The predictive value of early CT and angiography for fatal hemispheric swelling in acute stroke.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to analyze the predictive value of early CT and arteriographic morphologic criteria to achieve a more reliable prediction of fatal outcome in patients undergoing fibrinolytic stroke treatment. METHODS: In 74 patients with acute carotid artery stroke, early signs of cerebral ischemia were determined by CT. The site of vascular occlusion was identified by digital subtraction angiography (DSA). The patients were subsequently treated by intraarterial (n = 68) or intravenous (n = 6) fibrinolysis by means of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA), urokinase, or rt-PA combined with lys-plasminogen and followed-up for a period of 3 months. CT and DSA data were compared with the clinical course, with special emphasis on signs of early fatal deterioration (ie, death by intracranial mass effect) as determined by corresponding CT and clinical observations, occurring within 7 days after stroke. RESULTS: Seventeen patients died, all of intracranial mass effect, and all within a week after stroke. In nine of these fatalities, DSA revealed carotid "T" occlusion (CTO), which affected 19 patients. In five of the fatalities, a major early sign of ischemia (MESI, referring to cortical hypodensity in more than a third of the territory of the middle cerebral artery, as seen in 14 patients) was recognizable on the initial CT scan. This led to a higher predictive value and sensitivity of CTO relative to MESI for estimating early fatality. CONCLUSION: CTO as determined by DSA is a substantially better predictor of fatal outcome in patients undergoing intraarterial thrombolytic therapy than is MESI as determined by CT.

Renal abscess: report of a case with sonographic, urographic and CT evaluation.

The appearance of a renal abscess on realtime-ultrasound, excretion urography and computed tomography is presented of an operatively and histologically proven case. An unusually hyperdense rim of the lesion is observed on native CT-scan. Knowledge of clinical symptoms is most important for correct interpretation of diagnostic imaging techniques.

[Acute reversible encephalopathy with brain edema and serial seizures in pseudohypoparathyroidism]. / Akute reversible Enzephalopathie mit Hirnödem und Anfallserie bei Pseudohypoparathyreoidismus.

A 16 year old patient with the typical clinical signs of Albright's hereditary dystrophia developed series of epileptic seizures with loss of consciousness, tonic muscle contractions and bite of the tongue. After termination of the seizures there was coma without focal neurological signs. CT scan revealed diffuse brain edema. Electroencephalographic studies showed generalized slowing. In laboratory tests the only abnormalities were marked hypocalcemia (1.15 mmol/l) and hyperphosphatemia. Blood parathyroid hormone (PTH) was elevated. PTH-Test confirmed the diagnosis of pseudohypoparathyroidism. The patient was treated with calcium and 1,25-dihydroxy-cholecalciferol. After few days the severe encephalopathy, CT and electroencephalographic changes were completely reversible. Hereditary disturbances of the parathyroid hormone metabolism are rare diseases. Hypocalcemia must be included into the differential diagnosis of seizures and brain edema to avoid invasive diagnostic and irrational treatment.

Collateral circulation is an independent radiological predictor of outcome after thrombolysis in acute ischaemic stroke.

We tested the hypothesis that the type of vascular occlusion, recanalisation and collateralisation are predictive of outcome after thrombolytic therapy in acute ischaemic stroke. We carried out angiography and local intra-arterial (97) or systemic (14) thrombolysis within 6 h of the onset in patients with an ischaemic stroke in the territory of the internal carotid artery. Early ischaemic signs (EIS) on pretreatment CT and angiographic findings were classified and analysed in relation to clinical outcome at 3 months. A favourable outcome (Barthel index [BI]>/= 90) was found in 40% of patients with an occlusion of the middle cerebral artery trunk whereas intracranial occlusion of the internal carotid artery ("carotid T occlusion") was followed by death or severe disability (BI<50) in 87%. Significant univariate predictors of favourable outcome were occlusion type ( P<0.01), recanalisation ( P<0.01) and collateralisation ( P<0.01). However, multivariate analysis revealed a significant relationship only between collateralisation and favourable outcome (odds ratio 5.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3-26.7, P=0.02). EIS were not predictive in either case. Occlusion type and recanalisation, are related to outcome only if adequate collateralisation prevents infarction until recanalisation occurs.