Cryptogenic postpartum stroke.

An estimated 25-40% of ischemic strokes are classified as cryptogenic, which means the cause of the cerebral infarction remains unidentified. One of the potential pathomechanisms - especially among young patients with no cardiovascular risk factors - is paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale. Pregnancy, cesarean delivery and the postpartum period are associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular events. Factors that may contribute to ischemic strokes during gestation and puerperium include classic cardiovascular risk factors, changes in hemostaseology/hemodynamics, and pregnancy-specific disorders such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum cerebral angiopathy or peripartum cardiomyopathy. In this case report, we present a 36-year-old thrombolysis candidate undergoing mechanical thrombectomy 3 weeks after a cesarean section due to HELLP-syndrome. After evaluation of anamnestic and diagnostic parameters, closure of the patent foramen ovale has been performed. In the absence of specific guidelines, diagnostic work-up for cryptogenic stroke should be oriented after the suspected pathomechanism based on patient history and clinical picture. As long as definite evidences emerge, management of cryptogenic stroke patients with pathogenic right-to-left shunt remains individual based on the mutual decision of the patient and the multidisciplinary medical team.

[Effectiveness and safety of intraventricular fibrinolysis in secondary intraventricular hemorrhages (a prospective, randomized study)]. / Az agykamrába töro vérzések lokális fibrinolízisének biztonságossága és hatékonysága (prospektív, randomizált vizsgálat).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Intraventricular clot secondary to brain hemorrhage has still one of the worst prognosis among all stroke subtypes, regardless of conservative therapy or surgical interventions. The rapid clot resolution with thrombolytic agents could improve the outcome by restoring the impaired cerebrospinal fluid circulation, for this reason, the authors examined the safety and efficacy of Urokinase therapy in a randomized, controlled study. METHODS: They enrolled 27 patients with severe intraventricular hemorrhage between 1998 and 2002. All patients had supratentorial intracerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension, with IVH, moreover clinically worsening course due to the obstructive hydrocephalus confirmed by CT. Eleven persons were treated with ventriculostomy alone and 16 received adjunctive intraventricular urokinase. The authors examined the early, 30-day and 1-year mortality, furthermore the neurological (Scandinavian Stroke Scale) and functional outcome (Barthel Scale). The mean age was 60 +/- 9.5. The initial Scandinavian Stroke Scale was 7.51 +/- 8.64, Glasgow Coma Scale was 6.85 +/- 2.52, intracerebral hemorrhage volume was 22.44 +/- 18.14 ml. RESULTS: The 1 year survival rate was significant higher in the urokinase treated group (p = 0.014), This tendency in the mortality (31.3% vs. 54.5%) and in the neurological/functional condition (SSS, p = 0.078/Barthel, p = 0.119) at 30th day have been also documented. No hemorrhagic complications due to urokinase were observed. Two meningitis (7.4%) and two intraparenchymal hemorrhages (7.4%) related to drain insertion were detected (p = 0.009). The probability of pulmonary infection was roughly two times higher in the group without clot lysis (RR = 1.870; 95% CI: 1.004-3.482). CONCLUSIONS: In the authors experience, urokinase treatment reveals to be safe in the intraventricular clot lysis. This therapy allows earlier mobilization and rehabilitation, and decreases the number of infections, which are favorable to the long-term survival rate.

[Thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke with streptokinase]. / Akut ischaemiás stroke thrombolyticus kezelése sztreptokinázzal.

AIM AND METHODS: In an open, observational study, 40 consecutive ischemic stroke patients eligible for thrombolytic therapy using the combined ECASS/NINDS inclusion criteria have been treated intravenously with 1.5 M units of streptokinase. The therapeutic window was 3 hours or shorter. RESULTS: The safety analysis documented a low rate (5%) of intracerebral hemorrhages, and an additional 13% rate of hemorrhagic transformation of the initial infarction. Two patients died due to intracerebral bleeding. The efficacy of the SK thrombolysis was significant in 53% of the patients (the mean of the improvement on the NIH stroke scale was 15 points), while an other 42% of the patients achieved only the mean of 4 points improvement on their NIHSS score. DISCUSSION: These results are of the same magnitude, as those documented in the NINDS trial with rt-PA. Time window rather than the thrombolytic agent itself seems to be the decisive factor for successful thrombolysis. CONCLUSION: The good safety profile of SK in acute stroke using the ECASS/NINDS criteria, and the cost-effectiveness of the drug underline the necessity of a new SK trial with the recently accepted inclusion and exclusion criteria.

[Molecular markers of endothelial dysfunction in acute ischemic stroke]. / A vascularis endothelium károsodásának szignálmolekulái akut ischaemiás stroke-ban.

INTRODUCTION: In spite of all similarities, ischemic stroke cases representing 80% of the acute cerebrovascular accidents, different steps of platelet activation, coagulation and fibrinolytic cascade are involved in the pathomechanism of the different stroke subtypes. The differentiation of the atherothrombotic, cardioembolic and lacunar forms of acute ischemic stroke is based on the comprehensive evaluation of clinical signs, neuroimaging technics, and diagnostic ultrasound, but also a significant effort was made to characterize the specificities of the underlying processes of the coagulation system by signal molecules, in order to clarify their possible role and to support the diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The von Willebrand factor was studied as the marker of endothelial injury in 34 acute ischemic stroke patients within 24 hours after the onset of their stroke, and repeatedly 2, 4, and 12 weeks thereafter. To determine the probable source of the von Willebrand factor, usually released not only by endothelial cells, but also by platelets, the authors simultaneously measured the levels of an additional endothelial marker, thrombomodulin, and a platelet activation marker, beta-thromboglobulin. RESULTS: The mean of von Willebrand factor levels measured in stroke patients on the first day was 123%, whereas the mean of the control group 72% (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference according to stroke subtype. Von Willebrand values determined two weeks later showed a further 60% increase in stroke patients, and after a gradual fall their level remained above the concentration of the control group. The beta-thromboglobulin level measured in stroke group was significantly higher, than in control individuals (171 IU/ml vs. 32 IU/ml, p < 0.001). This was characteristic for atherothrombotic and cardioembolic stroke, but not for lacunar infarctions. If measured repeatedly, beta-thromboglobulin levels decreased rapidly in the first two weeks, than somewhat slower. Soluble thrombomodulin was slightly elevated in stroke patients (4.24 ng/ml) compared to healthy subjects (3.81 ng/ml), without statistical significance, and without major differences between subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: While early determination of beta-thromboglobulin can contribute to the differential diagnoses of the subtypes of ischemic stroke, the long-lasting elevation of von Willebrand factor may reflect endothelial dysfunction caused by several factors in the microvasculature of the penumbra.

[Thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke with intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator]. / Akut ischaemiás stroke thrombolysise intravénás rekombináns szöveti plazminogén aktivátorral.

INTRODUCTION: The authors summarised their experiences of systemic intravenous thrombolysis using recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator with 3 hours therapeutic window in acute ischaemic stroke. AIM: The aim of this work was to test the safety and efficacy of systemic thrombolysis in our unselected, community-based patient population. RESULTS: The mean door-to-needle time was 45 minutes, the number of bleeding complications and successful recanalisation was similar to the results of the large international trials. In spite of these facts the functional outcome of our patients turned out to be worse. Compared to the baseline characteristics of the international trials the initial neurological deficit--a well known bad prognostic parameter- and also the comorbidity of our patients was more severe. CONCLUSION: In Hungary only patients with alarming, initial symptoms arrive quickly enough for thrombolysis to the hospital, while in most of the patients with less severe stroke symptoms the delay for hospital admission is more than 3 hours. The authors assume that with more effective patient education it might be possible to solve this problem and make thrombolysis to exert a greater impact on the effectiveness of the acute stroke therapy.