Safety and Outcomes of Intravenous Thrombolytic Therapy in Ischemic Stroke Patients with COVID-19: CASCADE Initiative.

BACKGROUND: There is little information regarding the safety of intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) in patients with stroke and COVID-19. METHODS: This multicenter study included consecutive stroke patients with and without COVID-19 treated with IV-tPA between February 18, 2019, to December 31, 2020, at 9 centers participating in the CASCADE initiative. Clinical outcomes included modified Rankin Scale (mRS) at hospital discharge, in-hospital mortality, the rate of hemorrhagic transformation. Using Bayesian multiple regression and after adjusting for variables with significant value in univariable analysis, we reported the posterior adjusted odds ratio (OR, with 95% Credible Intervals [CrI]) of the main outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 545 stroke patients, including 101 patients with COVID-19 were evaluated. Patients with COVID-19 had a more severe stroke at admission. In the study cohort, 85 (15.9%) patients had a hemorrhagic transformation, and 72 (13.1%) died in the hospital. After adjustment for confounding variables, discharge mRS score ≥2 (OR: 0.73, 95% CrI: 0.16, 3.05), in-hospital mortality (OR: 2.06, 95% CrI: 0.76, 5.53), and hemorrhagic transformation (OR: 1.514, 95% CrI: 0.66, 3.31) were similar in COVID-19 and non COVID-19 patients. High-sensitivity C reactive protein level was a predictor of hemorrhagic transformation in all cases (OR:1.01, 95%CI: 1.0026, 1.018), including those with COVID-19 (OR:1.024, 95%CI:1.002, 1.054). CONCLUSION: IV-tPA treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke and COVID-19 was not associated with an increased risk of disability, mortality, and hemorrhagic transformation compared to those without COVID-19. IV-tPA should continue to be considered as the standard of care in patients with hyper acute stroke and COVID-19.

Clinical Trial of Subcutaneous Steroid Injection in Patients with Migraine Disorder.

BACKGROUND: Neurologic literature on therapeutic effect of subcutaneous corticosteroids in patients with migrainous chronic daily headache is scarce. The aim of this research is to assess the therapeutic effects of this management in such patients. METHODS: Consecutive patients with migrainous chronic daily headache enrolled a prospective before-after therapeutic study during 2010-2013. Methylprednisolone 40 mg was divided into four subcutaneous injection doses. Two injections were administered in the right and left suboccipital area (exactly at retromastoid cervicocranial junction) and the other two injections in the lower medial frontal area (exactly at medial right and left eyebrows). A daily headache diary was filled out by the patients before and one month after the intervention. The severity of pain was classified based on a pain intensity instrument using numeric rating scale from 0-10 point scale. Paired t-test and Chi-square test were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 504 patients (378 females, 126 males) with migrainous chronic daily headache were enrolled in the study. Dramatic, significant, moderate, mild, or no improvements respectively constituted 28.6%, 33.3%, 23.8%, and 14.3% of the post treatment courses. Therapeutic effect of intervention on mean pain scores was significant; t=7.38, df=20, P=0.000. Two cases developed subcutaneous fat atrophy in frontal injection site and three cases experienced syncope during injection. CONCLUSION: Subcutaneous corticosteroids could be used as an adjunct therapy in patients with migrainous chronic daily headache.

Gaps and hurdles deter against following stroke guidelines for thrombolytic therapy in Iran: exploring the problem.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient information is available on the barriers that explain low rates of thrombolytic therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) in developing countries compared with rates in developed societies. By the present study, we aimed to assess the implementation of thrombolytic therapy in the northeast of Iran to explore the gaps and hurdles against thrombolysis as the generally accepted treatment for AIS. METHODS: In a 1-year cohort study among AIS patients admitted to the second largest tertiary neurologic referral center in Iran, those who met the prespecified selection criteria were treated with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA). RESULTS: Among 1,144 patients admitted with AIS, only 14 (1.2%) were treated with rtPA. The mean onset-to-needle and door-to-needle times were 172 and 58 minutes, respectively; 980 (85.6%) patients were initially excluded from the study because of late arrival. Additionally, 60 patients in total were omitted because of either their high age (3.7%) or passing the gold standard time limit for rtPA therapy after preliminary evaluations (1.6%), and 90 more patients (7.9%) were considered not suitable for thrombolysis because of the severity of the symptoms or the higher risk of bleeding on rtPA. CONCLUSIONS: Access to thrombolytic therapy for AIS in Iran is less than in most developed countries but comparable with other developing countries. Awareness campaigns are needed to minimize barriers and improve access to thrombolysis and specialized stroke care in Iran.

Randomized clinical trial of intravenous valproate (orifil) and dexamethasone in patients with migraine disorder.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous Valproate (IVVP) has been used in the treatment of migraine in some studies; however, it is far better known in the management of status epilepticus. METHODS: Consecutive patients with migraine in our Headache Clinic were enrolled in this prospective, randomized clinical trial in 2011. The patients were randomized into two therapeutic groups, one receiving 900 mg IVVP (Orifil) and the other 16 mg IV Dexamethasone (IVDEX) diluted in 150 CC normal saline and infused for 10 minutes. Worst severity of pain before treatment and least severity at 3 hours after the infusion using a 0-10 point numeric rating scale were recorded. An interview with the patient was performed 72 hours after treatment to detect a possible relapse of headache. RESULTS: Thirty-one migraine status patients, comprising 28 women and 3 men at a mean±SD age of 33.355±12.373 SD, were investigated. Differences in the therapeutic effects of IVVP (Orifil) and IVDEX on pain score were not significant between the two groups (t=0.933, df=29; P=0.358). Relapse of headache occurred in 68.42% of the IVVP (Orifil) group and 66.67% of the IVDEX group. Distribution of relapse was not significantly different between the two therapeutic groups of patients (P=0.870). CONCLUSION: IVVP (Orifil) was similar in efficacy to IVDEX as abortive therapy in patients with migraine status. IVVP (Orifil) appears to offer a safe and well-tolerated abortive treatment. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: IRCT13891146234N2.

Challenging comparison of stroke scales.

Stroke scales can be classified as clinicometric scales and functional impairment, handicap scales. All studies describing stroke scales were reviewed by internet searching engines with the final search performed on January 1, 2013. The following string of keywords was entered into search engines; stroke, scale, score and disability. Despite advantages of modified National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and Scandinavian stroke scale comparing to the NIHSS, including their simplification and less inter-rater variability; most of the stroke neurologists around the world continue using the NIHSS. The modified Rankin scale (mRS) and Barthel index (BI) are widely used functional impairment and disability scales. Distinction between grades of mRS is poorly defined. The Asian stroke disability scale is a simplified functional impairment, handicap scale which is as valid as mRS and BI. At the present time, the NIHSS, mRS and BI are routine stroke scales because physicians have used to work with these scales for more than two decades, although it could not be an acceptable reason. On the other side, results of previous stroke trials, which are the basis of stroke management guidelines are driven using these scales.

Exploring gender distribution in patients with acute stroke: A multi-national approach.

BACKGROUND: Gender distribution of acute stroke patients varies considerably among stroke registries throughout the world, but factors responsible for this phenomenon remained vastly unknown. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using data from prospective hospital-based stroke registries in China (n = 752 acute stroke patients), Germany (n = 96054), India (n = 1500), and Iran (n = 1392), this descriptive study explored gender distribution of stroke patients and its determinants. In addition, the proportions of males and females to be expected in fictive study populations were calculated, and differences in gender distribution between stroke databases throughout the world were described. RESULTS: In the German dataset, a maximum male preponderance was found for patients aged between 55 and 64 years (proportion of male patients 0.67 [95% CI: 0.66-0.67]), whereas patients older than 84 years revealed a strong overbalance of females (0.27 [0.26-0.28]). In Germany, age-specific gender distribution of stroke patients is well explained by the numbers of females and males in the general population and by gender-specific stroke incidence rates. Both in China and India, a strong preponderance of male stroke patients was found for the majority of age categories with a maximum proportion of male patients of 0.82 in the 35-44 years age group. In contrast, the Iranian stroke register revealed an overbalance of females (0.13 [0.11-0.14]) in nearly all age categories. A total of 1392 Iranian ischemic stroke patients (738 female, 654 male) were investigated. CONCLUSION: Gender distribution of acute stroke patients is highly variable. Gender distribution varied considerably between countries. Apart from demographic factors reflecting gender ratio in the general population and gender-specific stroke incidence rates, sociocultural peculiarities may also play an important role in this context.

A Spatial Variation Analysis of In-Hospital Stroke Mortality Based on Integrated Pre-Hospital and Hospital Data in Mashhad, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Despite significant advances in the quality and delivery of specialized stroke care, there still persist remarkable spatial variations in emergency medical services (EMS) transport delays, stroke incidence, and its outcomes. Therefore, it is very important to investigate the possible geographical variations of in-hospital stroke mortality and to identify its associated factors. METHODS: This historical cohort study included suspected stroke cases transferred to Ghaem Hospital of Mashhad by the EMS from March 2018 to March 2019. Using emergency mission IDs, the pre-hospital emergency data were integrated with the patient medical records in the hospital. We used the Bayesian approach for estimating the model parameters. RESULTS: Out of 301 patients (142 (47.2%) females vs. 159 (52.8%) males) with a final diagnosis of stroke, 61 (20.3%) cases had in-hospital mortality. Results from Bayesian spatial log-logistic proportional odds (PO) model showed that age (PO=1.07), access rate to EMS (PO=0.78), arrival time (evening shift vs. day shift, PO=0.09), and sequelae variables (PO=9.20) had a significant association with the odds of in-hospital stroke mortality (P<0.05). Furthermore, the odds of in-hospital stroke mortality were higher in central urban areas compared to suburban areas. CONCLUSION: Marked regional variations were found in the odds of in-hospital stroke mortality in Mashhad. There was a direct association between age and odds of in-hospital stroke mortality. Hence, the prognosis of in-hospital stroke mortality could be improved by better control of hypertension, prevention of the occurrence of sequelae, increasing the access rate to EMS, and optimizing shift work schedule.

Assessment of ABCD² scale in patients with transient ischaemic attack or stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Stroke risk prediction scores have been designed to stratify risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events in patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or minor ischaemic stroke (MIS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with TIA or MIS referring to Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad presenting within 24 hours from the onset of symptoms were recruited to the prospective cohort study between 2010 and 2011. MIS was defined as an ischaemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score < 4. The end-point of the study was a new ischaemic cerebrovascular event or vascular death at 90 days and, additionally, at 3 days after the index TIA or MIS. The decision to admit and of method of treatment in each case was left to the discretion of the stroke neurologist. The predictive accuracy of the ABCD2 scoring system for recurrent stroke or TIA was quantified by the area under the curve (AUC), using the c-statistics. RESULTS: The study included 393 patients with TIA (238 males, 155 females) and 118 patients with MIS (77 males, 41 females). Among 511 patients with minor ischaemic events, 117 strokes (23.2%), 99 TIAs (19.6%), and 11 vascular deaths (2.2%) occurred within 3 months after the index event. The ABCD2 score had a weak predictive value for 3-month and 3-day recurrent stroke in patients with TIA (AUC = 0.599 and 0.591, respectively), but a high predictive value for 3-month and 3-day recurrent stroke in patients with MIS (AUC = 0.727 and 0.728, respectively). CONCLUSION: The ABCD2 score is highly predictive for short-term recurrent stroke in patients with MIS but not in patients with TIA, although it was originally designed for patients with TIA.

Is opium addiction a risk factor for ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke?

BACKGROUND: The main source of studies about effects of opium consumption on heart and brain attacks originates from Iran Therefore the aim of the present study was to assess opium addiction as a probable influencing factor for ischemic heart disease and ischemic stroke. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out in two Cardiology and Neurology clinics in Eastern Iran in 2011. Diagnosis of Ischemic Heart Disease (IHD) and Ischemic Stroke (IS) was made by Cardiologist and Stroke Neurologist respectively. The influence of gender, hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cigarette smoking, oral and inhaled opium consumption on distribution of IHD and IS were evaluated. RESULTS: Five hundred fifty eight patients (307 females, 251 males) with mean age 56.2 years enrolled the study. On adjusted odds ratios of our whole 558 patients, only hypertension and diabetes had a significant influence on occurrence of IHD; (P = 0.000 and P = 0.000) respectively. Oral and inhaled routes of opium addiction did not have a significant effect on occurrence of IHD; [OR = 1.172, 95% CI = 0.624-2.203, P = 0.621] and [OR = 1.820, 95% CI = 0.811-4.085, P = 0.147] respectively. Hypertension and diabetes were significant risk factors of IS in our 558 patients at multivariate analysis; (P = 0.000, P = 0.020). Oral opium addiction was as significant protective factor of IS in our study group; OR = 0.211, 95% CI = 0.079-0.564, P = 0.002, while inhaled opium addiction did not have a significant effect on occurrence of IS in our patients at; OR = 1.760, 95% CI = 0.760-4.076, P = 0.187. CONCLUSION: Oral opium consumption is a protective factor of IS but not IHD. Inhaled opium addiction does not have a significant influence on occurrence of IS and IHD.

Frequency and clinical patterns of stroke in Iran - Systematic and critical review.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular disease is the second commonest cause of death, and over a third of stroke deaths occur in developing countries. To fulfil the current gap on data, this systematic review is focused on the frequency of stroke, risk factors, stroke types and mortality in Iran. METHODS: Thirteen relevant articles were identified by keyword searching of PubMed, Iranmedex, Iranian University index Libraries and the official national data on burden of diseases. RESULTS: The publication dates ranged from 1990 to 2008. The annual stroke incidence of various ages ranged from 23 to 103 per 100,000 population. This is comparable to the figures from Arab Countries, higher than sub-Saharan Africa, but lower than developed countries, India, the Caribbean, Latin America, and China. Similarly to other countries, ischaemic stroke was the commonest subtype. Likewise, the most common related risk factor is hypertension in adults, but cardiac causes in young stroke. The 28-day case fatality rate is reported at 19-31%. CONCLUSIONS: Data on the epidemiology of stroke, its pattern and risk factors from Iran is scarce, but the available data highlights relatively low incidence of stroke. This may reflect a similarity towards the neighbouring nations, and a contrast with the West.

National Guidelines for Cognitive Assessment and Rehabilitation of Iranian Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often have prolonged cognitive impairments, resulting in long-term problems with their real-life activities. Given the urgent need for evidence-based recommendations for neuropsychological management of Iranian TBI patients, the current work aimed to adapt eligible international guidelines for cognitive assessment and rehabilitation of the TBI patients in Iran. METHODS: The project was led by an executive committee, under the supervision of the Iranian Ministry of Health and Medical Education (MOHME). Following a systematic literature search and selection process, four guidelines were included for adaptation. Clinical recommendations of the source guidelines were tabulated as possible clinical scenarios for 90 PICO clinical questions covering all relevant phases of care. After summing up the scenarios, our initial list of recommendations was drafted according to the Iranian patients' conditions. The final decision-making, with the contribution of a national interdisciplinary panel of 37 experts from across the country, was conducted in two rounds using online and offline survey forms (Round 1), and face-to-face and telephone meetings (Round 2). RESULTS: A total of 63 recommendations in six sections were included in the final list of recommendations, among which 24 were considered as key recommendations. In addition, some of the recommendations were identified as fundamental, meaning that proper implementation of the other recommendations is largely dependent on their implementation. CONCLUSION: Iranian health policy makers and rehabilitation program managers are recommended to address some fundamental issues to provide the necessary infrastructure to set up an efficient cognitive rehabilitation service system.

Khorasan stroke registry: analysis of 1392 stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: The hospital-based stroke registry is useful for understanding diverse clinical characteristics of stroke related to geographical, racial, or environmental differences. METHODS: The Khorasan Stroke Registry was established for evaluation of incidence, clinical manifestations, risk factors, topography, and etiology of ischemic stroke in Southern Khorasan, Iran, during 2001 - 2005. Consecutive stroke patients underwent a standard battery of diagnostic investigations by a stroke neurologist. Topography and etiology of brain infarction was determined based on the Practical Iranian Criteria classification. RESULTS: The incidence of ischemic stroke in Khorasan population is 43.17 cases per 100,000 people per year. During a 5-year period 1,392 ischemic stroke patients (738 females, 654 males) were evaluated in the Khorasan Stroke Registry. Atherosclerosis constituted 53.6% of etiologies followed by uncertain causes (19.9%), cardioembolism (11.8%), and miscellaneous etiologies (2.9%). Eleven point seven percent of our patients had both atherosclerosis and cardioembolic mechanisms. Rheumatic valvular disease was present in 44.8% of cardioembolic strokes and caused 4.31 preventable stroke cases per 100,000 Iranian population per year. Hypertension and history of ischemic cerebrovascular events were the most frequent risk factors, 53.1% and 22.3% respectively. In-hospital mortality of our ischemic stroke patients was 7.3%. CONCLUSION: High frequency of atherosclerotic etiology in the Khorasan Stroke Registry is because of its classification criteria, which does not separate small vessel territory infarcts as a different etiologic subtype. Rheumatic valvular disease is an important cause of stroke in Khorasan population.

Etiology of young adult onset brain infarction in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Stroke in young adults causes morbidity in this socioeconomically-active age group. Etiologic frequency of ischemic stroke in young adults is different around the world. This study was conducted to determine the causes of stroke in Iranian young adults. METHODS: The study population consisted of 314,000 young adult residents in the Southern Khorasan Province, East of Iran. All the patients with stroke, admitted to Vali-e-Asr Tertiary Care Hospital, entered this study. Demographic data, clinical presentation, and investigations of consecutive patients aged 15 - 45 years, presented with ischemic stroke, were registered in Southern Khorasan Stroke Database between 2000 and 2005. All the patients underwent a standard battery of diagnostic investigations by a stroke neurologist. Etiologic classification of stroke in the patients was made based on the Practical Iranian Criteria. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-four patients (60 females and 64 males) were prospectively investigated during a 5-year period. The incidence of ischemic stroke in young adults was 8/100,000 per year. Cardioembolic mechanism constituted 54% of all stroke etiologies in young adults. Rheumatic valvular heart disease was present in 32% of the patients and caused 2.5 preventable stroke cases per 100,000 young adults per year. CONCLUSION: Rheumatic valvular heart disease is the most common cause and a preventable etiology of stroke in Iranian young adults.

Differentiation of true transient ischemic attack versus transient ischemic attack mimics.

BACKGROUND: Previous literatures have shown a transient ischemic attack (TIA) mimic rate of 9-31%. We aimed to ascertain the proportion of stroke mimics amongst suspected TIA patients. METHODS: A prospective observational study was performed in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran during 2012-2013. Consecutive TIA patients were identified in a stroke center. The initial diagnosis of TIA was made by the resident of neurology and final diagnosis of true TIA versus TIA mimics was made after 3 months follow-up by stroke subspecialist. RESULTS: A total of 310 patients were assessed during a 3-month period of which 182 (58.7%) subjects were male and 128 (41.3%) were female. Ten percent of the patients was categorized as a TIA mimic. The presence of hypertension, aphasia, duration of symptoms, and increased age was the strongest predictor of a true TIA. Migraine was the most common etiology of stroke mimic in our study. CONCLUSION: It seems that many signs and symptoms have low diagnostic usefulness for discrimination of true TIA from non-cerebrovascular events and predictive usefulness of any sign or symptom should be interpreted by a stroke neurologist.

Decompressive craniectomy after unsuccessful intravenous thrombolysis of malignant cerebral infarction.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) is an approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke within 4.5 h of symptoms onset. Decompressive craniectomy (DC) has been shown as an effective therapeutic modality in malignant middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. As rt-PA could result in hemorrhagic complication during or after any surgery DC may be associated with severe bleeding after intravenous thrombolysis. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 57-year-old woman was presented 90 min after the sudden onset of left hemiplegia. Despite intravenous thrombolytic therapy, she lost consciousness within 48 h and brain CT scan showed a right malignant MCA infarction associated with a small bleeding. DC was performed without any complication. The patient improved dramatically. CONCLUSION: DC could be done safety for malignant MCA infarction after unsuccessful intravenous thrombolytic therapy even the later was complicated with intra-infarction hemorrhage.

Design of a standard Iranian protocol of Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator: A national project.

Standard protocols should be established for treating eligible stroke patients with tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) (recommendation class I, level of evidence B). The Iranian standard protocol of Intravenous Thrombolysis with recombinant Tissue Plasminogen Activator (IVTTPA) is the best possible and easy to use method for performing intravenous thrombolysis in Iran. This protocol overcomes problems and limitations of IVTTPA in Iran. The protocol achieves the best selection criteria and assessment method of IVTTPA for our residents and neurologists. This protocol was provided in Persian language and could be easily downloaded from Google site by writing Thrombolysis and Iran in Persian.

Risk factors of short-term stroke recurrence in patients with minor ischemic cerebrovascular events.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the risk of recurrent ischemic events in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) and minor ischemic stroke (MIS) is of a great importance in clinical practice. METHODS: Consecutive patients with TIA or MIS who were visited in Ghaem Hospital, (Mashhad, Iran) were enrolled in a prospective cohort study during 2010 to 2011. Diagnosis of TIA or MIS was accomplished by a stroke neurologist. Only those who presented within 24 hours from the onset of symptoms were recruited. MIS was considered as an ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) < 4. The endpoint of the study was a new ischemic cerebrovascular event or vascular death in 90 days and additionally in 3 days. The decision to admit and type of treatment in each case was left to the discretion of the stroke neurologist. The association between 20 potential factors with recurrent ischemic events in 3 and 90 days was investigated using univariate and multivariate analysis (MVA). RESULTS: 393 TIA patients (238 males and 155 females) and 118 MIS patients (77 males and 41 females) were enrolled in the study. Stroke occurred in 117 (23.2%) patients, TIA in 99 (19.6%), and there was 11 (2.2%) vascular deaths within 3 months in the total 511 patients with minor ischemic events. Crescendo TIAs and multiple TIAs were associated with greater risk of stroke in 3 days in a univariate analysis (OR = 5.12, P < 0.001) and (OR = 3.98, P = 0.003), respectively. Patients with index stroke had 11.5% lower risk of recurrent stroke in 3 days than patients with index TIA in multivariate analysis (OR = 0.115, P = 0.039). Diabetes was independently associated with 3 months stroke recurrence in the patients with minor ischemic events (OR = 2.65, P = 0.039). CONCLUSION: Multiple and crescendo TIAs are the main predictors of stroke recurrence, derived from the univariate analysis of the patients with minor ischemic events.

Safety assessment of anticoagulation therapy in patients with hemorrhagic cerebral venous thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Anticoagulation therapy is a routine treatment in patients with hemorrhagic cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT). However, fear of hemorrhagic complications and deterioration course following anticoagulation often disturbs the responsible physician. METHODS: This was a Prospective observational study on consecutive CVT patients with hemorrhagic venous infarction or subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) admitted in Ghaem Hospital, Mashhad, Iran, during 2006-2012. The diagnosis of CVT in suspected cases was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging/magnetic resonance venography (MRI/MRV), and computerized tomography (CT) angiography following established diagnostic criteria. Demographic data, clinical manifestations from onset to end of the observation period, location of thrombus, location and size of infarction and hemorrhage, and clinical course during treatment were recorded. Choice of the treatment was left to the opinion of the treating physician. Clinical course during 1 week of treatment was assessed based on the baseline modified National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score. Three or more points decrease or increase of modified NIHSS after 1 week of treatment was considered as improvement or deterioration courses, respectively. Other clinical courses were categorized as stabilization course. RESULTS: 102 hemorrhagic CVT patients (80 females, 22 males) with mean age of 38.6 ± 8 years were prospectively investigated. Of the 102 hemorrhagic CVT patients in the acute phase, 52 patients (50.9%) were anticoagulated with adjusted dose intravenous heparin infusion and 50 cases (49.1%) received subcutaneous enoxaparin 1mg/Kg twice daily. Decreased consciousness had a significant effect on the clinical course of the patients (X(2) = 9.493, df = 2, P = 0.009). Presence of SAH had no significant effect on the clinical course of our anticoagulated hemorrhagic CVT cases (X(2) = 0.304, df = 2, P = 0.914). Extension of Infarction in more than two thirds of a hemisphere had a significant influence on the distribution of clinical courses (X(2) = 5.867, df = 2, P = 0.044). Difference in distribution of clinical course among the two groups of our hemorrhagic CVT patients was not significant (X(2) = 8.14, df = 1, P = 0.87). CONCLUSION: Patients with hemorrhagic CVT without other contraindication for anticoagulation should be treated either with dose-adjusted intravenous heparin or body-weight-adjusted subcutaneous low molecular-weight heparin.

Interesting basis of vertebrobasilar arterial territory.

BACKGROUND: Vertebrobasilar arterial territory nourishes one-quarter of human brain. It constitutes some vital and strategic parts of the central nervous system. METHODS: A number of keywords (vertebral, basilar, artery, and territory) were searched in MEDLINE (Ovid and PubMed) as well as Google, ProQuest, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct online databases. Only articles containing all keywords were included. We also reviewed archives of libraries in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (Iran) for all anatomy, embryology, neurology, and neuroscience books and journals about vertebrobasilar arterial territories. RESULTS: The vertebrobasilar arterial (VA) system has a high incidence of variations, anomalies, and persistent fetal vessels. Two important anatomic facts explain why VA origin lesions seldom cause chronic hemodynamically significant low flow to the vertebrobasilar system. First, the VAs are paired vessels that unite to form a single basilar artery. Second, the extracranial VA gives off numerous muscular and other branches as it ascends in the neck. Thus, in the VA system, there is much more potential for development of adequate collateral circulation. Even when there is bilateral occlusion of the VAs at their origins, patients do not often develop posterior circulation infarcts. CONCLUSION: VA origin disease is more benign than ICA origin disease from hemodynamic aspect. This important point could make influence in therapeutic interventional decisions in asymptomatic VA origin stenosis.