Impact of a direct-admission stroke pathway on delays of admission, care, and rates of intravenous thrombolysis.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the impact of a "direct potential thrombolysis" pathway with direct admission to a neurological stroke unit (SU) on delays of admission, stroke care and proportion of patients with ischemic stroke (IS) treated with intravenous (IV) rtPA. METHODS: This prospective study included all patients admitted in the intensive SU for potential thrombolysis over a 2-month period. Data collected included the time of symptom onset, mode of transport, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on arrival, delays of care, delays of imaging and modalities, diagnosis and therapeutic data. RESULTS: During the 2-month study period, 81 patients (mean age of 65 years) were included in the study. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) were involved in 86% of admissions, with a median delay of admission of 1h48 and access within 4.5h in 84% of cases. Every patient underwent immediate neurovascular assessment and imaging examination, which was a MRI in 80% of cases. Only 70% of patients had a final diagnosis of stroke. Intravenous rtPA therapy was administered to 26 patients (32%), and 58% of patients with IS. The median door-to-needle time delay was 63min. CONCLUSION: A direct 'potential thrombolysis' pathway, based on EMS and located in the SU, can result in earlier admission, reaching the recommended care delay, and a large proportion (58%) of IS patients receiving rtPA therapy. On the other hand, the proportion of patients with stroke mimics is high, thereby increasing the chances of intermittent periods of saturation of this specific pathway.

The FHM1 mutation S218L: a severe clinical phenotype? A case report and review of the literature.

Familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) is a rare autosomal dominant subtype of migraine with aura that is characterized by motor weakness during attacks. FHM1 is associated with mutations in the CACNA1A gene located on chromosome 19. We report a severe, prolonged HM attack in a young pregnant patient who had the S218L FHM1. This CACNA1A mutation has been associated with HM, delayed cerebral oedema and coma following minor head trauma. The case history we report suggests a specific, severe phenotype and the co-occurrence of HM and epilepsy related to the S218L FHM1 mutation.

[Creation of a regional stroke network in Tours hospital (France): consequences for stroke care and thrombolysis]. / Création d'une filière neuro-vasculaire régionale: évaluation de la prise en charge à 18 mois.

INTRODUCTION: Our university hospital serves a population of 300 000 inhabitants. Stroke is the leading cause of admission in our department of neurology. In June 2003, when the Emergency Department (ED) was closed in our institution, was created an acute stroke network (ASN), comprising 2 beds of direct admission and thrombolysis in the intensive care unit, and 4 beds dedicated to stroke care in the department of neurology, in which standardized stroke care protocols were implemented. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in stroke care related to the creation of the ASN in terms of delays of arrival, imaging, use of intravenous (IV) thrombolysis, and outcome of patients. We conducted a prospective study during 18 months to evaluate characteristics of patients admitted with suspected stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) in the newly created ASN and to assess conditions of treatment with IV thrombolysis in terms of safety and efficacy. We also compared the outcome data before and after the creation of the ASN. METHODS: For each patient admitted in our hospital for suspected stroke or TIA, were prospectively collected clinical and outcome data (age, mode of transport, delay of arrival after the onset of symptoms (OS), treatment with IV thrombolysis, outcome and discharge). This study was conducted in the ED during six months in 2002, and in the ASN during 18 months, for all patients admitted for stroke. RESULTS: Three hundred and sixty four patients were admitted in the ASN. Emergency medical services (EMS) were used in half of cases for transport, and median delay of admission after the OS was 2h and 52 min. Median delay of imaging was 1 h and 45 min. Seventeen patients (8.5 p. 100 of ischemic stroke patients) were treated with IV thrombolysis, with an initial good outcome in 9 patients, 7 with a dramatic recovery). The main reason for therapeutic abstention for untreated patients admitted in the first 3 hours was a mild deficit with a NIHSS<6. Compared with the previous management in the ED, patients in the ASN were younger, had more severe neurological symptoms, the EMS transport was the main mode of transport (versus used in 17 p. 100 of cases in 2002), and the delay of admission was significantly lower: 2 h 52 versus 5 h 10 (p<0.02). After adjustment on the main predictive factors, only patients with hemorrhagic strokes had a better outcome after the creation of the ASN. CONCLUSIONS: Creation of an ASN was associated with a significant decrease of admission and imaging delays, due to a strong collaboration with EMS, and with a better outcome for hemorrhagic stroke patients. Treatment with intravenous thrombolysis in the first 3 hours could be used widely and was efficient and safe. However, the creation of dedicated stroke units for all stroke patients remains necessary to improve quality of care and outcome.

[Epidemiology and management of stroke patients in emergency departments of the Centre region of France]. / Enquête observationnelle: les accidents vasculaires cérébraux aux urgences en région Centre (étude AVC Centre).

INTRODUCTION: Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability. Patients with suspected stroke are usually managed in emergency departments (ED). Stroke units must be created in our country, but only few French epidemiological data are available to define needs in stroke care. OBJECTIVE: A prospective study was planned to evaluate epidemiology and stroke care for patients with suspected stroke admitted in the 22 ED of our region in the center of France during a two-month period. METHODS: Patients with suspected stroke seen at the 22 ED were prospectively followed until discharge or one month after admission. Data on demographic characteristics, mode of transport, delay of arrival and imaging, clinical findings at arrival, department of admission, diagnosis, Rankin scale at day 7, in-hospital mortality, and outcome at a month were collected. A global statistical analysis and a comparison between rural and urban ED were performed. RESULTS: Five hundred and ninety-eight patients were included. Mean age was 75 years. Median admission delay was 4 hours and 52 minutes. Predominant mode of transport was a private ambulance. A CT scan was obtained in 91 p.cent of cases with a median delay of 2 hours and 30 minutes. Only a third of the patients were admitted in departments of Neurology. Final diagnosis was: ischemic stroke (61 p.cent), transient ischemic attack (16 p.cent), hemorrhagic stroke (10 p.cent), other vascular disease (3 p.cent), non vascular disease (10 p.cent). In-hospital mortality was 20 p.cent, factors significantly associated with death rate were elevated age and a Glasgow coma scale<10 at admission. Mean length of stay was 12 days for stroke patients. At one month, 63 percent of patients were discharged to their home, 28 percent were transferred to an institution or in a rehabilitation unit, and 15 percent were still hospitalized. Significant differences in stroke care were found between rural and urban ED. CONCLUSION: This prospective study provides epidemiological data for our region. Creation of stroke units and definition of acute stroke networks are necessary to improve stroke care.

[An ischemic syndrome of the oculumotor nucleus: associated clinical and anatomical variations on a theme]. / Syndrome nucléaire du nerf oculo-moteur commun (III) d'étiologie ischémique: variations cliniques et anatomiques associées.

Nuclear syndrome of the oculomotor nerve was first described in 1981, it is characterized by the association of an ipsilateral third nerve palsy with a paresis of elevation in the contralateral eye. This syndrome can be caused by vascular or tumoral lesions in the upper midbrain. It is rarely due to ischemic unilateral mesencephalic lesions, because ischemic lesions of the midbrain are usually integrated in a diffuse involvement of the brainstem and the thalamo-sub-thalamic region. In case of nuclear syndrome of the third nerve due to isolated upper midbrain infarct in the paramedian territory, dependent on branches of the basilar artery, oculomotor symptoms are frequently isolated. On the contrary, in fascicular syndromes of the third nerve, resulting from stroke in more lateral territories upon branches of the posterior cerebral artery, many neurological symptoms are associated with the oculomotor signs. We describe 3 patients presenting with a characteristic nuclear syndrome of the third nerve, resulting from a unilateral paramedian ischemic stroke in the upper midbrain, confirmed by cerebral CT scan or MRI examination. Clinical presentation differed in each case, and marked contralateral hemiparesia, cerebellar syndrome and focal asterixis were associated in various ways with the stereotyped oculomotor disorders. In the 3 cases, the nuclear syndrome of the third nerve was associated with fascicular involvement of the nerve, in an unusual clinical picture. The theoretical distinction between nuclear and fascicular syndromes is supported by the anatomical description of the arterial segmentation in the upper midbrain, which remains debated since the first description. According to the variability of clinical presentations, it seems that the arterial territories may be more variable than initially described. Therefore, ischemic lesions of the upper midbrain may involve some vascular borderzones with a high inter-individual variability. Upper midbrain strokes may thus lead to variable clinical pictures.

Case report of pallido-pyramidal disease with supplementary motor area involvement.

An C-flumazenil positron emission tomography (PET) study in a patient with pallido-pyramidal disease revealed a marked decrease in benzodiazepine-receptor density in the precentral gyrus cortex and the mesial frontal cortex. We suggest that, in addition to dysfunction of basal ganglia-dependent systems, degeneration of the supplementary motor area could also be involved in the patient's bradykinesia.

Facial diplegia complicating a bilateral internal carotid artery dissection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We report a case of facial diplegia complicating a bilateral internal carotid artery dissection. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 49-year-old patient presented with unilateral headache and oculosympathetic paresis. Cerebral angiography revealed a bilateral internal carotid artery dissection. A few days later, the patient developed a facial diplegia that regressed after arterial recanalization. An arterial anatomic variation may explain this ischemic complication of carotid dissection. CONCLUSIONS: Double carotid dissection should be included among the causes of bilateral seventh nerve palsy.