Ischemic Stroke Temporally Associated With New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation: A Population-Based Registry-Linkage Study.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist on the temporal relationship between new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) and ischemic stroke and its impact on patients' clinical characteristics and mortality. METHODS: A population-based registry-linkage database includes all patients with new-onset AF in Finland from 2007 to 2018. Ischemic stroke temporally associated with AF (ISTAF) was defined as an ischemic stroke occurring within ±30 days from the first AF diagnosis. Clinical factors associated with ISTAF were studied with logistic regression and 90-day survival with Cox proportional hazards analysis. RESULTS: Among 229 565 patients with new-onset AF (mean age, 72.7 years; 50% female), 204 774 (89.2%) experienced no ischemic stroke, 12 209 (5.3%) had past ischemic stroke >30 days before AF, and 12 582 (5.8%) had ISTAF. The annual proportion of ISTAF among patients with AF decreased from 6.0% to 4.8% from 2007 to 2018. Factors associated positively with ISTAF were higher age, lower education level, and alcohol use disorder, whereas vascular disease, heart failure, chronic kidney disease cancer, and psychiatric disorders were less probable with ISTAF. Compared with patients without ischemic stroke and those with past ischemic stroke, ISTAF was associated with ≈3-fold and 1.5-fold risks of death (adjusted hazard ratios, 2.90 [95% CI, 2.76-3.04] and 1.47 [95% CI, 1.39-1.57], respectively). The 90-day survival probability of patients with ISTAF increased from 0.79 (95% CI, 0.76-0.81) in 2007 to 0.89 (95% CI, 0.87-0.91) in 2018. CONCLUSIONS: ISTAF depicts the prominent temporal clustering of ischemic strokes surrounding AF diagnosis. Despite having fewer comorbidities, patients with ISTAF had worse, albeit improving, survival than patients with a history of or no ischemic stroke. REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT04645537. URL: https://www.encepp.eu; Unique identifier: EUPAS29845.

Cerebral Complications Following Facial Autologous Fat Graft Injection: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: With the increasing use of autologous fat (AF) grafting in plastic surgery, the occurrence of complications has garnered the attention from plastic surgeons. This study aims to estimate the cerebral complications following facial AF graft injection objectively and systematically with newly published literature. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted systematically on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and ClinicalTrials.gov for articles published between 2000 and 2023. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: A total of 11 articles comprising of 37 participants were included, all of which are case reports. For AF facial filling, the incidence rate of cerebral embolism among cases of cerebral and ocular embolism was found to be 60% (95% CI 0.41-0.79). The incidence of cerebral embolism presenting with initial symptoms of unconsciousness was 69% (95% CI 0.48-0.9), with limb movement disorders was 55% (95% CI 0.26-0.84), and with vision loss was 30% (95% CI 0.12-0.49). The incidence of cerebral embolism with ophthalmic artery occlusion was 36% (95% CI 0.20-0.53), compared to was 71% (95% CI 0.48-0.95) without ophthalmic artery occlusion. CONCLUSIONS: AF grafting is generally safe and minimally invasive. However, with its widespread use as facial injection filling for cosmetic enhancement, the incidence of cerebral complications, such as cerebral infarction, has also increased. It is imperative to properly manage high-risk factors for cerebral embolism during the perioperative period to prevent its occurrence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Left atrial thrombosis with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in children with immunodeficiency.

Invasive aspergillosis is a major cause of infectious disease in immunocompromised patients; however, cardiac involvement in pulmonary aspergillosis is not well-known. Two paediatric patients undergoing chemotherapy were diagnosed with cardiac aspergilloma, accompanied by pulmonary aspergillosis. In both patients, antibiotic and antifungal treatments were initiated immediately after the pneumonia was diagnosed; however, both died of multiple cerebral thromboembolisms.

Highly accelerated time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography using spiral imaging improves conspicuity of intracranial arterial branches while reducing scan time.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically compare time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) acquired with Compressed SENSE (TOF-CS) to spiral imaging (TOF-Spiral) for imaging of brain-feeding arteries. METHODS: Seventy-one patients (60.2 ± 19.5 years, 43.7% females, 28.2% with pathology) who underwent TOF-MRA after implementation of a new scanner software program enabling spiral imaging were analyzed retrospectively. TOF-CS (standard sequence; duration ~ 4 min) and the new TOF-Spiral (duration ~ 3 min) were acquired. Image evaluation (vessel image quality and detectability, diagnostic confidence (1 (diagnosis very uncertain) to 5 (diagnosis very certain)), quantitative measurement of aneurysm diameter or degree of stenosis according to North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) criteria) was performed by two readers. Quantitative assessments of pathology were compared to computed tomography angiography (CTA) or digital subtraction angiography (DSA). RESULTS: TOF-CS showed higher image quality for intraosseous and intradural segments of the internal carotid artery while TOF-Spiral better depicted small intracranial vessels like the anterior choroidal artery. All vessel pathologies were correctly identified by both readers for TOF-CS and TOF-Spiral with high confidence (TOF-CS (4.4 ± 0.6 and 4.3 ± 0.8), TOF-Spiral (4.3 ± 0.7 and 4.3 ± 0.8)) and good inter-reader agreement (Cohen's kappa > 0.8). Quantitative assessments of aneurysm size or stenosis did not significantly differ between TOF-CS or TOF-Spiral and CTA or DSA (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TOF-Spiral for imaging of brain-feeding arteries enables reductions in scan time without drawbacks in diagnostic confidence. A combination of spiral imaging and CS may help to overcome shortcomings of both sequences alone and could further reduce acquisition times in the future. KEY POINTS: • TOF-MRA with Compressed SENSE is superior in depicting arteries at the skull base while spiral TOF-MRA is able to better depict small intracranial vessels. • Both TOF-MRA with Compressed SENSE and TOF-MRA with spiral imaging provide high diagnostic confidence for detection of pathologies of brain-feeding arteries. • Spiral TOF-MRA is faster (by 25% for the sequence used in this study) than TOF-MRA with Compressed SENSE, thus enabling clear reductions in scan time for the clinical setting.

Distribution of Cardioembolic Stroke: A Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: A cardiac origin in ischemic stroke is more frequent than previously assumed, but it is not clear which patients benefit from cardiac work-up if obvious cardiac pathology is absent. We hypothesized that thromboembolic stroke with a cardiac source occurs more frequently in the posterior circulation compared with thromboembolic stroke of another etiology. METHODS: We performed a multicenter observational study in 3,311 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke who were enrolled in an ongoing prospective stroke registry of 8 University hospitals between September 2009 and November 2014 in The Netherlands. In this initiative, the so-called Parelsnoer Institute-Cerebrovascular Accident Study Group, clinical data, imaging, and biomaterials of patients with stroke are prospectively and uniformly collected. We compared the proportions of posterior stroke location in patients with a cardiac stroke source with those with another stroke etiology and calculated risk ratios (RR) with corresponding 95% CI with Poisson regression analyses. To assess which patient or disease characteristics were most strongly associated with a cardiac etiology in patients with ischemic stroke, we performed a stepwise backward regression analysis. RESULTS: For the primary aim, 1,428 patients were eligible for analyses. The proportion of patients with a posterior stroke location among patients with a cardiac origin of their stroke (28%) did not differ statistically significant to those with another origin (25%), age and sex adjusted RR 1.16; 95% CI 0.96-1.41. For the secondary aim, 1,955 patients were eligible for analyses. No recent history of smoking, no hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, a higher age, and a higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score were associated with a cardiac etiology of ischemic stroke. CONCLUSIONS: We could not confirm our hypothesis that thromboembolic stroke localized in the posterior circulation is associated with a cardioembolic source of ischemic stroke, and therefore posterior stroke localization on itself does not necessitate additional cardiac examination. The lack of determinants of atherosclerosis, for example, no recent history of smoking and no hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, a higher age, and a higher NIHSS score are stronger risk factors for a cardiac source of ischemic stroke.

Culture-negative endocarditis with neurologic presentations and dramatic response to heparin: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Blood culture-negative endocarditis (BCNE) is diagnosed in 2-7% of patients with infective endocarditis (IE) and recent antibiotic use is a known risk factor. Altered mental status may be a presenting symptom. Besides empiric antibiotics, intravenous anticoagulation using heparin may have a role in the management of such patients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 23-year-old male patient was referred to our center with fever, altered mental status and abnormal gait. Neurologic examination revealed Wernicke's aphasia. Cardiac auscultation revealed systolic murmur at the left sternal border. ECG (electrocardiogram) was unremarkable. Brain MRI showed multiple cerebellar lesions. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) demonstrated three large masses on the right ventricle (RV), tricuspid valve (TV), and anterior mitral valve (MV) leaflet. Blood cultures (three sets) were negative. Intravenous heparin therapy was administered. After 48 h, the second TTE demonstrated that one valvular lesion disappeared and the other two lesions showed a significant decrease in size. The patient's neurological symptoms resolved gradually. Further workup for collagen vascular disorders did not show any abnormality. CONCLUSION: BCNE should be considered in patients with fever and neurologic manifestations. TTE should be performed to detect valvular abnormalities. Intravenous heparin could be used in such patients when TTE demonstrate valvular vegetations.

Distribution of perioperative stroke in cardiac surgery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The recent literature suggests that a cardiac origin in ischaemic stroke is more frequent than previously assumed. However, it is not always clear which patients benefit from additional cardiac investigations if obvious cardiac pathology is absent. METHODS: A single-center retrospective observational study was performed with 7454 consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care unit after cardiac surgery in the period 2006-2015 and who had postoperative brain imaging. Cerebral imaging was studied for the occurrence of stroke including subtype and involved vascular territory. It was assumed that all perioperative thromboembolic strokes are of cardiac origin. Data obtained from a hospital cohort of consecutive patients who received a diagnosis of ischaemic stroke were used for comparison. RESULTS: Thromboembolic stroke occurred in 135 cardiac surgery patients in 56 (41%) of whom the posterior cerebral circulation was involved. In the control group, 100 out of 503 strokes (20%) were located in the posterior cerebral circulation. The relative risk for a posterior location for stroke after cardiac surgery compared to patients with ischaemic stroke without prior cardiac surgery was 2.09; 95% confidence interval 1.60-2.72. CONCLUSIONS: Thromboembolic stroke after cardiac surgery occurs twice as often in the posterior cerebral circulation compared to ischaemic strokes in the general population. If confirmed in general stroke cohorts, the consequence of this finding may be that in patients with an ischaemic stroke that involves the posterior cerebral circulation the chance of a cardiac origin is increased and therefore might trigger additional cardiac investigations such as long-term heart rhythm monitoring or echocardiography.

[Endovascular thrombectomy in patients with intracranial large artery occlusion and atrial fibrillation].

Objective: To investigate the safety and efficacy of mechanical thrombectomy in patients with atrial fibrillation complicated with acute intracranial arterial occlusion. Methods: Fifty-eight patients with atrial fibrillation complicated with acute intracranial arterial occlusion in the intervention group of East (Endovascular Therapy for Acute ischemic Stroke Trial) were analyzed. According to the TOAST (Trial of Org 10 172 in Acute Stroke Treatment) classification, patients were divided into ICAS (Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis) group and cardiogenic embolism group. Clinical characteristics, treatment methods and clinical prognosis were compared between ICAS group and cardiogenic embolism group. Results: A total of 58 patients with atrial fibrillation complicated with acute intracranial arterial occlusion were included in this study, including 46 patients in the cardiogenic embolism group (79%) and 12 patients in the ICAS group (21%). The pre-hospital transport time in ICAS group was longer than that in cardiogenic embolism group (P<0.05).Patency rate in patients with atrial fibrillation complicated with acute intracranial arterial occlusion was 98.3% (57/58), The rate of patients with the 90-day function independent (mRS 0-2) was 51.7% (30/58). There were no statistically significant differences in functional independence, mortality rate, ICH and sICH at 90 days between the cardiogenic embolism group and the ICAS group. Conclusions: Mechanical thrombectomy is an effective method to treat patients with atrial fibrillation complicated with acute intracranial arterial occlusion.

Integrin α4 Overexpression on Rat Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhances Transmigration and Reduces Cerebral Embolism After Intracarotid Injection.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Very late antigen-4 (integrin α4ß1)/vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 mediates leukocyte trafficking and transendothelial migration after stroke. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) typically express integrin ß1 but insufficient ITGA4 (integrin α4), which limits their homing after intravascular transplantation. We tested whether ITGA4 overexpression on MSCs increases cerebral homing after intracarotid transplantation and reduces MSC-borne cerebral embolism. METHODS: Rat MSCs were lentivirally transduced to overexpress ITGA4. In vitro transendothelial migration was assessed using a Boyden chamber assay. Male Wistar rats intracarotidly received 0.5×106 control or modified MSCs 24 hours after sham or stroke surgery. In vivo behavior of MSCs in the cerebral vasculature was observed by intravital microscopy and single-photon emission computed tomography for up to 72 hours. RESULTS: Transendothelial migration of ITGA4-overexpressing MSCs was increased in vitro. MSCs were passively entrapped in microvessels in vivo and occasionally formed large cell aggregates causing local blood flow interruptions. MSCs were rarely found in perivascular niches or parenchyma at 72 hours post-transplantation, but ITGA4 overexpression significantly decreased cell aggregation and ameliorated the evoked cerebral embolism in stroke rats. CONCLUSIONS: ITGA4 overexpression on MSCs enhances transendothelial migration in vitro, but not in vivo, although it improves safety after intracarotid transplantation into stroke rats.

TriGuard™ HDH embolic deflection device for cerebral protection during transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the safety and performance of the new embolic deflection device TriGuard™HDH in patients undergoing TAVR. BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with a high incidence of new cerebral ischemic lesions. The use of an embolic protection device may reduce the frequency of TAVR-related embolic events. METHODS: This prospective, single arm feasibility pilot study included 14 patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis scheduled for TAVR. Cerebral diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) was planned in all patients one day before and at day 4 (±2) after the procedure. Major adverse cerebral and cardiac events (MACCEs) were recorded for all patients. Primary endpoints of this study were I) device performance success defined as coverage of the aortic arch takeoffs throughout the entire TAVR procedure and II) MACCE occurrence. Secondary endpoints included the number and the volume of new cerebral ischemic lesions on DWI. RESULTS: Thirteen patients underwent transfemoral TAVR and one patient a transapical procedure. Edwards SAPIEN valve prosthesis was implanted in 8 (57%) patients and Medtronic CoreValve prosthesis in the remaining 6 (43%). Predefined performance success of the TriGuard™HDH device was achieved in 9 (64%) patients. The composite endpoint MACCE occurred in none of the patients. Post-procedural DWI was performed in 11 patients. Comparing the DWI of these patients to a historical control group showed no reduction in number [median 5.5 vs. 5.0, P = 0.857], however there was a significant reduction in mean lesion volume per patient [median 13.8 vs. 25.1, P = 0.049]. CONCLUSION: This study showed the feasibility and safety of using the TriGuard™HDH for cerebral protection during TAVR. This device did not decrease the number of post-procedural new cerebral DWI lesions, however its use showed decreased lesion volume as compared to unprotected TAVR. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Detection and differentiation of cerebral microemboli in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery using transcranial Doppler ultrasound.

Background: Cerebral microemboli (ME) are frequently generated during orthopaedic surgery and may impair cerebral integrity. However, the nature of cerebral ME, being either of solid or gaseous origin, is poorly investigated. Our primary aim was to determine both the frequency and nature of cerebral ME in generally anaesthetised patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery. Methods: Fifty patients (hip/knee/shoulder prosthesis, spine surgery) were enrolled. Cerebral ME and cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) were determined in both middle cerebral arteries for 15 min preoperatively and postoperatively, using transcranial Doppler ultrasound. Cerebral tissue oxygen index, determined by near-infrared spectroscopy, was further examined. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test (median (25 th ; 75 th percentile), P < 0.05). Results: Overall the frequency of postoperative cerebral ME rose to 600% of preoperative values. Primarily gaseous ME occurred preoperatively and postoperatively [19 (6; 63) vs 116 (24; 373), P < 0.001], while the number of solid ME was negligibly small [1 (0; 2) vs 2 (0; 6), P < 0.001]. CBFV and cerebral tissue oxygen index remained unaltered bilaterally before and after surgery. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that cerebral ME considerably increase after major orthopaedic surgery under general anaesthesia. The predominant accumulation of gaseous ME and their preoperative occurrence, suggest that the general anaesthesia and individual patient factors may contribute to the embolic load in addition to orthopaedic surgery. Clinical trial registration: . NCT02340416.

[May Thurner syndrome with ischemic cerebrovascular accident and permeable oval foramen]. / Síndrome de May Thurner con accidente cerebrovascular isquémico y foramen oval permeable.

The association of cerebral ischemic attack with patent foramen ovale has not been extensively studied, and frequently the site of origin of embolism is not detected despite routine studies. We present the case of a young patient with ischemic stroke and permeable oval foramen in the context of May Thurner syndrome. The May Thurner syndrome is an entity scarcely studied in the medical literature and it has also been infrequently related to ischemic vascular cerebral accident, but in patients with permeable oval foramen without evidence of the emboligen source, it is interesting to rule it out as a cause of paradoxical embolism.

Clot Burden Score on Baseline Computerized Tomographic Angiography and Intra-Arterial Treatment Effect in Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A high clot burden score (CBS) is associated with favorable outcome after intravenous treatment for acute ischemic stroke. The added benefit of intra-arterial treatment might be less in these patients. The aim of this exploratory post hoc analysis was to assess the relation of CBS with neurological improvement and endovascular treatment effect. METHODS: For 499 of 500 patients in the MR CLEAN study (Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial of Endovascular Treatment for Acute Ischemic Stroke in the Netherlands), the CBS was determined. Ordinal logistic regression models with and without main baseline prognostic variables were used to assess the association between CBS (continuous or dichotomized at CBS of 6) and a shift toward better outcome on the modified Rankin Scale. The model without main baseline prognostic variables only included treatment allocation and CBS. Models with and without a multiplicative interaction term of CBS and treatment were compared using the χ2 test to assess treatment effect modification by CBS. RESULTS: Higher CBS was associated with a shift toward better outcome on the modified Rankin Scale; adjusted common odds ratio per point CBS was 1.12 (95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.20]. Dichotomized CBS had an adjusted common odds ratio of 1.67 (95% confidence interval, 1.12-2.51). Both effect estimates were slightly attenuated by adding baseline prognostic variables. The addition of the interaction terms did not significantly improve the fit of the models. There was a small and insignificant increase of intra-arterial treatment efficacy in the high CBS group. CONCLUSIONS: A higher CBS is associated with improved outcome and may be used as a prognostic marker. We found no evidence that CBS modifies the effect of intra-arterial treatment. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.trialregister.nl. Unique identifier: NTR1804. URL: http://www.controlled-trials.com. Unique identifier: ISRCTN10888758.

Utility of Computed Tomographic Perfusion in Thrombolysis for Minor Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The use of thrombolysis in acute minor ischemic stroke (MIS) remains controversial. We sought to determine the safety and efficacy of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) in acute MIS patients with demonstrable penumbra on computed tomographic perfusion study. METHODS: Consecutive MIS patients with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale ≤3 were identified from a prospective single tertiary-center database over a 4.5-year period (2011-2015). Cases with demonstrable penumbra were analyzed according to treatment received: IV-tPA versus standard stroke-unit care without thrombolysis. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients of 195 acute MIS admissions had a demonstrable penumbra (34 IV-tPA versus 39 standard stroke-unit care). Overall median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and premorbid modified Rankin Scale were 2 and 0, respectively. Median age was 73.2 (interquartile range, 67.3-82.8) years. There were no differences in baseline demographics, risk factors, stroke localization and cause, rates of vascular occlusion (38.2% versus 38.5%; P=1.000), or mean penumbral volume (41.3 versus 25.1 mL; P=0.150; IV-tPA versus standard stroke-unit care) between groups. There were no symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhages in either group. Patients treated with IV-tPA were more likely to have an excellent functional outcome at discharge (88.2% versus 53.9%; P=0.002) and 90 days (91.2% versus 71.8%; P=0.042). Ordinal analysis demonstrated a favorable shift in modified Rankin Scale with IV-tPA both at discharge (odds ratio, 5.23; 95% confidence interval, 1.83-12.20) and 90 days (odds ratio, 4.35; 95% confidence interval, 1.77-11.36). CONCLUSIONS: In selected MIS patients with demonstrable penumbra on computed tomographic perfusion, IV-tPA is safe and associated with significant improvement in functional outcome at discharge and 90 days.

Two-layered susceptibility vessel sign on 3-tesla T2*-weighted imaging is a predictive biomarker of stroke subtype.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: A susceptibility vessel sign (SVS) on 1.5-tesla (T)-T2*-weighted images may predict cardioembolism. It has also been detected in patients with large artery atherosclerosis. In patients with major vessel occlusion, the SVS was comprised 2 layers on 3T-T2*-weighted images. We assessed the efficacy of 2-layered SVS on 3T-T2*-weighted imaging scans for predicting cardioembolism. METHODS: Our study included 132 patients who had ischemic stroke within the preceding 24 hours and presented with internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery occlusion because of cardioembolism or large artery atherosclerosis. We compared 2-layered SVS and SVS on 3T-T2*-weighted imaging scans for their sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic odds ratio for predicting cardioembolism. RESULTS: We enrolled 132 patients (72 men; mean age, 74.5 years); of these, 63 (47.7%) were presented with cardioembolism. Although the sensitivity of SVS and 2-layered SVS for cardioembolism and large artery atherosclerosis was not statistically different (74.6% and 58.0%, respectively), the sensitivity of 2-layered SVS was significantly higher in patients with cardioembolism (42.9%) than those with large artery atherosclerosis (2.9%; P<0.001). The specificity and diagnostic odds ratio for 2-layered SVS for cardioembolism were 97.1% and 25.1; for SVS they were 42.0% and 2.1, respectively. CONCLUSION: The specificity of 2-layered SVS for cardioembolism was high. It may be useful for predicting cardioembolism and for the management of patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Endovascular Therapy of Cerebral Arterial Occlusions: Intracranial Atherosclerosis versus Embolism.

BACKGROUND: Treatment strategy for acute arterial occlusions due to intracranial atherosclerotic disease (IAD) may differ from those due to embolism (embolic). The aims were to differentiate and classify angiographically defined occlusion due to IAD versus embolism and identify baseline clinical factors associated with IAD-related occlusion. METHODS: Acute ischemic stroke patients with large cerebral artery occlusions on computed tomography angiography who underwent transfemoral cerebral angiography for endovascular treatment were included. Patients were categorized as the embolic (no evidence of focal stenosis after recanalization) or IAD group (significant fixed focal stenosis in the occlusion site, evidenced in the final angiography or during the endovascular treatment procedure) based on transfemoral cerebral angiography findings. RESULTS: In total, 158 patients were included. The IAD group patients (n = 24) were younger (P = .005), more often male (P < .001) and smokers (P < .001), and had a higher total cholesterol level (P = .001) than patients in the embolic group (n = 134). The posterior circulation was more frequently involved in the IAD group (P = .001). Independent predictors of IAD on multivariable analysis were male sex (odds ratio, 6.42 [95% confidence interval, 1.25-32.97], P = .026), posterior circulation involvement (3.57 [1.09-11.75], P = .036), and high total cholesterol levels (1.02 [1.01-1.03], P = .008). CONCLUSIONS: Male sex, hypercholesterolemia, and posterior circulation involvement are associated with higher likelihood of underlying IAD as the etiology for the intracranial arterial occlusion. In patients with these characteristics, underlying IAD may have to be considered and the endovascular treatment strategy may have to be modified.

Histopathology of embolic debris captured during transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

BACKGROUND: Recent transcatheter aortic valve replacement studies have raised concerns about adverse cerebrovascular events. The etiopathology of the embolized material is currently unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS: A total of 40 patients underwent transcatheter aortic valve replacement with the use of a dual filter-based embolic protection device (Montage Dual Filter System, Claret Medical, Inc). Macroscopic material liberated during the transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedure was captured in the device filter baskets in 30 (75%) patients and sent for histopathologic analysis. The captured material varied in size from 0.15 to 4.0 mm. Amorphous calcified material (size, 0.55-1.8 mm) was identified in 5 patients (17%). In 8 patients (27%), the captured material (size, 0.25-4.0 mm) contained valve tissue composed of loose connective tissue (collagen and elastic fibers) with focal areas of myxoid stroma, with or without coverage by endothelial cells and intermixed with fibrin. In another 13 (43%) patients, collagenous tissue, which may represent elements of vessel wall and valvelike structures, was identified. In 9 patients (30%), thrombotic material was intermixed with neutrophils (size, 0.15-2.0 mm). Overall, thrombotic material was found in 52% of patients, and tissue fragments compatible with aortic valve leaflet or aortic wall origin were found in 52% (21/40) of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Embolic debris traveling to the brain was captured in 75% of transcatheter aortic valve replacement procedures where a filter-based embolic protection device was used. The debris consisted of fibrin, or amorphous calcium and connective tissue derived most likely from either the native aortic valve leaflets or aortic wall.

Predictors of acute and persisting ischemic brain lesions in patients randomized to carotid stenting or endarterectomy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We investigated predictors for acute and persisting periprocedural ischemic brain lesions among patients with symptomatic carotid stenosis randomized to stenting or endarterectomy in the International Carotid Stenting Study. METHODS: We assessed acute lesions on diffusion-weighted imaging 1 to 3 days after treatment in 124 stenting and 107 endarterectomy patients and lesions persisting on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery after 1 month in 86 and 75 patients, respectively. RESULTS: Stenting patients had more acute (relative risk, 8.8; 95% confidence interval, 4.4-17.5; P<0.001) and persisting lesions (relative risk, 4.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.6-11.1; P=0.005) than endarterectomy patients. Acute lesion count was associated with age (by trend), male sex, and stroke as the qualifying event in stenting; high systolic blood pressure in endarterectomy; and white matter disease in both groups. The rate of conversion from acute to persisting lesions was lower in the stenting group (relative risk, 0.4; 95% confidence interval, 0.2-0.8; P=0.007), and was only predicted by acute lesion volume. CONCLUSIONS: Stenting caused more acute and persisting ischemic brain lesions than endarterectomy. However, the rate of conversion from acute to persisting lesions was lower in the stenting group, most likely attributable to lower acute lesion volumes. Clinical Trial Registration -URL: www.isrctn.org. Unique identifier: ISRCTN25337470.