Cerebral venous thrombosis in Argentina: clinical presentation, predisposing factors, outcomes and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare medical condition that primarily affects young adults. The clinical spectrum is broad and its recognition remains a challenge for clinicians. Limited information is available on CVT in Argentina. Our goal was to report the results of the first National registry on CVT in Argentina and to compare clinical presentation, predisposing factors and outcomes with other international registries. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The Argentinian National Registry on CVT (ANR-CVT) is a multicenter retrospective cohort study comprising patients aged 18 and older with a diagnosis of CVT from January 2015 to January 2019. We evaluated demographics, predisposing factors, clinical presentation, and radiological characteristics (e.g. number of involved sinuses, venous infarction or hemorrhage on CT and MRI scans at admission), therapeutic interventions and functional outcomes at discharge and at 90 days. Our results were compared to a literature review of CVT registries. RESULTS: Overall, one hundred and sixty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 42 (±17) years; 72% were women. Seventy percent of patients were younger than 50 years. The most common presenting symptom was headache (82%). The transverse sinus was the most common site of thrombosis (70%) followed by the sigmoid sinus (46%). The main predisposing factor in women was contraceptive use (44%), 3% of the events occurred during pregnancy and 9% during the puerperium. Participants 50 years and older had a higher frequency on malignancy related (7.5% vs. 30%, p = 0.0001) and infections (2% vs. 11%, p = 0.001). The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≤2 at discharge was 81% and the rate of mortality at discharge was 4%. At 90 days, the mRS≤2 was 93%. When the ANR-CVT was compared with larger registries from Europe and Asia, the prevalence of cancer among patients with CVT was two to five-fold higher (15% vs. 7% and 3%, respectively; p = 0.002 and p < 0.001). Anticoagulation rates at discharge were also higher (94%) compared to registries from Asia (ASCVT - 68%) or Turkey (VENOST - 67%). CONCLUSION: Participants in the first ANR-CVT had a low mortality and disability at 90 days. Clinical and radiological characteristics were similar to CVT from other international registries with a higher prevalence of cancer. There was a high variability in treatment adherence to guidelines as reflected by anticoagulation rates (range 54.5%-100%) at discharge.

[Pseudobulbar affect in stroke patients in Argentina]. / Síndrome pseudobulbar en pacientes con accidente cerebrovascular en Argentina.

BACKGROUND: Pseudobulbar affect is defined by involuntary or exaggerated episodes of laughter or crying, subsequent to a specific disease. After-stroke pseudobulbar affect is reported in 11%-34% of patients. In our population is underdiagnosed. Our objective was to determine its frequency in a group of stroke patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study from June/2017 to June/2018. Two populations were evaluated: chronic stroke (Group A) and acute stroke (Group B). Patients with severe psychiatric illness, cognitive impairment and/or aphasia were excluded. PLACS ("pathological laughing and crying scale") and CNS-LS ("lability scale for pseudobulbar affect") scales were performed. Pseudobulbar affect was defined with diagnostic criteria plus both positive scales. RESULTS: Fifty patients were evaluated. Sixty-eight percent were men. Mean age: 65±12 years. Group A: 19 cases and group B: 31 cases. Positive PLACS: 21% group A and 29% group B. Positive CNS-LS: 58% group A and 26% group B. Both positive scales in 8 patients (2 in group A and 6 in group B). Three of them had associated depression. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudobulbar affect should be screened after stroke. Post-stroke depression is frequent and differential diagnose with emotional lability attributable to pseudobulbar affect must be ruled out. The administration of a single scale would not be sufficient for diagnostic guidance.

Everything you always wanted to know about sex and Neurology: neurological disability and sexuality.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic neurological disorders generate disabilities affecting multiple aspects of life, including sexuality. OBJECTIVE: To describe the presence of sexual dysfunction and comorbidities in a population with chronic neurological disorders. To analyze the relationship between disability and sexual dysfunction. METHODS: A cross-sectional case-control study was carried out. Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke of at least one year since the onset of symptoms were included, and compared with controls with no neurological disease, matched by age and sex. RESULTS: We included 71 participants: 29 controls, with a mean age of 49.4 years, and 42 patients with a mean age of 53.8 years. Sexual dysfunction was present in 22.5% of the controls and 77.5% of the patients. A statistically significant relationship between sexual dysfunction and disability was found in the logistic regression analysis (OR = 20.38, 95%CI: 2.5 -165.86). CONCLUSIONS: Disability proved to be the main variable related to the presence of sexual dysfunction. Patients with ALS had the worst rates of sexual dysfunction. Patients with MS were similar to the control group. As for the PD group, no patient had normal sexuality. Finally, in stroke patients, the presence of comorbidities and their treatment may have negatively influenced sexuality. These findings showed that patients with chronic neurological diseases have sexual dysfunction and underscore the need for neurologists to know and address this problem.

Everything you always wanted to know about sex and Neurology: neurological disability and sexuality / Todo lo que siempre quiso saber sobre sexo y Neurologia pero nunca se atrevió a preguntar: estudio sobre discapacidad neurologica y sexualidad

ABSTRACT Chronic neurological disorders generate disabilities affecting multiple aspects of life, including sexuality. Objective To describe the presence of sexual dysfunction and comorbidities in a population with chronic neurological disorders. To analyze the relationship between disability and sexual dysfunction. Methods A cross-sectional case-control study was carried out. Patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease (PD), and stroke of at least one year since the onset of symptoms were included, and compared with controls with no neurological disease, matched by age and sex. Results We included 71 participants: 29 controls, with a mean age of 49.4 years, and 42 patients with a mean age of 53.8 years. Sexual dysfunction was present in 22.5% of the controls and 77.5% of the patients. A statistically significant relationship between sexual dysfunction and disability was found in the logistic regression analysis (OR = 20.38, 95%CI: 2.5 -165.86). Conclusions Disability proved to be the main variable related to the presence of sexual dysfunction. Patients with ALS had the worst rates of sexual dysfunction. Patients with MS were similar to the control group. As for the PD group, no patient had normal sexuality. Finally, in stroke patients, the presence of comorbidities and their treatment may have negatively influenced sexuality. These findings showed that patients with chronic neurological diseases have sexual dysfunction and underscore the need for neurologists to know and address this problem.

RESUMO Las enfermedades neurológicas crónicas generan discapacidad afectando múltiples aspectos de la vida, incluida la sexual. Objetivo Describir en una población con enfermedades neurológicas crónicas la presencia de disfunción sexual y posibles comorbilidades acompañantes. Analizar la relación entre discapacidad y disfunción sexual. Métodos Se realizó un estudio transversal de tipo casos y controles. Se incluyeron pacientes con Esclerosis Lateral Amiotrófica (ELA), Esclerosis Múltiple (EM), enfermedad de Parkinson (EP) y secuelados por enfermedad cerebrovascular (sACV) de al menos un año de evolución, controlando con sujetos sin enfermedad neurológica pareados por edad y sexo. Resultados Se incluyeron 71 sujetos: 29 controles, con una edad media 49,4 años y 42 casos con una edad media de 53,8 años. Presentaron disfunción sexual el 22,5% de los controles y el 77,5% de los casos. En el análisis por regresión logística se encontró una relación estadísticamente significativamente entre disfunción sexual y discapacidad. (OR = 20.38, IC95%: 2.5-165.86). Conclusiones La discapacidad demostró ser la principal variable relacionada con la presencia de disfunción sexual. Los enfermos con ELA fueron los que peores índices de disfunción sexual presentaron. Los pacientes con EM se comportaron de forma similar al grupo control. En cuanto al grupo de EP todos los pacientes tuvieron algún trastorno en su sexualidad. Por último, en sACV la presencia de comorbilidades y su tratamiento podrían influir negativamente en la sexualidad. Estos hallazgos evidencian que la disfunción sexual está presente en los pacientes con enfermedades neurológicas crónicas y confirma la necesidad de conocer este problema por parte de los neurólogos.

Escala prehospitalaria de Buenos Aires para la evaluación de accidente cerebrovascular: BASE / Buenos Aires´s prehospitable scale for the evaluation of cerebrovascular accident: BASE

Escala dirigida a facilitar el reconocimiento de este evento, y que explora aspectos como la conciencia, signos focales, lenguaje, mímica, y fuerza en miembros inferiores y superiores

Escala prehospitalaria de Buenos Aires para la evaluación de accidente cerebrovascular: BASE / Buenos Aires´s prehospitable scale for the evaluation of cerebrovascular accident: BASE

Escala dirigida a facilitar el reconocimiento de este evento, y que explora aspectos como la conciencia, signos focales, lenguaje, mímica, y fuerza en miembros inferiores y superiores(AU)