Detection of episodic nocturnal hypercapnia in patients with neurodegenerative disorders.

PURPOSE: Episodic nocturnal hypercapnia (eNH) in transcutaneous carbon dioxide pressure (PtcCO2) corresponding to rapid eye movement sleep hypoventilation is a useful biomarker for detecting nocturnal hypoventilation. However, the relationship between eNH and neurodegenerative diseases with sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs) is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between eNH and nocturnal hypoventilation in neurodegenerative diseases. METHODS: Patients with neurodegenerative diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple system atrophy (MSA), Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, corticobasal syndrome, and idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, were enrolled and received overnight PtcCO2 monitoring. The patients were divided into groups for eNH and sleep-associated hypoventilation (SH) prevalence analysis: A (ALS), B (MSA), and C (others). RESULTS: Among 110 patients, twenty-three (21%) and 10 (9%) of the patients met eNH and SH criteria, respectively. eNH and SH were significantly more frequent in groups A and B than in C. The prevalence of SH in the patients with eNH was 39% whereas most of patients with SH (90%) presented with eNH. Among patients with daytime carbon dioxide pressure in arterial blood ≤ 45 mmHg, eNH frequency was 13%, whereas none of the patients met SH criteria. The frequency of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation after PtcCO2 monitoring was significantly higher in those with than without eNH. CONCLUSIONS: eNH is common in patients with MSA and ALS who present with SRBD. eNH with overnight PtcCO2 monitoring is a useful biomarker to detect hypoventilation among neurodegenerative diseases with different SRBD mechanisms.

'Raisin bread sign' feature of pontine autosomal dominant microangiopathy and leukoencephalopathy.

Pontine autosomal dominant microangiopathy and leukoencephalopathy is one of hereditary cerebral small vessel diseases caused by pathogenic variants in COL4A1 3'UTR and characterized by multiple small infarctions in the pons. We attempted to establish radiological features of this disease. We performed whole exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing in one family with undetermined familial small vessel disease, followed by clinicoradiological assessment and a postmortem examination. We subsequently investigated clinicoradiological features of patients in a juvenile cerebral vessel disease cohort and searched for radiological features similar to those found in the aforementioned family. Sanger sequencing was performed in selected cohort patients in order to detect variants in the same gene. An identical variant in the COL4A1 3'UTR was observed in two patients with familial small vessel disease and the two selected patients, thereby confirming the pontine autosomal dominant microangiopathy and leukoencephalopathy diagnosis. Furthermore, postmortem examination showed that the distribution of thickened media tunica and hyalinized vessels was different from that in lacunar infarctions. The appearance of characteristic multiple oval small infarctions in the pons, which resemble raisin bread, enable us to make a diagnosis of pontine autosomal dominant microangiopathy and leukoencephalopathy. This feature, for which we coined the name 'raisin bread sign', was also correlated to the pathological changes.

Circadian Fluctuation Changes in Intraocular Pressure Measured Using a Contact Lens Sensor in Patients with Glaucoma after the Adjunctive Administration of Ripasudil: A Prospective Study.

Nocturnal and circadian intraocular pressure (IOP) fluctuations are important issues in glaucoma treatment. Ripasudil 0.4% eye drops, a new glaucoma medication, lowers IOP by increasing aqueous humor outflow through the trabecular meshwork. We aimed to compare differences between circadian IOP fluctuations measured using a contact lens sensor (CLS) before and after administering 0.4% ripasudil eye drops adjunctively to patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG). Patients with POAG (n = 1) and NTG (n = 5) underwent 24 h IOP monitoring with a CLS before and after administering ripasudil eye drops every 12 h (8 a.m., 8 p.m.) for 2 weeks without discontinuing currently used glaucoma medications. No vision-threatening adverse event occurred. The reduction in IOP fluctuation and the reduction in the SD of IOP in 24 h, awake time and sleep time did not reach statistical significance. The baseline office-hour IOP, which was measured using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT), ranged in the low teens, and the reduction in office-hour IOP also did not show a significant difference. Further study is necessary to evaluate whether the low baseline IOP with less IOP reduction relates to attenuated IOP fluctuation reduction.

[Recanalization of an occluded artery of Percheron causing acute bilateral thalamic infarction].

An 87-year-old woman was admitted with acute onset of disturbed consciousness. On neurological examination, both pupils were dilated and non-reactive to light. Decerebrate rigidity was present. Babinski testing was positive. CTA suggested an isolated left P1 segment occlusion. The P2 segment was supplied from the left internal carotid artery via the posterior communicating artery. MRI showed bilateral paramedian thalamic infarctions. Because occlusion of the artery of Percheron was suspected, intravenous thrombolysis was performed. Digital subtraction angiography (DSA) revealed occlusion of the left P1 segment and spontaneous recanalization before endovascular treatment. Her consciousness improved immediately. When acute bilateral thalamic infarction suggests top of the basilar artery syndrome but no basilar artery occlusion is found, occlusion of the artery of Percheron should be considered. Thrombectomy of the affected P1 segment may be needed.

A case of ischemic stroke associated with protein-losing gastroenteropathy and protein S deficiency.

Protein-losing gastroenteropathies are characterized by an excessive loss of serum proteins into the gastrointestinal tract, resulting in hypoalbuminemia. Some rare cases are complicated with ischemic stroke. We report a 24-year-old woman who developed acute dysarthria and right hemiplegia 4 months after delivering her first baby by cesarean section. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed a high-intensity signal in the left anterior cerebral artery territory and middle cerebral artery territory. She had marked hypoalbuminemia and decreased protein S activity. We identified protein-losing gastroenteropathy as the cause of the hypoalbuminemia, and she had a missense mutation of the PROS 1 gene, which was associated with decreased protein S activity. We speculated that the development of protein-losing gastroenteropathy accelerated the decline in protein S activity and caused cerebral infarction.

[The Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living score and associated factors to distinguish the refractory phase in generalized myasthenia gravis patients with 5 years or more disease duration].

Associated factors of the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) score were investigated in 55 patients who had had generalized MG for more than 5 years. In multivariate analysis, correlates of the MG-ADL score at the last follow-up were the total number of fast-acting treatments (FTs) (standardized regression coefficient 0.617，P < 0.001) and Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) classification (standardized regression coefficient 0.227，P = 0.032) (F = 32.7，P < 0.001). In patients with a score of 5 or more on MG-ADL at the last follow-up, tendency as follows were seen: 1) early-onset (P = 0.002), 2) longer duration (P = 0.014), 3) high frequency of MGFA classification V (P = 0.017), 4) high frequency of the total number of FTs (P < 0.001), and 5) higher dose of prednisolone at the last follow-up (P = 0.003). MGFA V, early-onset without depending on E-L-T classification, or difficulty of reduction for high doses of prednisolone can be the target of novel treatment for MG, and future prospective study will be expected.

Prophylactic antibiotics for postcataract surgery endophthalmitis: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of 6.8 million eyes.

To reveal optimal antibiotic prophylactic regimen for postoperative endophthalmitis (POE), we conducted systematic review and network meta-analysis. A total of 51 eligible original articles, including two randomized controlled trials, were identified. In total, 4502 POE cases occurred in 6,809,732 eyes (0.066%). Intracameral injection of vancomycin had the best preventive effect (odds ratio [OR] 0.03, 99.6% confidence interval [CI] 0.00-0.53, corrected P-value = 0.006, P-score = 0.945) followed by intracameral injection of cefazoline (OR 0.09, 99.6% CI 0.02-0.42, corrected P-value < 0.001, P-score = 0.821), cefuroxime (OR 0.18, 99.6% CI 0.09-0.35, corrected P-value < 0.001, P-score = 0.660), and moxifloxacin (OR 0.36, 99.6% CI 0.16-0.79, corrected P-value = 0.003, P-score = 0.455). While one randomized controlled trial supported each of intracameral cefuroxime and moxifloxacin, no randomized controlled trial evaluated vancomycin and cefazoline. Sensitivity analysis focusing on the administration route revealed that only intracameral injection (OR 0.19, 99.4% CI 0.12-0.30, corrected P-value < 0.001, P-score = 0.726) significantly decreased the risk of postoperative endophthalmitis. In conclusion, intracameral injection of either vancomycin, cefazoline, cefuroxime, or moxifloxacin prevented POE.

Prognosis Prediction Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Oligoclonal Bands in Central Nervous System Methotrexate-associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder.

Central nervous system methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder (CNS-MTX-LPD) is rare, but its spontaneous regression has been observed in some patients after withdrawal of agents. We herein report three cases of primary CNS-MTX-LPD that received oral MTX for rheumatoid arthritis. Epstein-Barr virus and oligoclonal bands (OCBs) were positive, while proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) showed an elevated lipid peak and slightly elevated choline/N-acetylaspartate ratio in common. After MTX withdrawal, brain lesions showed spontaneous regression in all cases. Our patient's 1H-MRS findings and OCBs may reflect a non-monoclonal lymphoproliferative histology as benign-type lesions in CNS-MTX-LPD.

A case of giant cell arteritis lacking typical symptoms presenting with recurrent cerebellar infarctions: A case report and case-based review.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) occasionally presents with ischaemic stroke. Generally, symptoms related to GCA or elevated levels of inflammation markers would be a clue for the diagnosis of GCA. However, we encountered a rare case of GCA that presented with recurrent cerebellar infarctions without symptoms related to GCA (headache, fever, or jaw claudication). Furthermore, C-reactive protein levels, measured at the time of two of the stroke attacks, were within the normal range. On physical examination, the temporal arteries were prominent and weakly pulsatile. Temporal artery ultrasonography showed halo signs, and temporal artery biopsy revealed GCA. To our knowledge, this is the first case of GCA presenting with recurrent ischaemic stroke lacking GCA features but diagnosed before death. Considering this case-based review, we suggest that GCA may have been missed in elderly patients with ischaemic stroke, especially in those with posterior circulation infarction. Therefore, physical examination of the temporal arteries, temporal artery ultrasonography, and vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in those patients.

A 36-year-old Man with Repeated Short-term Transient Hyperammonemia and Impaired Consciousness with a Confirmed Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthase 1 Gene Monoallelic Mutation.

A 36-year-old man experienced severely impaired consciousness twice after drinking because of hyperammonemia. No abnormal blood tests were found other than ammonia levels. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed atrophy of the brain parenchyma. One the second occasion, the patient suffered severe impairment of consciousness, and because of seizures and glossoptosis, mechanical ventilation was started. Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) were assumed to be involved. Genetic testing revealed a monoallelic mutation of the carbamoyl phosphate synthase 1 (CPS1) gene. When transient hyperammonemia of unknown cause occurs repeatedly in adults, an active investigation for UCDs should be conducted.

Effect of region-wide use of prehospital stroke triage scale on management of patients with acute stroke.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital stroke triage scales help with the decision to transport patients with suspected stroke to suitable hospitals. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of the region-wide use of the Japan Urgent Stroke Triage (JUST) score, which can predict several types of stroke: large vessel occlusion (LVO), intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and cerebral infarction other than LVO (CI). METHODS: We implemented the JUST score and conducted a retrospective and prospective multicenter cohort study at 13 centers in Hiroshima from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2020. We investigated the success rate of the first request to the hospital, on-scene time, and transport time to hospital. We evaluated the door-to-puncture time, puncture-to-reperfusion time, and 90-day outcome among patients with final diagnoses of LVO. RESULTS: The cohort included 5141 patients (2735 before and 2406 after JUST score implementation). Before JUST score implementation, 1269 strokes (46.4%) occurred, including 140 LVO (5.1%), 394 ICH (14.4%), 120 SAH (4.4%), and 615 CI (22.5%). The JUST score was used in 1484 (61.7%) of the 2406 patients after implementation, which included 1267 (52.7%) cases of stroke (186 LVO (7.7%), 405 ICH (16.8%), 109 SAH (4.5%), and 567 CI (23.6%)). Success rate of the first request to the hospital significantly increased after JUST score implementation (76.3% vs 79.7%, p=0.004). JUST score implementation significantly shortened the door-to-puncture time (84 vs 73 min, p=0.03), but the prognosis remained unaltered among patients with acute LVO. CONCLUSIONS: Use of prehospital stroke triage scales improved prehospital management and preparation time of intervention among patients with acute stroke.

Clinical comorbidities correlated with a response to the cerebrospinal fluid tap test in idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus.

AIMS: The mainstay of treatment for idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is spinal fluid shunting. A tap test (TT) is recommended as an indication of shunting. Patients with iNPH are often elderly and have multiple comorbidities affecting the shunting outcome. We investigated the factors affecting TT in patients with iNPH. METHODS: Seventy-five patients with iNPH were admitted to our department for a TT from April 2010 to May 2021. The patients were divided into a responsive group and an unresponsive group according to the clinical outcomes after TT on the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), or iNPH grading scale. Factors affecting the TT were compared between the responders and nonresponders. RESULTS: There were 38 patients (50.7%) in the TT responder group, and the prevalence of improvement was 82.9% in the TUG, 27.6% in the MMSE, and 76.3% in the iNPH grading scale. There were no significant differences in the vascular risk factors between the two groups. The prevalence of lumbar spondylosis, compression fracture, severe periventricular hyperintensity, deep and subcortical white matter hyperintensity (DSWMH), and old cerebral infarcts was significantly higher among the TT nonresponders. The logistic regression analysis showed that severe DSWMH and lumbar spondylosis were associated with a TT nonresponse (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). Shunting was performed in 22 patients, 19 of whom were TT responders. CONCLUSION: Severe DSWMH and lumbar spondylosis were associated with a poor response to the TT in iNPH patients. We should consider risk factors when selecting candidates for shunt surgery.

[A case of meningoencephalitis and polyradiculoneuropathy induced by combination therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab].

A 76-year-old man with renal cell carcinoma exhibited consciousness disturbance and high fever after two cycles of combination therapy with ipilimumab and nivolumab. His cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed a protein concentration of 385 mg/dl, a cell count of 147/mm3, an interleukin-6 concentration of 1,280 pg/ml, and an adenosine deaminase concentration of 24.8 U/l. Contrast-enhanced FLAIR images were notable for diffuse meningeal enhancement. He was diagnosed with meningoencephalitis caused by an immune-related adverse event from immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). His symptoms improved after repeated intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy and oral prednisolone. The meningeal enhancement disappeared, and the CSF findings became almost normal. As consciousness levels improved, we observed quadriplegia and peripheral neuropathy with antiganglioside antibodies, which led to a diagnosis of polyradiculoneuropathy. This is a rare case of a patient with overlapping meningoencephalitis and polyradiculo-neuropathy induced by ICIs.

A case of systemic lupus erythematosus associated with cerebral arteritis: a case report and case-based literature review.

A 62-year-old female patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was admitted for cerebral infarction. The magnetic resonance angiography showed focal narrowing of the cerebral arteries that was initially considered as atherosclerosis due to her cardiovascular risk factors. Ten weeks later, she was again admitted for multiple cerebral infarctions. Vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging revealed gadolinium enhancement of the arterial walls of the narrowing lesions, leading to a diagnosis of cerebral arteritis. Based on a literature review, cerebral medium-sized arteritis in SLE likely progresses insidiously during the active phase of SLE, which may later result in occlusion irrespective of disease activity.

Aseptic meningitis as an initial presentation of Sjögren syndrome: a report of two cases and literature review.

Sjögren syndrome (SS) is one of several collagen vascular diseases that occasionally involve the central nervous system. We report two cases of SS involving young patients who initially presented with aseptic meningitis. A male with recurrent AM was found to have anti-Ro/SSA and La/SSB antibodies in a screening test for autoimmune process. A minor salivary gland biopsy revealed lymphocytic infiltrations compatible with SS, although the patient did not exhibit sicca symptoms. A female presenting with AM and polyarthritis also reported xerophthalmia. Anti-Ro/SSA antibody testing and a positive result in a minor salivary gland biopsy led to the diagnosis of SS. In the literature review, we found that AM or aseptic meningoencephalitis (AME) preceded or had a concomitant onset with SS in approximately 70% of cases. Screening for anti-Ro/SSA antibody, as well as systemic assessment for rheumatic symptoms, may be useful for diagnosing AM/AME of unknown etiology.

Initial deterioration and intravenous methylprednisolone therapy in patients with myasthenia gravis.

INTRODUCTION: In myasthenia gravis (MG) patients on intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) therapy, initial deterioration should be carefully monitored because it may cause myasthenic crisis. The aim of this study was to investigate the onset, duration and related factors of initial deterioration from the first IVMP in MG patients. METHODS: A total dose of IVMP in the first cycle of 750 mg or less, over 750 to 1500 mg, and over 1500 to 3000 mg was used in the analysis. Initial deterioration was evaluated in qualitative and quantitative evaluation and was defined as an increase of 2 or more points on the The Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale after the start of IVMP therapy in the quantitative evaluation. RESULTS: We enrolled 51 mainly mild MG patients. The mode of onset of initial deterioration from the first IVMP treatment was day 4 in the qualitative and quantitative evaluation. In addition, the mode of duration was 3 days. In multiple logistic regression analysis, factors related to initial deterioration were MGFA classification with overall disease duration up to just before IVMP and thymectomy before IVMP in both the qualitative and the quantitative evaluation (p < .001). One to four cycles of IVMP improved the MG-ADL score at hospital discharge from that at the start of IVMP (p < .001). CONCLUSION: Disease severity and thymectomy before IVMP are related to initial deterioration in MG patients. IVMP can be repeated after initial deterioration weekly in most patients.

Clinical features and efficacy of reperfusion therapy in minor ischemic stroke patients with atrial fibrillation.

The efficacy of reperfusion therapy (RT) using intravenous infusion of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator and/or endovascular therapy for minor ischemic stroke (MIS) has not yet been established. The present study aimed to elucidate the clinical features of MIS patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and examine whether they could be potential candidates for RT. Data of MIS patients, defined as those with a score ≤ 5 on the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, were extracted from patients admitted to our hospital between 2006 and 2018, and clinical characteristics were compared between the AF and non-AF groups. Thereafter, the impact of RT on outcomes in the AF- group was evaluated using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) score 3 months after onset and compared to that of standard medical therapy (SMT) using propensity score matching (PSM). Of 10,483 stroke patients, 3003 were shortlisted, and 457 AF patients and 2546 non-AF patients were finally selected. Patients in the AF group had more RT (13.3% vs. 5.7%, p < 0.001) than those in the non-AF group. Using PSM, 53 patients each were extracted from the AF-RT and AF-SMT groups. The frequencies of mRS = 0 or 1 for the AF-RT and AF-SMT groups were 69.8% and 64.2% (p = 0.536), respectively, with a significant difference in mRS = 0 (56.5% vs. 34.0%, p = 0.019). The present study found that MIS patients with AF underwent more RT than those without AF and that RT compared favorably with SMT for them; further study is warranted to examine whether these patients could be good candidates for RT.

Efficacy of the Insertion-support Guiding Catheter in Approaching Intracranial or Craniocervical Lesions in Patients with the Difficulty of Extracranial Trans-arterial Access.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the efficacy of the insertion-support guiding catheter (ISGC) for approaching target lesions during endovascular therapy in patients with severe atherosclerotic or tortuous arteries. Case Presentations: The ISGC is an 8 Fr, JB2 shape, stiff-type, short guiding catheter. We used ISGC for 52 patients between April 2007 and March 2018, microcatheters or therapeutic devices were delivered to target lesions via ISGC in 46 (88.4%) of the 52 patients, and none of them developed associated complications. Herein, we present three representative cases. Conclusions: An ISGC is useful for vascular intervention in patients with atherosclerotic or tortuous arteries.

[Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome: a clinical study of 11 cases].

This study reports eleven cases of reversible cerebral vasospasm syndrome (RCVS). Of the 11 patients, two were males and nine were females, with the average age of 47.9 ± 14.1 years. Many of these patients were young. The rates of severe, intractable and pulsative headache, generalized convulsions, and motor hemiparesis were 64%, 27%, and 36%, respectively. As complications of intracerebral lesions in the early stage of disease onset, convexal subarachnoid hemorrhage, lobar intracerebral hemorrhage, and posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome were observed in 63%, 9%, and 45% of cases, respectively. Cerebral infarction occurred in 45% of cases at around 1-3 weeks after onset. Improvement of cerebral vasoconstriction was recognized in several cases from about the first month of onset. The post-partum period, migraine, transfusion, rapid amelioration for anemia, renal failure, bathing, and cerebrovascular dissection were suspected as disease triggers. Abnormally high blood pressure at onset was confirmed in 55% of cases. It is important to analyze the pathophysiology of RCVS associated with these triggers from the viewpoint of the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.

[Rapidly deteriorated lobar intracerebral hemorrhages: possible association of varicella zoster virus-vasculopathy].

A 75-year-old man having dementia and lifestyle related diseases developed a lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (LICH) in the left parietal and a small cerebellar infarction in the left occipital lobe. Many micro bleeds (MB) due to cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in the subcortical areas and multiple vascular stenosis were also found by MRI and MRA. He developed herpes zoster in his buttocks on day 6 of hospitalization and complicated with varicella zoster virus (VZV) meningitis with positive for VZV-DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid. Subsequently, LICHs occurred in the left frontal lobe and in the right parietal lobe for a short period of time and died on the day 18. We speculated that the repeating hemorrhages was primarily caused by VZV vasculopathy and additionally the subcortical MBs increased the hemorrhagic risk. The relationship between VZV vasculopathy and CAA should be studied in the future.