Etiology, 3-Month Functional Outcome and Recurrent Events in Non-Traumatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Knowledge about different etiologies of non-traumatic intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and their outcomes is scarce. METHODS We assessed prevalence of pre-specified ICH etiologies and their association with outcomes in consecutive ICH patients enrolled in the prospective Swiss Stroke Registry (2014 to 2019). RESULTS We included 2,650 patients (mean±standard deviation age 72±14 years, 46.5% female, median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 8 [interquartile range, 3 to 15]). Etiology was as follows: hypertension, 1,238 (46.7%); unknown, 566 (21.4%); antithrombotic therapy, 227 (8.6%); cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), 217 (8.2%); macrovascular cause, 128 (4.8%); other determined etiology, 274 patients (10.3%). At 3 months, 880 patients (33.2%) were functionally independent and 664 had died (25.1%). ICH due to hypertension had a higher odds of functional independence (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.33; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00 to 1.77; P=0.05) and lower mortality (aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.47 to 0.86; P=0.003). ICH due to antithrombotic therapy had higher mortality (aOR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.01 to 2.61; P=0.045). Within 3 months, 4.2% of patients had cerebrovascular events. The rate of ischemic stroke was higher than that of recurrent ICH in all etiologies but CAA and unknown etiology. CAA had high odds of recurrent ICH (aOR, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.48 to 7.69; P=0.004) while the odds was lower in ICH due to hypertension (aOR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19 to 0.93; P=0.031). CONCLUSIONS Although hypertension is the leading etiology of ICH, other etiologies are frequent. One-third of ICH patients are functionally independent at 3 months. Except for patients with presumed CAA, the risk of ischemic stroke within 3 months of ICH was higher than the risk of recurrent hemorrhage

Hyperperfusion Syndrome After MCA Embolectomy - a rare complication?

Patient: Female, 78 Final Diagnosis: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome Symptoms: — Medication: — Clinical Procedure: Endovascular embolectomy Specialty: Neurology Objective: Unknown ethiology Background: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome (cHS) is a well known but rare complication after carotid endarterectomy, carotid angioplasty with stenting, and stenting of intracranial arterial stenosis. The clinical presentation may vary from acute onset of focal oedema (stroke-like presentation) and intracerbral hemorrhage to delayed (>24h hours after the procedure) presentation with seizures, focal motor weakness, or late intracerebral hemorrhage. The incidence of cHS after carotid endarterectomy ranges from 0–3% and defined as an increase of the ipsilateral cerebral blood flow up to 40% over baseline in ultrasound. Case Report: We present a case of a 78-year-old woman with an acute ischemic stroke due to left side middle cerebral artery territory with right sided hemiparesis and aphasia (NIHSS 16). After systemic thrombolysis embolectomy using a retractable stent (Solitaire® device) was performed and resulted in complete and successful recanalization of MCA including its branches about 210 minutes after symptom onset but, partial dislocation of thrombotic material into the anterior cerebral artery (ACA). Conclusions: Cerebral hyperperfusion syndrome should be considered in patients with clinical deterioration after successful recanalisation and the early diagnosis and treatment may be important for neurological outcome after endovascular embolectomy Keywords: embolectomy, hyperperfusion syndrome, ischemic stroke, middle cerebral artery occlusio

Primary cCT Imaging Based Clinico-Neurological Assessment—Calling for Addition of Telestroke Video Consultation in Patients With Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Background and Purpose: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) requires rapid decision making to decrease morbidity and mortality although time frame and optimal therapy are still ill defined. Ideally, specialized neurologists, neurosurgeons, and (neuro-) radiologists who know the patient's clinical status and their cerebral computed tomography imaging (cCT) make a joint decision on the clinical management. However, in telestroke networks, a shift toward cCT imaging criteria used for decisionmaking can be observed for practical reasons. Here we investigated the "reverse correlation" from cCT imaging to the actual clinical presentation as evaluated by the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS). Methods: CCT images and basic information (age, sex, and time of onset) of 50 patients with hypertensive and lobar ICH were presented to 14 experienced neurologists and 15 neurosurgeons. Based on this information, the NIHSS and GCS scores were estimated for each patient. The differences between the actual GCS and NIHSS scores and the cCT-imaging-based estimated scores were plotted in a bland-Altman plot. Results: The average estimated GCS score mainly based on cCT imaging was 12. 4 +/- 2.8 (actual value: 13.0 +/- 2.5; p = 0.100), the estimated NIHSS score was 13.9 +/- 9.1 (actual value: 10.8 +/- 7.3; p < 0.001). Thus, in cCT-imaging-based evaluation, the neurological status of patients especially employing the NIHSS was estimated poorer, particularly in patients with lobar ICH. "Reverse clinical" evaluation based on cCT-imaging alone may increase the rate of intubation and secondary transferal and neurosurgical treatment. Telestroke networks should consider both, videoassessment of the actual clinical picture and cCT-imaging findings to make appropriate acute treatment decisions

Interdisciplinary Decision Making in Hemorrhagic Stroke Based on CT Imaging—Differences Between Neurologists and Neurosurgeons Regarding Estimation of Patients' Symptoms, Glasgow Coma Scale, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale

Background and Purpose: Acute intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) requires rapid decision making toward neurosurgery or conservative neurological stroke unit treatment. In a previous study, we found overestimation of clinical symptoms when clinicians rely mainly on cerebral computed tomography (cCT) analysis. The current study investigates differences between neurologists and neurosurgeons estimating specific scores and clinical symptoms. Methods: Overall, 14 neurologists and 15 neurosurgeons provided clinical estimates and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) as well as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) based on cCT images and basic information of 50 patients with hypertensive and lobar ICH. Subgroup analyses were performed for the different professions (neurologists vs. neurosurgeons) and bleeding subtypes (typical location vs. atypical). The differences between the actual GCS and NIHSS scores and the cCT-imaging-based estimated scores were depicted as Bland-Altman plots and negative and positive predictive value (NPV and PPV) for prediction of clinical relevant items. Delta NIHSS points (Delta GCS points) were calculated as the difference between actual and rated NIHSS (GCS) including 95% confidence interval (CI). Results: Mean Delta GCS points for neurosurgeons was 1.16 (95% CI: -2.67-4.98); for neurologists, 0.99 (95% CI: -2.58-4.55), p = 0.308; mean Delta NIHSS points for neurosurgeons was -2.95 (95% CI: -12.71-6.82); for neurologists, -0.33 (95% CI: -9.60-8.94), p < 0.001. NPV and PPV for stroke symptoms were low, with large differences between different symptoms, bleeding subtypes, and professions. Both professions had more problems in proper rating of specific clinic-neurological symptoms than rating scores. Conclusion: Our results stress the need for joint decision making based on detailed neurological examination and neuroimaging findings also in telemedicine

Prior Anticoagulation in Patients with Ischemic Stroke and Atrial Fibrillation.

The aim was to evaluate, in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and acute ischemic stroke, the association of prior anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with stroke severity, utilization of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), safety of IVT, and 3-month outcomes. This was a cohort study of consecutive patients (2014-2019) on anticoagulation versus those without (controls) with regard to stroke severity, rates of IVT/mechanical thrombectomy, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), and favorable outcome (modified Rankin Scale score 0-2) at 3 months. Of 8,179 patients (mean [SD] age, 79.8 [9.6] years; 49% women), 1,486 (18%) were on VKA treatment, 1,634 (20%) on DOAC treatment at stroke onset, and 5,059 controls. Stroke severity was lower in patients on DOACs (median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale 4, [interquartile range 2-11]) compared with VKA (6, [2-14]) and controls (7, [3-15], p &lt; 0.001; quantile regression: β -2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.6 to -1.7). The IVT rate in potentially eligible patients was significantly lower in patients on VKA (156 of 247 [63%]; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.67; 95% CI 0.50-0.90) and particularly in patients on DOACs (69 of 464 [15%]; aOR 0.06; 95% CI 0.05-0.08) compared with controls (1,544 of 2,504 [74%]). sICH after IVT occurred in 3.6% (2.6-4.7%) of controls, 9 of 195 (4.6%; 1.9-9.2%; aOR 0.93; 95% CI 0.46-1.90) patients on VKA and 2 of 65 (3.1%; 0.4-10.8%, aOR 0.56; 95% CI 0.28-1.12) of those on DOACs. After adjustments for prognostic confounders, DOAC pretreatment was associated with a favorable 3-month outcome (aOR 1.24; 1.01-1.51). Prior DOAC therapy in patients with AF was associated with decreased admission stroke severity at onset and a remarkably low rate of IVT. Overall, patients on DOAC might have better functional outcome at 3 months. Further research is needed to overcome potential restrictions for IVT in patients taking DOACs. ANN NEUROL 2021;89:42-53

Constraints on the χ_(c1) versus χ_(c2) polarizations in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

The polarizations of promptly produced χ_(c1) and χ_(c2) mesons are studied using data collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC, in proton-proton collisions at √s=8  TeV. The χ_c states are reconstructed via their radiative decays χ_c → J/ψγ, with the photons being measured through conversions to e⁺e⁻, which allows the two states to be well resolved. The polarizations are measured in the helicity frame, through the analysis of the χ_(c2) to χ_(c1) yield ratio as a function of the polar or azimuthal angle of the positive muon emitted in the J/ψ → μ⁺μ⁻ decay, in three bins of J/ψ transverse momentum. While no differences are seen between the two states in terms of azimuthal decay angle distributions, they are observed to have significantly different polar anisotropies. The measurement favors a scenario where at least one of the two states is strongly polarized along the helicity quantization axis, in agreement with nonrelativistic quantum chromodynamics predictions. This is the first measurement of significantly polarized quarkonia produced at high transverse momentum