Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio as a predictor of cognitive dysfunction in carotid endarterectomy patients.

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation has been implicated in the development of cognitive dysfunction following carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) is a reliable measure of systemic inflammation. We hypothesize that patients with elevated preoperative NLR have increased risk of cognitive dysfunction 1 day after CEA. METHODS: Five hundred fifty-one patients scheduled for CEA were enrolled at Columbia University in New York, NY from 1995 to 2012. NLR was retrospectively reviewed; only 432 patients had preoperative NLR values available within 2 weeks of CEA. NLR was analyzed as a continuous variable and categorically with a cutoff of ≥5 and <5 and equal tertiles, as done in previous studies. RESULTS: Patients with cognitive dysfunction had significantly higher NLR than those without cognitive dysfunction (4.5 ± 4.0 vs 3.2 ± 2.6; P < .001). The incidence of cognitive dysfunction was significantly higher in patients with NLR ≥5 than NLR <5 (34.7% vs 12.8%; P < .001). Significantly fewer patients in the low tertile had cognitive dysfunction than in the high tertile (6.9% vs 25.9%; P <.001) and middle tertile (6.9% vs 17.4%; P = .006). In the final multivariate model, diabetes mellitus (odds ratio [OR], 2.03; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.08-3.75; P = .03) and NLR ≥5 (OR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.81-6.27; P < .001) were significantly associated with higher odds of cognitive dysfunction, while statin use was significantly associated with lower odds (OR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.27-0.84; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative NLR is associated with cognitive dysfunction 1 day after CEA. NLR ≥5 and diabetes mellitus are significantly associated with increased odds of cognitive dysfunction whereas statin use is significantly associated with decreased odds.

Frequency of ear symptoms and hearing loss in ichthyosis: a pilot survey study.

Ichthyoses comprise a heterogeneous array of skin conditions resulting from impairment of cornification. Although ear structures can be affected, ear-related symptoms have never been investigated in patients with ichthyosis. In this pilot survey study, our aim was to determine the frequency of ear symptoms, hearing loss, and related medical interventions in patients with ichthyosis. Our secondary aim was to compare the frequency of these items according to age group. An online survey using Redcap was developed and posted online on the Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types website for 6 months. Patients or parents of patients with ichthyosis were asked to complete the survey. Data analysis excluded patients with keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome and surveys that had fewer than two completed items. One hundred thirty-five unique surveys were used for data analysis. Of all participants, 80% reported ear pruritus, 66% reported trouble hearing, 29% reported frequent ear pain, 28% had abnormal hearing test results, and 16% had used hearing aids. Of the 88 participants who reported trouble hearing, 24 (27.3%) had never been to a hearing specialist. Significantly more participants older than 18 years of age (74%, 57/77) reported trouble hearing than participants age 18 years and younger (53%, 31/58; p = 0.02). The frequencies of other ear symptoms and hearing loss were not statistically significantly different between the age groups. Ear pruritus, ear pain, and hearing loss are important concerns in patients with all forms of ichthyosis in all age groups. Early diagnosis and intervention may improve the quality of life of patients with ichthyosis.

Deficits of hand coordination and laterality of carotid endarterectomy.

OBJECT: Neurocognitive performance is used to assess multiple cognitive domains, including motor coordination, before and after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). Although gross motor strength is impaired with ischemia of large cortical areas or of the internal capsule, the authors hypothesize that patients undergoing CEA demonstrate significant motor deficits of hand coordination contralateral to the operative side, which is more clearly manifest in the nondominant hand than in the dominant hand with ischemia of smaller cortical areas. METHODS: The neurocognitive performance of 374 patients was evaluated with a battery of neuropsychometric tests. Both asymptomatic and symptomatic patients undergoing CEA were included. The authors evaluated the patients' dominant and nondominant hand performance on the Grooved Pegboard test, a test of hand coordination, to demonstrate their functional laterality. Neurocognitive dysfunction was evaluated as the difference in performance before and after CEA according to group-rate and event-rate analyses. The z scores were generated for all tests using a reference group of patients who were having simple spine surgery. Dominant and nondominant motor coordination functions were evaluated as raw scores and as calculated z scores. RESULTS: According to event-rate analysis, significantly more patients undergoing CEA of the opposite carotid artery demonstrated nondominant than dominant hand deficits of coordination (41.2% vs 26.4%, respectively, p = 0.02). Similarly, according to group-rate analysis, in patients undergoing CEA of the opposite carotid artery, raw difference scores from the Grooved Pegboard test reflected greater nondominant than dominant hand deficits of coordination (21.0 ± 54.4 vs 9.7 ± 37.0, respectively, p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing CEA of the opposite carotid artery are more likely to demonstrate nondominant than dominant hand deficits of coordination because of greater dexterity in the dominant hand before surgery.

Arterial blood pressure management during carotid endarterectomy and early cognitive dysfunction.

BACKGROUND: A common practice during cross-clamp of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is to manage mean arterial pressure (MAP) above baseline to optimize the collateral cerebral blood flow and reduce the risk of ischemic stroke. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether MAP management ≥20% above baseline during cross-clamp is associated with lower risk of early cognitive dysfunction, a subtler form of neurological injury than stroke. METHODS: One hundred eighty-three patients undergoing CEA were enrolled in this ad hoc study. All patients had radial arterial catheters placed before the induction of general anesthesia. MAP was managed at the discretion of the anesthesiologist. All patients were evaluated with a battery of neuropsychometric tests preoperatively and 24 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: Overall, 28.4% of CEA patients exhibited early cognitive dysfunction (eCD). Significantly fewer patients with MAP ≥20% above baseline during cross-clamp exhibited eCD than those managed <20% above (11.6% vs 38.6%, P < .001). In a multivariate logistic regression model, MAP ≥20% above baseline during the cross-clamp period was associated with significantly lower risk of eCD (odds ratio [OR], 0.18 [0.07-0.40], P < .001), whereas diabetes mellitus (OR, 2.73 [1.14-6.61], P = .03) and each additional year of education (OR, 1.19 [1.06-1.34], P = .003) were associated with significantly higher risk of eCD. CONCLUSION: The observations of this study suggest that MAP management ≥20% above baseline during cross-clamp of the carotid artery may be associated with lower risk of eCD after CEA. More prospective work is necessary to determine whether MAP ≥20% above baseline during cross-clamp can improve the safety of this commonly performed procedure.