Impact of thyroid hormone replacement therapy on the course and functional outcome of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid hormones were reported to exert neuroprotective effects after ischemic stroke by reducing the burden of brain injury and promoting post-ischemic brain remodeling. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to analyze the value of thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT) due to pre-existing hypothyroidism on the clinical course and outcome of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: SAH individuals treated between January 2003 and June 2016 were included. Data on baseline characteristics of patients and SAH, adverse events and functional outcome of SAH were recorded. Study endpoints were cerebral infarction, in-hospital mortality and unfavorable outcome at 6 months. Associations were adjusted for outcome-relevant confounders. RESULTS: 109 (11%) of 995 individuals had THRT before SAH. Risk of intracranial pressure- or vasospasm-related cerebrovascular events was inversely associated with presence of THRT (p = 0.047). In multivariate analysis, THRT was independently associated with lower risk of cerebral infarction (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41-0.99, p = 0.045) and unfavorable outcome (aOR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.28-0.89, p = 0.018), but not with in-hospital mortality (aOR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.38-1.26, p = 0.227). CONCLUSION: SAH patients with THRT show lower burden of ischemia-relevant cerebrovascular events and more favorable outcome. Further experimental and clinical studies are required to confirm our results and elaborate the mechanistic background of the effect of THRT on course and outcome of SAH.

Risk factors for poor outcome after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage in patients with initial favorable neurological status.

BACKGROUND: Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) remains a devastating diagnosis. A poor outcome is known to be highly dependent on the initial neurological status. Our goal was to identify other parameters that favor the risk of complications and poor outcome in patients with aSAH and initially favorable neurologic status. METHODS: Consecutive aSAH cases treated at our hospital between 01/2003 and 06/2016 with the initial World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies grades I-III were included. Data on demographic characteristics, previous medical history, initial aSAH severity, and functional outcome after aSAH were collected. The study endpoints were the occurrence of cerebral infarcts, in-hospital mortality, and unfavorable outcome at 6 months after aSAH (modified Rankin scale > 3). RESULTS: In the final cohort (n= 582), the rate of cerebral infarction, in-hospital mortality, and unfavorable outcome was 35.1%, 8.1%, and 17.6% respectively. The risk of cerebral infarction was independently related to the presence of acute hydrocephalus (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=2.33, p<0.0001), aneurysm clipping (aOR=1.78, p=0.003), and use of calcium channel blockers concomitant to nimodipine (aOR=2.63, p=0.002). Patients' age (>55 years, aOR=4.24, p<0.0001), acute hydrocephalus (aOR=2.43, p=0.036), and clipping (aOR=2.86, p=0.001) predicted in-hospital mortality. Baseline characteristics associated with unfavorable outcome at 6 months were age (aOR=2.77, p=<0.0001), Fisher grades III-IV (aOR=2.81, p=0.016), acute hydrocephalus (aOR=2.22, p=0.012), clipping (aOR=3.98, p<0.0001), admission C-reactive protein>1mg/dL (aOR=1.76, p=0.035), and treatment intervals (aOR=0.64 per-5-year-intervals, p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Although cerebral infarction is a common complication in aSAH individuals with favorable initial clinical condition, >80% of these patients show favorable long-term outcome. The knowledge of outcome-relevant baseline characteristics might help to reduce the burden of further complications and poor outcome in aSAH patients who tolerated the initial bleeding event well.

Duration of Intracranial Pressure Increase after Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: Prognostic Factors and Association with the Outcome.

OBJECTIVE: A rupture of the intracranial aneurysm is frequently complicated, with an increase of intracranial pressure (ICP) requiring conservative and/or surgical treatment. We ana- lyzed the risk factors related to the duration of pathologic ICP increase and the relationship be- tween ICP burden and the outcome of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: Consecutive cases with aneurysmal SAH treated at our institution between 01/2003 and 06/2016 were eligible for this study. Different admission variables were evaluated to predict the duration of ICP increase >20 mmHg in univariate and multivariate analyses. The association of the ICP course with SAH outcome parameters (risk of cerebral infarction, in-hospital mortali- ty, and unfavorable outcome at 6 months defined as modified Rankin scale >3) was adjusted for major outcome-relevant confounders. RESULTS: Of 820 SAH patients, 378 individuals (46.1%) developed at least one ICP increase re- quiring conservative and/or surgical management after aneurysm treatment (mean duration: 1.76 days, range: 1 - 14 days). In the multivariable linear regression analysis, patients' age (unstand- ardized coefficient [UC]=-0.02, p <0.0001), World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) grade 4-5 at admission (UC=0.71, p <0.004), regular medication with the angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors (UC=-0.61, p =0.01), and presence of intracerebral hemor- rhage (UC=0.59, p =0.002) were associated with the duration of ICP increase. In turn, patients with longer ICP elevations were at higher risk for cerebral infarction (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]=1.32 per-day-increase, p <0.0001), in-hospital mortality (aOR=1.30, p <0.0001) and un- favorable outcome (aOR=1.43, p <0.0001). SAH patients who underwent primary decompres- sive craniectomy (DC) showed shorter periods of ICP increase than patients with a secondary decompression (mean: 2.8 vs 4.9 days, p <0.0001). CONCLUSION: The duration of ICP increase after aneurysm rupture is a strong outcome predictor and is related to younger age and higher initial severity of SAH. Further analysis of the factors impacting the course of ICP after SAH is essential for the optimization of ICP management and outcome improvement.

The influence of radiological tumor growth pattern on sino­nasal health in pituitary adenomas.

Pituitary adenomas are one of the most common mass lesions of the brain and are associated with a reduced quality of life. While transnasal and transsphenoidal endoscopic approaches are considered to deliver similar recovery rates for sino-nasal health (SNH), the impact of radiological tumor growth patterns on SNH has not been evaluated. In the present study, the influence of radiological tumor growth on SNH was examined before and after endoscopic transsphenoidal tumor resection. Patient data were prospectively collected between August 1, 2016 and August 31, 2022. The Knosp and Hardy classifications were used to dichotomize pituitary adenoma lesions into low- and high-graded lesions. SNH was assessed shortly before surgery and at follow-up examinations 3-6 months after operation using the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test for Neurosurgery (SNOT-NC) questionnaire. Fully completed SNOT-NC questionnaires were collected before and after surgery from a total of 101 patients. Independent t-tests showed significantly higher rates of deterioration after surgery in patients with Knosp low-graded lesions compared with those with high-graded tumors for the SNOT-NC total score P=0.048, nasal discomfort P=0.034, sleep problems P=0.024 and visual impairment P=0.042. Pre- and post-operative comparisons for the Knosp low-graded tumor cohort showed an increase of nasal discomfort (P=0.004), while the Knosp high-graded tumor cohort reported decreased visual impairment (P=0.016) after surgery. Assessing the Hardy classification, increased nasal discomfort was reported in patients with high-graded infrasellar tumors after surgery (P=0.046). Growth characteristics of pituitary adenomas based on Knosp and Hardy classifications may influence SNH. Patients with less invasive lesions were revealed to be more prone to experiencing a decrease in SNH, which went beyond the assumed deterioration of 1-3 months. These findings indicate the importance of detailed information regarding SNH as part of every pre-operative patient briefing.