Role of Cardiac Risk Scores in Clinical Use to Predict Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Introduction: Acute coronary syndromes and ischemic stroke have similar risk factors. Risk scores help to identify disease severity in both diseases. We aimed to evaluate if HEART (History, ECG, Age, Risk factors, and Troponin) score could predict re-hospitalization, recurrent cardiac/cerebrovascular events risk, and mortality within 1-year follow-up in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke. Methods: Patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke in our tertiary center between 2019 and 2021 were included in this retrospective study. CHA2DS2-VASc and HEART scores on admission were calculated. In-hospital, 1-month, and 1-year mortalities, as well as re-hospitalization due to recurrent ischemic (cardiac/cerebral), were defined as major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE), and occurrence of MACCE was accepted as the primary endpoint of the study. Comparative statistical and regression analyses were obtained. Results: A total of 297 patients were included. The mortality rate for 30 days was 7.4% and 1 year was 20.5%. HEART and CHA2DS2-VASc scores were found independent risk factors associated with the occurrence of MACCE. Patients who experienced MACCE had higher HEART and CHA2DS2-VASc scores. Meanwhile, HEART score had better prognostic accuracy than CHA2DS2-VASc score when a cutoff value of 3.5 was set, which is associated with 84.7% sensitivity and 75.2% specificity in the prediction of MACCE. Conclusion: HEART score is effective in determining re-hospitalization and recurrent cerebral ischemic event risk as well as mortality within 30 days and 1 year in patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke. Thus, concomitant use of HEART and CHA2DS2-VASc scores may provide better characterization of worse prognosis in ischemic stroke patients with high sensitivity and specificity.

Central Nervous System Vasculitis Due to an Endemic Zoonosis in Turkey; Tularemia.

Tularemia is a bacterial zoonotic disease. The etiologic agent is francisella tularensis which is a gram negative coccobacillus. It is also an epidemic disease in some parts of Turkey. Clinical forms are ulceroglandular or glandular, oculoglandular, oropharyngeal, respiratory, and typhoidal forms. Neurological involvement is rare. It is usually presented with meningitis and encephalitis in literature. Our 42-year-old patient was suspected for demyelinating disease, ischemic cerebrovascular disease and vasculitis because of acute onset of neurological symptoms. She was diagnosed as tularemia during the investigation of her lymphadenitis. No etiologic risk factor was found for cerebrovascular disease, and demyelinating disease was excluded. Digital substraction angiography revealed the narrowing of the cerebral vessels. The lesions were partially regressed with the treatment. However, a new infarction developed with the interruption of treatment. All these findings suggested the diagnosis of central nervous system vasculitis due to francisella tularensis infection. Our case was important as it was the first vasculitic case due to tularemia in the literature.

Sars-Cov-2 infection related inflammatory and demyelinating disease; a brief case series.

BACKGROUND: Since March 2020, during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it has been observed that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has neurological involvement with various clinical tables. METHODS: We present 3 new cases admitted to our clinic with various neurological findings which were affected by SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Imaging studies have shown that inflammatory/demyelinizing lesions appeared in different areas of the central nervous system which were accepted as an atypical demyelinating spectrum associated with Covid 19. CONCLUSIONS: With increasing experience, it has been suggested that SARS-CoV-2 may also have a neurotrophic effect. The spectrum of neurological involvement is also expanding as the pandemic continues. These 3 cases suggest that the virus plays a role in the clinical onset of the inflammatory/demyelinating disease.

Chronic irisin exposure decreases sexual incentive motivation in female rats.

Irisin is a novel myokine/adipokine that is released into the circulation in response to types of exercise and increases energy expenditure. Disorders in the endocrine system related to reproduction, which occur due to the chronic or excessive exercise, cause a decrease in women's sexual desire. However, the role of irisin hormone on sexual desire in women has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that chronic irisin exposure would decrease sexual incentive motivation for male partners by affecting the endocrine system in female rats. We tested this by quantifying and comparing of both sexual incentive motivation and active investigation for sexual partner, and also changes in the serum hormone levels in chronically irisin-treated female rats. As a result, chronic irisin exposure decreased the time spent near the male rat, male preference ratio, and male investigation preference ratio. Furthermore, serum testosterone and progesterone levels significantly decreased and estradiol levels increased while kisspeptin-1 levels were not changed by chronic irisin exposure in female rats. These data indicate that chronic irisin exposure may cause low sexual incentive motivation for opposite-sex partners in female rats via changes in reproductive hormones. The results suggest that irisin hormone may play a role in decreased sexual desire due to long-term exercise in women.

The use of Modified Rio score for determining treatment failure in patients with multiple sclerosis: retrospective descriptive case series study.

Predicting treatment failure and switching effective treatment immediately in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) is important. We aimed to evaluate the usefulness of Modified Rio score (MRS) in predicting treatment failure in MS patients. This is a retrospective study, which was conducted in two University Hospital. 129 MS patients treated with Interferon or glatiramer-acetate from 2 clinical sites, were retrospectively selected. MRS was calculated after the first year of therapy. Treatment failure was defined as the presence of a 1 point increase in EDSS, 2 clinical attacks, 1 clinical attack and progression, 1 clinical attack and new lesion on MRI except associated with an attack, or new lesion in 2 different MRI taken at least 3 months apart. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the MRS in predicting treatment failure were determined. 71 (55%) patients with score '0', 41 (31.8%) patients with score '1', 11 (8.5%) patients with score '2', 6 (4.7%) patients with score '3' were detected. 14 patients needed treatment switching during the first three years of the treatment. Sensitivity was 57%, specificity was 92%, positive predictive value was 95%, negative predictive value was 47% and accuracy was 89%. Modified Rio score (MRS) was found to be effective in determining the treatment failure as mentioned before. This study will be useful for clinicians who evaluate the treatment failure like us, and this study revealed that the MRS may also help predict treatment failure.

The inflammatory markers and prognosis of cervicocephalic artery dissection: a stroke center study from a tertiary hospital.

OBJECTIVE: Cervicocephalic artery dissection (CeAD) is the most common cause of ischemic stroke in young adults. Although the exact cause is unknown, inflammation is thought to have a role. Here, we investigated the relationship between CeAD and inflammation. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with CeAD in our stroke center were evaluated retrospectively, and their demographic and clinical features were recorded. The C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cell, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were recorded on admission. Modified Rankin scores (mRS) were noted on admission and at 6 months to evaluate the dependency status and functional outcome of each patient. RESULTS: Of the 95 patients in the study, 70 (73.7%) were male, and the mean age was 44.4 ± 9.8 years. Patients with high WBC count, ESR, PLR, and NLR frequently had mRS scores of 3-6 at admission; these differences were significant (p = 0.04, p = 0.02, p = 0.04, and p = 0.02, respectively). At 6 months, patients with high CRP and ESR at admission also had significantly poorer prognoses (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). PLR and NLR values were higher in patients with mRS of 3-6. But there were no significant differences between the good and poor prognosis groups regarding PLR and NLR (p = 0.22, p = 0.05, respectively). CONCLUSION: Inflammation may have a role in the prognosis of CeAD, and inflammatory markers can be evaluated as auxiliary tests for determining prognosis.

The Review of Transient Ischemic Attack Patients: An Experience of a Clinic about Diagnosis and Follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is due to a temporary lack of adequate blood and oxygen to the brain. TIAs typically last less than 24 hours. 10-15% of ischemic stroke patients have a history of TIA. 18% of them experience an ischemic stroke within 90 days, and the ABCD2 scoring system is used to estimate the risk. Our study aims to investigate the risk factors, the etiology, the lesion occurrence on MRI and the near-term risk of stroke of patients on whom TIA was diagnosed. METHODS: In this study, 124 patients were included between January 2012 and January 2018. Sixty-eight of the 124 patients were male. The history of patients was questioned; systemic and neurological examinations were made. The stroke risk factors and TIA duration were noted and ABCD2 scores were calculated. All the patients' blood samples, including glucose and lipid profile, were studied. They received CT, DWI MRI, electrocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, ultrasound and/or MR angiography of the cervical arteries. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four patients were included in this study, and 56 patients were female. The mean age was 63.04±16.77. Hypertension was the most common risk factor (50.8%). Twenty-seven patients were on antithrombotic; six patients were on anticoagulant therapy, while 91 patients were not receiving any antiaggregan therapy. ABCD2 scores were significantly higher on the antithrombotic therapy group (p=0.019). In 52 patients ABCD2 score was below 4, and in 72 patients, the score was greater than 4. In 67.7% of patients, no etiology was found. An ischemic lesion was detected in 16.9% of the patients. 58 % of the patients were discharged on anticoagulant therapy. Five patients developed ischemic stroke. CONCLUSION: The risk factors of ischemic stroke and TIAs are similar factors. The etiology of TIAs cannot be found out in most of the patients. Thus, the patients are discharged with oral anticoagulant treatment.

To handle the HaNDL syndrome through a case: The syndrome of headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis.

The syndrome of headache with neurologic deficits and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL) is a rare entity. This disease has been related to migrainous headaches. It is a benign, self-limited disorder, which is characterized by fluctuating neurological symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis. We describe a case of a 47 years old man with acute onset of headache and aphasia. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed a lymphocytic pleocytosis (25 cells/µl, 100% lymphocytes). Electroencephalogram showed moderate slow rhythm in the left hemisphere, with temporoparietal predominance, and without epileptiform activity. His blood tests as well as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results were normal. With the diagnosis of HaNDL syndrome the patient was accepted in the Department of Neurology and discharged with full recovery.

Malnutrition Rate in Stroke Patients on Admission.

OBJECTIVES: Malnutrition is frequently observed in patients with acute stroke and its prevalence after stroke varies widely among published reports. Differences in the timing of assessment, stroke type, comorbid medical conditions, and stroke complications may have contributed to this large variability. This study is conducted to investigate the prevalence of malnutrition, and its associated risk factors in stroke patients admitted to our stroke clinic. METHODS: A prospective design was used to measure the nutritional status and nutritional risk of stroke patients during hospitalisation between June 2016 and February 2017. Nutritional status was measured at admission. Demographic data and information on clinical variables were collected, which included the patient's age, gender, type of stroke and other comorbid disorders. Blood samples, including concentrations of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP), serum albumin, serum creatinine, lipid profile and serum lymphocyte count, were measured by routine methods. Nutritional status was measured using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA); for elderly stroke patients (age older than 65). For stroke patients younger than 65 age, Nutrition Screening 2002 (NRS 2002) was used. RESULTS: 318 patients with acute stroke were assessed for their nutritional status at admission. There were 145 (45%) female and 173 (55%) male patients. Their mean age was 66.16±14.32. 66.1% of the patients elder than 65 years were malnourished. 12.2% of the patients younger than 65 years were found to be malnourished. We found no relationship between comorbidities and malnutrition, except hyperlipidemia. Nourished stroke patients older than 65 years had higher serum lipid levels than the malnourished patients. We also found no relationship between malnutrition biomarkers and being malnourished. CONCLUSION: Malnutrition is frequently observed in patients with stroke. Early recognition of malnutrition is crucial, but the absence of valid markers hampers to find out the presence of malnutrition. Thus, further research is needed in targeting the modifiable nutrition risk factors and give attention to nutrition in stroke patients.

Quality of Life of Patients Under Anticoagulant Therapy Compared to Patients Treated with Antiplatelet Therapy.

INTRODUCTION: Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) includes the physical, functional, social, and emotional well-being of an individual. The most important and frequently used generic HRQoL assessment is Short Form- 36 (SF-36). The objective of this study was to analyze the HRQoL of patients under chronic use of oral anticoagulants in a specialized stroke unit. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six stroke patients from our stroke clinic between April 1, 2014 and June 1, 2014 were included in this cross-sectional study. The inclusion criteria included only patients whose Rankin score was "0" and were on oral anticoagulant or antiplatelet treatment for ≥1 year. Questionnaire SF-36 was used for the study. The patients' age, sex, comorbidities, medical treatments, modified Rankin Scores, bleeding complications, emergency polyclinic admissions, and hospitalization were also noted. RESULTS: Seventy-five of them were men. The median age was 55.67± 14.23 years. Seventy-seven of the patients were on anticoagulant therapy. Being on anticoagulation therapy did not influence the domains of HRQoL. All of the domains presented the lowest scores in female group. The domains of general health, physical function, and vitality had the lowest scores among hypertensive patients. The domains of physical function, role function, vitality, and mental health had significantly lower scores in the diabetic group. Bodily pain scores were lowest in patients having recurrent stroke attacks. Stroke patients taking more than 3 drugs were found to have worse QoL scores. CONCLUSION: Patients under chronic treatment with oral anticoagulants had no negative perception of QoL when attending an anticoagulation specialized outpatient clinic.

A rare aetiology of stroke; myxomatous aneurysm caused by atrial myxoma.

Atrial myxoma is a rare cause of stroke. In this report we present the case of a 52-year-old female patient who went to hospital suffering from a headache. Her neurological examination was normal except for a positive Babinski sign on the left. In the superolateral of the right, a Sylvian fissure consistent with a thrombosed aneurysm was detected using computerised tomography (CT). Diffusion MRI showed an acute infarction on the right MCA area. Transthorasic Echocardiography and ECG were normal. A -16×4 mm-sized fusiform perpendicular aneurysm on the M2 segment Sylvian curve of right MCA and a -6×4 mm-sized dissecting aneurysm on P3 segment of the left posterior cerebral artery (PCA) were observed in cerebral angiography. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) demonsrated a large mass with a suspected size of 2×2×1.5 cm on the left atrium. The mass was resected and on the eighth day after the operation, she had a temporary vision loss and hyperintensity on the T1 sequence was interpreted as laminary necrosis suspected on Cranial MRI. In follow up, she was stable with 300mg acetylsalicylic acid treatment. The main treatment is surgical resection in stroke caused by atrial myxoma.

Can TG/HDL Ratio be an Accurate Predictor in the Determination of the Risk of Cerebrovascular Events in Youngsters?

OBJECTIVES: There is good evidence that shows that modification of modifiable risk factor will reduce the risk of stroke. Hyperlipidemia is one of these risk factors. Studies have shown that nontraditional serum lipid variables may be better predictors of vascular risk rather than others.The objective of the present study was to assess the relationships of traditional and nontraditional serum lipid measurements between young and elder patients with stroke and healthy young adults. METHODS: One hundred twelve young patients with ischemic stroke, 113 healthy adults, and 110 patients with ischemic stroke aged >45 years were included in the study. Laboratory tests for total cholesterol (TC), its fractions, and triglycerides (TGs) were performed using standard techniques, and we computed four nontraditional lipid variables.Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square test, Student's t-test, and SPSS version 16.0 software. A p value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The mean age of 112 young patients with stroke was 38.46±5.96 years. There were 63 male and 49 female patients. Measurements of lipid parameters were as follows: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) 121.42±36.56 mg/dl, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) 38.84±12.47 mg/dl, TG 186.10±176.14 mg/dl, TC 194.76±45.35 mg/dl, LDL/HDL 3.39±1.46, TG/HDL 5.44±6.36, and TC/HDL 5.40±6.36. All lipid measurements were significantly higher in young patients with stroke than in healthy adults.The mean age of 110 patients with stroke aged >45 years was 69.53±12.34 years. There were 63 male and 47 female patients. Measurements of lipid parameters were as follows: LDL 125.18±35.97 mg/dl, HDL 41.47±14.16 mg/dl, TG 117.53±59.03 mg/dl, TC 190.16±42.96 mg/dl, LDL/HDL 3.32±1.55, TG/HDL 3.46±3.43, and TC/HDL 5.01±2.08. TG level and TG/HDL ratio were significantly higher in young patients with stroke than in older cases. CONCLUSION: All lipid measurements were significantly higher in young patients with ischemic stroke than in young healthy adults. TG level and TG/HDL ratio were significantly higher in male than in female patients. In addition, TG level and TG/HDL ratio were significantly higher in young patients with stroke than in older cases. As the TG/HDL ratio has proven to be a highly significant independent prognostic predictor of stroke, it should be calculated in young patients with ischemic stroke.

Review of Viral Encephalitis Cases Seen at a Tertiary Care Center in Turkey: Focus on Herpes Simplex Type 1.

INTRODUCTION: The objective of this study was to determine the incidence of herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE), known as the most common, potentially mortal, and treatable cause of sporadic encephalitis, in a sample Turkish population. METHODS: The demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, electrophysiology, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA results of patients examined with a pre-diagnosis of encephalitis were retrospectively examined. RESULTS: A total of 68 patients were included in the study. The most common presenting symptom was altered behavior (67.6%), while temporal T2 hyperintensity was determined in the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 27.9% of the patients and electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities were determined in 66.2% of the patients. Lymphocytic pleocytosis was determined in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 35 patients. Fifty-seven patients had been diagnosed with viral encephalitis, 3 with bacterial meningitis, 3 with tuberculous meningitis, 2 with sporadic Creutzfeld-Jakob disease, 2 with acute disseminating encephalomyelitis, and 1 with Brucella encephalitis. Seven (10.2%) cases of viral encephalitis were found to be positive for herpes simplex virus (HSV) DNA by PCR. CONCLUSION: Viral encephalitis is the most common cause of infectious encephalitis; however, other atypical causes should also be noted. Negative PCR results for HSV DNA should not exclude the need for antiviral therapy in patients with a strong pre-diagnosis of HSE because diagnostic modalities, including PCR, may fail in acute settings and HSE remains the sole treatable cause of infectious encephalitis.

Efficacy and Safety of Warfarin Experience in a Stroke Polyclinic in Stroke Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cardioembolic stroke is associated with high morbidity and mortality, with an increased risk of recurrent stroke. Oral anticoagulation is highly effective in reducing the risk of stroke and mortality compared with placebo. Our study aimed to highlight the safety and efficacy of warfarin by analyzing the 20-year follow-up of patients on warfarin therapy. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was performed with ischemic stroke patients receiving warfarin at our stroke polyclinic between 1992 and 2012. The CHADS2 scoring system was used to assess the annual risk of stroke, and a bleeding risk score termed the HAS-BLED scoring system was calculated to estimate the risk of bleeding. RESULTS: In our study, 394 patients who were receiving warfarin therapy were included. The patients' median age was 66.35±13.602 years. The median follow-up period of the patients was 4.85±3.572 years. During follow-up, 79.9% of the patients revealed no complication on warfarin therapy. Thirty-seven patients had hemorrhagic complications; among these, 33 had systemic complications (including nose bleeding, hematuria, hematochezia) and 4 patients had intracerebral bleeding. The INR value related to hemorrhagic complications was >2.5 in 75.8% of 33 patients having systemic bleeding and in 75% of 4 patients having intracerebral bleeding. The HAS-BLED risk score was >3 in 72.7% of the patients experiencing systemic bleeding complications. Forty-one patients had a recurrent ischemic stroke/TIA during the follow-up. Of this patient group, the INR value at the time of recurrent ischemic stroke was <2 in 41 patients (92.7%), while the CHADS2 risk score was low in this group. Sixty-eight patients were receiving antiplatelet therapy with warfarin. In these groups, 16 patients experienced a complication during the follow-up (bleeding/ischemic), while 10 patients had bleeding complications (systemic and intracerebral). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the effectiveness and safety of warfarin depend on maintaining its dose at sufficient levels to keep the patient's INR within the therapeutic range.

Characteristics, diagnosis and outcome of patients referred to a specialized neurology emergency clinic: prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Organization and management of neurological emergencies differs among hospitals. Some have specialized neurological emergency rooms (ER). OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics, diagnosis and outcome of patients referred to a specialized emergency neurology clinic. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study of consecutive patients presenting between March 2014 and July 2014. SETTING: Neurologicaler of a training and research neuropsychiatric hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients older than 16 years of age with a neurological complaint were assessed by neurological exam, laboratory and imaging tests including brain computed tomography (CT), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cerebrospinal fluid analysis, electroencephalography or electromyography. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Types of diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 4500 patients, 2602 (57.8%) were female, and the mean age was 49.2 (23.6) years. The most common symptom was headache, which presented in 30.8% of all patients. The three most common diagnoses after emergency work-up were headache (27.8%), stroke (20.6%) and peripheral vertigo (13%). In the ER, CT was performed on 65.5% of patients and MRI on 66.9%. After emergency work-up, 72.2% patients were discharged home. CONCLUSIONS: Neurological diseases are common, with headache and cerebrovascular diseases being the most frequent diagnosis in this specialized ER. CT and MRI are most often used to diagnose or exclude neurological diseases. Many patients do not require immediate hospitalization. The two most frequent diagnoses for hospitalization were stroke and demyelinating disease. LIMITATIONS: Absence of follow up data on patients discharged home.

THE DIAGNOSTIC AND MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES FOR POSTERIOR REVERSIBLE LEUCOENCEPHALOPATHY SYNDROME.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinicoradiological entity characterized by epileptic seizures, headaches, altered mental status and focal neurological signs. Hypertension is the second most common condition associated with PRES. The 50-year-old-male patient with, right-sided hemiparesis and speech disturbances admitted to our clinic. His blood pressure at the emergency service was 220/140 mmHg. A left putaminal hematoma was seen in his CT and MRI. In his brain MRI, FLAIR and T2 -weighted sequences showed bilateral symmetric diffuse hyperintensities in the brain stem, basal ganglia, and occipital, parietal, frontal, and temporal lobes. After the intense antihypertensive drug treatment, his blood pressure came to normal limits within a week. During his hospitalisation he had a recurrent speech disturbance lasting an hour. His electroencephalography was normal. In his repeated diffusion weighted MRI, an acute lacunary infarct was seen on right centrum semiovale. Two months later, the control MRI showed only the previous lacuner infarcts and the chronic putaminal hematoma. We presented a case developping either a cerebral hemorrhage or a lacunar infarction due to PRES. The main reason of the following complications of the disease was delayed diagnosis. Uncontrolled hypertension was guilted for the events.

A RARE COMPLICATION OF A RARE DISEASE; STROKE DUE TO RELAPSING POLYCHONDRITIS.

Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is an episodic and progressive inflammatory disease of cartilaginous structures. Its diagnosis is based primarily on clinical features such as laboratory parameters, biopsy. Neurological complications occur in 3% of the cases and are classified as an important cause of death. The cranial nerve disorders are most common but hemiplegia, ataxia, myelitis, polyneuritis, seizures, confusion, hallucination and headache can also happen. The aetiology of central nervous system involvement is still unknown. Moreover stroke has rarely reported in these patients. The diagnosis of stroke is challenging because of its rarity among these patients. Perhaps vasculitis is the common underlying mechanism. Also meningitis and encephalitis can occur during the course of RP. A 44 year-old woman was admitted with uncontemplated left hemiparesis, redness, swelling, and tenderness of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints of the right hand and the cartilaginous portion. White blood cell count, C-reactive protein and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate were elevated. Vasculitis biomarkers were normal in our patient. Carotid and vertebral artery doppler ultrasonography, cranial and cervical MR Angiography were normal. Echocardiography showed a mild mitral valve prolapse and regurgitation. Our patient had the history of auricular polychondritis but she had not been diagnosed. Hemiparesis was her first neurological manifestation that led her to doctors for diagnosis. Our patient fulfilled the criteria of RP so no biopsy was needed. She was treated with oral prednisolone (80 mg/day) and aspirin (300 mg/day) and now she is on 10 mg prednisolone and 150 mg azathioprine. Two months later her physical and neurological symptoms returned to normal.