Pediatric neuroimaging findings and clinical presentations of COVID-19: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: Symptoms from SARS-CoV-2 infection can involve multiple organ systems. Several reviews discussed the neurologic involvement and neuroimaging findings in adults but research on children is lacking. This study aimed to analyze the incidence of neurologic involvement in patients diagnosed with pediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome temporally associated with COVID-19 (PIMS-TS) or multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C); and also to summarize current literature on possible neuroimaging findings in SARS-CoV-2 infected children. METHODS: A literature search in six electronic databases was performed to retrieve case series, cohort studies, and cross-sectional studies on neurologic involvement in COVID-19 patients younger than 21 years of age published between December 2019 to September 2023, including COVID-19 patients. RESULTS: A total of 2224 patients with MIS-C from 10 cohorts and cross-sectional studies suggested that neurologic involvement in these subsets ranges from 8.5% to 32.1%. Symptoms included acute encephalitis, seizures, stroke, cranial nerve palsy, nausea/vomiting, and intracranial hypertension. Neuroradiology findings of 114 children from 50 case reports included splenial or acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)-like lesions, cytotoxic brain edema, autoimmune demyelinating diseases, ischemic stroke and arteritis, venous thrombosis, intracranial hemorrhage, meningitis, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor autoimmune encephalitis, acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis, hydrocephalus, olfactory bulb atrophy, cerebellitis, and acute necrotizing encephalitis. CONCLUSION: Radiologic findings of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the pediatric population are diverse. Neuroimaging studies should be considered in critically ill patients to rule out neurologic involvement and facilitate early interventions.

Predicting portal venous anomalies by left-sided gallbladder or right-sided ligamentum teres hepatis: A large scale, propensity score-matched study.

BACKGROUND: Right-sided ligamentum teres (RSLT) is often associated with portal venous anomalies (PVA) and is regarded as a concerning feature for hepatobiliary intervention. Most studies consider RSLT to be one of the causes of left-sided gallbladder (LGB), leading to the hypothesis that LGB must always be present with RSLT. However, some cases have shown that right-sided gallbladder (RGB) can also be present in livers with RSLT. AIM: To highlight the rare variation that RSLT may not come with LGB and to determine whether ligamentum teres (LT) or gallbladder location is reliable to predict PVA. METHODS: This study retrospectively assessed 8552 contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography examinations from 2018 to 2021 [4483 men, 4069 women; mean age, 59.5 ± 16.2 (SD) years]. We defined the surrogate outcome as major PVAs. The cases were divided into 4 subgroups according to gallbladder and LT locations. On one hand, we analyzed PVA prevalence by LT locations using gallbladder location as a controlled variable (n = 36). On the other hand, we controlled LT location and computed PVA prevalence by gallbladder locations (n = 34). Finally, we investigated LT location as an independent factor of PVA by using propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). RESULTS: We found 9 cases of RSLT present with RGB. Among the LGB cases, RSLT is associated with significantly higher PVA prevalence than typical LT [80.0% vs 18.2%, P = 0.001; OR = 18, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.92-110.96]. When RSLT is present, we found no statistically significant difference in PVA prevalence for RGB and LGB cases (88.9 % vs 80.0%, P > 0.99). Both PSM and IPTW yielded balanced cohorts in demographics and gallbladder locations. The RSLT group had a significantly higher PVA prevalence after adjusted by PSM (77.3% vs 4.5%, P < 0.001; OR = 16.27, 95%CI: 2.25-117.53) and IPTW (82.5% vs 4.7%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: RSLT doesn't consistently coexist with LGB. RSLT can predict PVA independently while the gallbladder location does not serve as a sufficient predictor.

Predictors of 30-day mortality after endovascular thrombectomy for large vessel occlusion in the elderly.

OBJECTIVES: Elderly acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients (≥80 years) would have dismal clinical outcomes even after successful endovascular revascularization for large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation. We aimed to identify predictors of 30-day mortality after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included older patients who underwent EVT for AIS due to LVO within 6 h after stroke onset in the anterior circulation between 2017 and 2019. Patients due to posterior circulation stroke, with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) or pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 4 and 5 were excluded. The primary outcome was mortality within 30 days of EVT. The association between clinical, imaging, procedural, follow-up imaging and mortality were analyzed. Successful reperfusion was defined as modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (mTICI) score of 2b or 3. Possible predictors of 30-day mortality were assessed by univariate and multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Total 238 AIS patients eligible for EVT were identified with 58 patients aged 80 years or more. 48 patients met inclusion criteria. Median age was 86 years (age range, 82-102 years). Successful reperfusion was achieved in 38 (79.2%) patients. The 30-day and 90-day mortality rate were 25% and 33.3%, respectively. The independent predictors of 30-day mortality were collateral scores <3 on mCTA (adjusted OR, 16.571; 95% CI, 1.041-263.868; p = 0.047) and number of passes (adjusted OR, 2.475; 95% CI, 1.047-5.847; p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: Lower collateral scores on mCTA and higher number of passes in thrombectomy were independently predictive of 30-day mortality in the elderly.

Impact of smoking on one year functional outcomes after thrombectomy for young stroke patients.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of stroke in young patients (20-50 years old) has increased in recent decades. Unlike the use of good functional outcomes to evaluate prognosis, excellent functional outcomes are a better indicator of return to work among younger patients. The rate of return to work increases with time after stroke. This study investigated the short term (3 months) and long term (1 year) predictors of excellent functional outcomes in young patients after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). METHODS: We included young patients who underwent EVT for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion within 6 hours after stroke onset between 2015 and 2021. Patients with intracerebral hemorrhage on pretreatment CT were excluded. The associations between clinical, imaging, and procedure variables, and excellent functional outcomes were analyzed using univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses. An excellent functional outcome was defined as a modified Rankin Scale score of ≤1. RESULTS: Of the 361 patients with AIS eligible for EVT, 55 young patients (aged 24-50 years) were included. Of these, 36.4% and 41.8% achieved excellent functional outcomes at 3 and 12 months, respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that smoking was the independent negative predictor of both 3 month (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.232, 95% CI 0.058 to 0.928; p=0.039) and 12 month (aOR 0.180, 95% CI 0.044 to 0.741; p=0.018) excellent functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Current or former smoking habit was an independent negative predictor of both short term and long term excellent functional outcomes in young adults with AIS.

Flow diverter retreatment for intracranial aneurysms: A meta-analysis of efficacy and feasibility.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent intracranial aneurysm carries a risk of rupture and retreatment is often necessary. However, there is no consensus on the best retreatment modality of choice. Flow diverter has emerged as a promising option for this population in recent years. Given its high cost, patient selection to optimize outcomes is very important. PURPOSE: To identify patient factors predisposing to failure of flow diverter retreatment. METHOD: We conducted a systematic search on PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid/Medline, and ClinicalTrial.gov from 2000 to 2021. Studies regarding flow diverter retreatment of recurrent aneurysms were analyzed if they meet the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: A total of twenty-six studies were identified. Among 374 patients retreated with flow diverters, about 0.86 [0.81; 0.92] were successfully occluded and only 0.06 [0.02; 0.10] had unfavorable neurological outcomes. Major complications included intracranial hemorrhage (n = 7), ischemic stroke or thromboembolic event (n = 12), and death (n = 2). In-stent stenosis was reported in 10 of the cases. Saccular aneurysms are associated with a higher occlusion rate while aneurysm location, size, status, and prior treatment modality have no significant impact on retreatment efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that flow diverter is an effective retreatment strategy except in patients with non-saccular aneurysms. It should be considered as a first-line option for patients with recurrent intracranial aneurysm.

Application of Flat-Panel Volume Computed Tomography to Evaluate Cerebral Hemorrhage After Mechanical Thrombectomy of Acute Embolic Stroke of the Anterior Circulation.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate cerebral hemorrhage (CH) and contrast media leakage (CML or commonly synonymous with "contrast staining") differentiation on flat-panel volume computed tomography (FPVCT) after intra-arterial mechanical thrombectomy. METHODS: We evaluated patients with hyperattenuation on FPVCT after intra-arterial mechanical thrombectomy between 2018 and 2021 by multiple parameters on CT angiography, FPVCT, CT, and/or magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: The CH (n = 43) versus CML (n = 24) groups revealed: (1) regional anatomical characteristics (preserved and distorted): 7 of 43 (9.6%) and 36 of 43 (83.7%) versus 22 of 24 (91.7%) and 2 of 24 (8.3%, P < 0.001); (2) thrombus in proximal two-thirds versus distal one-thirds M1 segment of middle cerebral artery (preserved and distorted): 17 of 21 (81.0%) and 4 of 21 (19.0%) versus 5 of 11 (45.5%) and 6 of 11 (54.5%, P = 0.040); and (3) average density ratio: 1.83 ± 0.65 versus 1.35 ± 0.13 (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Contrast media leakage can be differentiated from CH by preserved regional anatomical characteristics and relatively low average density ratio on FPVCT. Patients with CML who have embolism in proximal two thirds of M1 segment are more likely to develop hyperattenuation with preserved regional anatomy.

Nodular Fasciitis: Sonographic-Pathologic Correlation.

We evaluated nodular fasciitis (NF) in 19 patients, focusing on the correlation between its sonographic and histopathologic features. Sonograms were retrospectively reviewed, and the location, shape, margin, echogenicity, echogenic rim, peripheral hyper-echoic nodules, posterior enhancement and vascularity of the lesions were recorded. In the histopathologic analysis, three patterns-infiltrating, pushing border and well circumscribed-were identified, and culture-like tissue centers were classified according to the distribution of focal keloid-like collagen bundles: uneven or even. For the sonographic-pathologic correlation, most NF cases were inhomogeneously hypo-echoic and had an echogenic rim, with an infiltrating or pushing border pattern. In addition, all NF cases with the infiltrating pattern were observed to have peripheral hyper-echoic nodules in sonograms. Thus, echogenic rims may be associated with the peripheral adipose tissues in infiltrating pattern, and the degree of infiltration may be associated with specific sonographic features of NF.