ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Incidental diffuse-weighted imaging (DWI)-positive subcortical and cortical lesions, or acute incidental cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs), are a common type of brain ischemia, which can be detected on magnetic resonance DWI for approximately 2 weeks after occurrence. Acute incidental CMI was found to be more common in patients with cancer. Whether acute incidental CMI predicts future ischemic stroke is still unknown. We aimed to examine the association between acute incidental CMI in patients with cancer and subsequent ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. We used Clalit Health Services records, representing over half of the Israeli population, to identify adults with lung, breast, pancreatic, or colon cancer who underwent brain MRI between January 2014 and April 2020. We included patients who underwent scan between 1 year before cancer diagnosis and 1 year after diagnosis. Primary outcome was ischemic stroke or TIA using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Secondary outcomes were intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and mortality. Records were followed from first MRI until primary outcome, death, or end of follow-up (January 2023). Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate hazard ratio (HR) for patients with and without acute incidental CMI, as a time-dependent covariate. RESULTS: The study cohort included 1,618 patients with cancer, among whom, 59 (3.6%) had acute incidental CMI on at least 1 brain MRI. The median (interquartile range) time from acute incidental CMI to stroke or TIA was 26 days (14-84). On multivariable analysis, patients with acute incidental CMI had a higher stroke or TIA risk (HR 2.97, 95% CI 1.08-8.18, p = 0.035) compared with their non-CMI counterparts. Acute incidental CMIs were also associated with mortality after multivariable analysis (HR 2.76, 95% CI 2.06-3.71, p < 0.001); no association with ICH was found. DISCUSSION: Acute incidental CMI on brain MRI in patients with active cancer is associated with an increased risk of near-future ischemic stroke or TIA and mortality. This finding might suggest that randomly detected acute incidental CMI in patients with cancer may guide primary cerebrovascular risk prevention and etiologic workup.
Subject(s)
Incidental Findings , Ischemic Stroke , Neoplasms , Humans , Female , Male , Aged , Middle Aged , Ischemic Stroke/epidemiology , Ischemic Stroke/diagnostic imaging , Ischemic Stroke/complications , Retrospective Studies , Neoplasms/complications , Neoplasms/epidemiology , Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Ischemic Attack, Transient/diagnostic imaging , Ischemic Attack, Transient/epidemiology , Ischemic Attack, Transient/complications , Israel/epidemiology , Cerebral Infarction/diagnostic imaging , Cerebral Infarction/epidemiology , Cohort Studies , Aged, 80 and over , AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Detection of oligoclonal bands (OCBs) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is important for diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS). Previous studies reported that treatment with intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) before lumber puncture (LP) could suppress OCBs production. The aim of this study was to assess whether IVMP initiation prior to CSF collection affects OCBs results in patients with an acute demyelinating event. Additionally, we examined which clinical characteristics are associated with the presence of OCBs in the CSF. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated patients admitted to the neurology department at rabin medical center (RMC) between 2010 and 2022 who underwent LP with OCBs analysis as part of their demyelinating attack workup. Patients were divided into OCB-positive and OCB-negative groups and demographical and clinical characteristics (including timing and duration of acute steroid treatment and history of prior demyelinating attacks) were analyzed for association with OCBs results. RESULTS: A total of 342 patients were included with a median age of 35 years (IQR, 27-46). Two hundred thirty-eight (69.6 %) were OCB-positive. Initiation of IVMP before LP was not associated with negative OCBs (11.8 % Vs. 13.5 %, P = 0.721), nor was it correlated with OCBs positivity (OR=0.86, P = 0.66). CSF cell count was higher in OCB-positive patients (5 Vs. 3, P = 0.001), and a history of prior demyelinating attacks was associated with- (33.6 % Vs. 20.2 %, P = 0.014) and predictive of OCBs positivity (OR=2, P = 0.013). CONCLUSIONS: Timing of steroids was not associated with OCB positivity. However, pleocytosis and a prior attack were associated with OCB positivity in this cohort. Our results suggest that steroid treatment is unlikely to affect OCBs results. Ideally, larger prospective studies would be needed to confirm our observations.
Subject(s)
Methylprednisolone , Multiple Sclerosis , Oligoclonal Bands , Humans , Oligoclonal Bands/cerebrospinal fluid , Adult , Female , Male , Retrospective Studies , Multiple Sclerosis/drug therapy , Multiple Sclerosis/cerebrospinal fluid , Middle Aged , Methylprednisolone/administration & dosage , Spinal PunctureABSTRACT
Susac syndrome (SuS) is an orphan microangiopathic disease characterized by a triad of encephalopathy, visual disturbances due to branch retinal artery occlusions, and sensorineuronal hearing loss. Our previous systematic review on all cases of SuS reported until 2012 allowed for a better understanding of clinical presentation and diagnostic findings. Based on these data, we suggested diagnostic criteria in 2016 to allow early diagnosis and treatment of SuS. In view of the accumulation of new SuS cases reported in the last 10 years and improved diagnostic tools, we here aimed at updating the demographic and clinical features of SuS and to review the updated ancillary tests being used for SuS diagnosis. Therefore, based on the 2016 criteria, we systematically collected and evaluated data on SuS published from January 2013 to March 2022.
Subject(s)
Susac Syndrome , Susac Syndrome/diagnosis , HumansABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cerebral microinfarcts (CMIs) are the most common type of brain ischemia; however, they are extremely rare in the general population. CMIs can be detected by magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MRI-DWI) only for a very short period of approximately 2 weeks after their formation and are associated with an increased stroke risk and cognitive impairment. We aimed to examine CMI detection rate in patients with lung cancer (LC), which is strongly associated with ischemic stroke risk relative to other cancer types. METHODS: We used the Clalit Health Services record (representing more than 5 million patients) to identify adults with LC and breast, pancreatic, or colon cancer (non-lung cancer, NLC) who underwent brain magnetic resonance diffusion (MRI) scan within 5 years following cancer diagnosis. All brain MRI scans were reviewed, and CMIs were documented, as well as cardiovascular risk factors. RESULTS: Our cohort contained a total of 2056 MRI scans of LC patients and 1598 of NLC patients. A total of 143 CMI were found in 73/2056 (3.5%) MRI scans of LC group compared to a total of 29 CMI in 22/1598 (1.4%) MRI scans of NLC (p < 0.01). Cancer type (e.g. LC vs NLC) was the only associated factor with CMI incidence on multivariate analysis. After calculating accumulated risk, we found an incidence of 2.5 CMI per year in LC patients and 0.5 in NLC. DISCUSSION: CMIs are common findings in cancer patients, especially in LC patients and therefore might serve as a marker for occult brain ischemia, cognitive decline, and cancer-related stroke (CRS) risk.
Subject(s)
Brain Ischemia , Lung Neoplasms , Stroke , Adult , Humans , Stroke/diagnostic imaging , Stroke/epidemiology , Stroke/complications , Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Lung Neoplasms/epidemiology , Lung Neoplasms/complications , Brain Ischemia/diagnostic imaging , Brain Ischemia/epidemiology , Brain Ischemia/complications , Brain/diagnostic imaging , Magnetic Resonance ImagingABSTRACT
Background Paraneoplastic motor neuron disease (PMND) is a rare, non-classical form of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome (PNS). Anti-Hu and anti-CV2/CRMP5 PNS are mostly associated with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) and consist of highly variable clinical syndromes, including sensory neuronopathy, cerebellar ataxia and/or limbic encephalitis. However, substantial motor impairment is uncommon, particularly when no sensory dysfunction co-exists. Case A 72-year-old man with a recent diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was referred to our department of neurology for evaluation. The patient sub-acutely developed progressive neurological dysfunction including erectile dysfunction, behavioral changes, limb weakness, dysphagia, anorexia, as well as worsening stridor that necessitated tracheostomy due to bilateral vocal cord paralysis (BVCP). Neurological examination revealed motor weakness of upper and lower motor neuron origin with autonomic and cognitive dysfunction. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis demonstrated pleocytosis, elevated protein, presence of oligoclonal bands (OCB), and neuronal antibody testing was positive for anti-Hu and anti-CV2/CRMP5. Based on these findings a diagnosis of a PNS was made. Evaluation for malignancy was negative, and immunosuppressive/immunomodulatory treatment was initiated but had little effect during fifteen months of follow-up. Conclusions Although PMND is very rare, in an atypical presentation, especially with features that are not usually present in ALS such as autonomic dysfunction, sensory disturbance or cognitive decline, this etiology should be in the differential diagnosis.
Subject(s)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/cerebrospinal fluid , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/diagnosis , Diagnostic Errors , Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System/cerebrospinal fluid , Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System/diagnosis , Aged , Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/blood , Humans , Male , Paraneoplastic Syndromes, Nervous System/bloodABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To assess the surgical outcomes of reoperations for residual and recurrent esotropia. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent surgery during 2000-2017 at a tertiary referral medical center for recurrent or residual esotropia was conducted. Patients who underwent bilateral medial rectus recession as primary surgery and lateral rectus resection as second surgery were included. The success rate of second surgery and its association to various factors were examined. Success of reoperation was defined as mean deviation of < 10 prism diopters (= PD) at last follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with mean post-operative follow-up of 50.4 ± 31.7 months were included. On last follow-up examination, 15 (55.6%) patients had a successful reoperation and 12 (44.4%) patients had unsuccessful reoperation. The two groups were similar in the pre-operative amount of esotropia for distance and near. On last follow-up examination, the amount of mean deviation was 1.9 PD esotropia (8 PD exotropia to 9 PD esotropia) in the success group and 11.2 PD esotropia (22.5 PD exotropia to 35 PD esotropia) in the failure group. In the failure group, 75.0% of patients were under-corrected (esotropia of ≥ 10 PD) on last follow-up examination. CONCLUSION: Strabismus reoperation in cases of residual or recurrent esotropia was successful in slightly more than half of the patients. Surgical failure was more commonly associated with undercorrection and less with overcorrection.