medical, is reviewed.

Angio-invasive Cerebral Aspergillosis Resulting in Hemispheric Infarct in an Immunocompetent Man.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral aspergillosis usually affects immunocompromised hosts and may rarely occur in immunocompetent individuals. Due to its angio-invasive nature, Aspergillus may cause various vascular complications, particularly mycotic aneurysms and infarcts. CASE PRESENTATION: A 22-year-old immunocompetent male with diagnosed case of sino-cerebral aspergillosis was taking voriconazole for two months. His headache worsened and repeat imaging showed an increase in the size of the lesion. The patient was managed with right frontal craniotomy and surgical debridement, and voriconazole was continued. After ten days of uneventful post-operative course, the patient developed left-sided hemispheric infarct. The patient is doing well at nine months' follow-up, and he is off voriconazole for three months after the follow-up imaging showed complete resolution of disease. CONCLUSION: Treatment of choice for cerebral aspergillosis is voriconazole. Surgical debridement may be a useful adjunct in patients not responding to voriconazole alone.

What is the Role of Hyperosmolar Therapy in Hemispheric Stroke Patients?

The role of hyperosmolar therapy (HT) in large hemispheric ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes remains a controversial issue. Past and current stroke guidelines state that it represents a reasonable therapeutic measure for patients with either neurological deterioration or intracranial pressure (ICP) elevations documented by ICP monitoring. However, the lack of evidence for a clear effect of this therapy on radiological tissue shifts and clinical outcomes produces uncertainty with respect to the appropriateness of its implementation and duration in the context of radiological mass effect without clinical correlates of neurological decline or documented elevated ICP. In addition, limited data suggest a theoretical potential for harm from the prophylactic and protracted use of HT in the setting of large hemispheric lesions. HT exerts effects on parenchymal volume, cerebral blood volume and cerebral perfusion pressure which may ameliorate global ICP elevation and cerebral blood flow; nevertheless, it also holds theoretical potential for aggravating tissue shifts promoted by significant interhemispheric ICP gradients that may arise in the setting of a large unilateral supratentorial mass lesion. The purpose of this article is to review the literature in order to shed light on the effects of HT on brain tissue shifts and clinical outcome in the context of large hemispheric strokes, as well as elucidate when HT should be initiated and when it should be avoided.

Neurological Critical Care Services' Influence Following Large Hemispheric Infarction and Their Impact on Resource Utilization.

INTRODUCTION: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is the fourth leading cause of death in the US. Numerous studies have demonstrated the use of comprehensive stroke units and neurological intensive care units (NICU) in improving outcomes after stroke. We hypothesized that an expanded neurocritical care (NCC) service would decrease resource utilization in patients with LHI. METHODS: Retrospective data from consecutive admissions of large hemispheric infarction (LHI) patients requiring mechanical ventilation were acquired from the hospital medical records. Between 2011-2013, there were 187 consecutive patients admitted to the Jefferson Hospital for Neuroscience (Philadelphia, USA) with AIS and acute respiratory failure. Our intention was to determine the number of tracheostomies done over time. The primary outcome measure was the number of tracheostomies over time. Secondary outcomes were, ventilator-free days (Vfd), total hospital charges, intensive care unit length of stay (ICU-LOS), and total hospital length of stay (hospital-LOS), including ICU LOS. Hospital charges were log-transformed to meet assumptions of normality and homoscedasticity of residual variance terms. Generalized Linear Models were used and ORs and 95% CIs calculated. The significance level was set at α = 0.05. RESULTS: Of the 73 patients included in this analysis, 33% required a tracheostomy. There was a decrease in the number of tracheostomies undertaken since 2011. (OR 0.8; 95% CI 0.6-0.9: p=0.02).Lower Vfd were seen in tracheostomized patients (OR 0.11; 95%CI 0.1-0.26: p<0.0001). The log-hospital charges decreased over time but not significantly (OR 0.9; 95%CI 0.78-1.07: p=0.2) and (OR 0.99; 95%CI 0.85-1.16: p=0.8) from 2012 to 2013 respectively.The ICU-LOS at 23 days vs 10 days (p=0.01) and hospital-LOS at 33 days vs 11 days (p=0.008) were higher in tracheostomized patients. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that in LHI-patients requiring mechanical ventilation, a dedicated NCC service reduces the overall need for tracheostomy, increases Vfd, and decreases ICU and hospital-LOS.