Cerebrovascular disease in patients with COVID-19: neuroimaging, histological and clinical description.

Since the appearance of the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) a pandemic has emerged affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Although the main clinical manifestations are respiratory, an increase in neurological conditions, specifically acute cerebrovascular disease, has been detected. We present cerebrovascular disease case incidence in hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Patients were confirmed by microbiological/serological testing, or on chest CT semiology. Available data on co-morbidity, laboratory parameters, treatment administered, neuroimaging, neuropathological studies and clinical evolution during hospitalization, measured by the modified Rankin scale, were analysed. A bivariate study was also designed to identify differences between ischaemic and haemorrhagic subtypes. A statistical model of binary logistic regression and sensitivity analysis was designed to study the influence of independent variables over prognosis. In our centre, there were 1683 admissions of patients with COVID-19 over 50 days, of which 23 (1.4%) developed cerebrovascular disease. Within this group of patients, cerebral and chest CT scans were performed in all cases, and MRI in six (26.1%). Histological samples were obtained in 6/23 cases (two brain biopsies, and four arterial thrombi). Seventeen patients were classified as cerebral ischaemia (73.9%, with two arterial dissections), five as intracerebral haemorrhage (21.7%), and one leukoencephalopathy of posterior reversible encephalopathy type. Haemorrhagic patients had higher ferritin levels at the time of stroke (1554.3 versus 519.2, P = 0.004). Ischaemic strokes were unexpectedly frequent in the vertebrobasilar territory (6/17, 35.3%). In the haemorrhagic group, a characteristic radiological pattern was identified showing subarachnoid haemorrhage, parieto-occipital leukoencephalopathy, microbleeds and single or multiple focal haematomas. Brain biopsies performed showed signs of thrombotic microangiopathy and endothelial injury, with no evidence of vasculitis or necrotizing encephalitis. The functional prognosis during the hospital period was unfavourable in 73.9% (17/23 modified Rankin scale 4-6), and age was the main predictive variable (odds ratio = 1.5; 95% confidence interval 1.012-2.225; P = 0.043). Our series shows cerebrovascular disease incidence of 1.4% in patients with COVID-19 with high morbidity and mortality. We describe pathological and radiological data consistent with thrombotic microangiopathy caused by endotheliopathy with a haemorrhagic predisposition.

Embolismo arterial gaseoso paradójico tras una herida incisa craneal directa / Paradoxical arterial gas embolism following a direct incisive injury to the skull

Introducción. El embolismo arterial gaseoso se define como la presencia de aire en la circulación arterial. Se trata de una causa extremadamente rara de ictus que se ha descrito en multitud de escenarios clínicos, generalmente relacionados con procesos yatrógenos. Se aporta un caso clínico en el que el embolismo arterial gaseoso sucedió tras un traumatismo craneoencefálico, y se revisan los aspectos más relevantes del diagnóstico y la etiopatogenia. Caso clínico. Mujer de 52 años que presentaba herida incisa craneofacial tras una agresión con un hacha. La tomografía computarizada inicial objetivó fractura en los arcos cigomático, esfenoidal y maxilar izquierdos, así como neumoencéfalo en los senos cavernosos y el canal carotídeo derecho. Una hora más tarde, la paciente mostró un déficit neurológico hemisférico derecho, por lo que se solicitó de forma urgente una nueva tomografía computarizada craneal con estudio vascular multimodal, que objetivó la movilización del neumoencéfalo y descartó una oclusión arterial de gran vaso. Un estudio de shunt mediante Doppler transcraneal y ecocardiografía comprobó la presencia de un foramen oval permeable como causa de comunicación arteriovenosa que justificaba un embolismo arterial gaseoso. La tomografía computarizada de control a las 48 horas confirmó la aparición de una lesión isquémica parietal derecha. Conclusión. En este caso queda reflejada la presencia simultánea de aire en la circulación cerebral arterial y venosa y la comunicación periférica a través de un foramen oval permeable. Este mecanismo de producción está escasamente documentado en la bibliografía

Introduction. An arterial gas embolism is defined as the presence of air in the arterial circulation. This is an extremely rare cause of stroke that has been described in a multitude of clinical scenarios, generally related to iatrogenic processes. A clinical case is reported in which the arterial gas embolism occurred after a traumatic brain injury, and the most relevant aspects of diagnosis and aetiopathogenesis are reviewed. Case report. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman with an open craniofacial wound resulting from an attack with an axe. The initial CT scan found fractures in the left zygomatic, sphenoidal and maxillary arches, as well as pneumocephalus in the cavernous sinuses and the right carotid canal. One hour later, the patient showed a neurological deficit in the right hemisphere, and so a new cranial computed tomography scan with multimodal vascular study was urgently requested, which revealed the mobilisation of the pneumocephalus and ruled out a large vessel arterial occlusion. A shunt study using transcranial Doppler and echocardiography showed the presence of a patent foramen ovale to be the cause ofarteriovenous communication that justified an arterial gas embolism. The follow-up CT scan at 48 hours confirmed the appearance of a right parietal ischaemic lesion. Conclusion. This case reflects the simultaneous presence of air in the arterial and venous circulation of the brain, as well as the peripheral communication through a patent foramen ovale. This production mechanism is poorly documented in the literature

Mujer de 65 años con fiebre durante tres semanas, síndrome constitucional y cefalea / 65 year old woman with fever during three weeks, constitutional syndrome and headache

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