Cerebral Infarction in IgG Multiple Myeloma with Hyperviscosity

Cerebral infarction is an uncommon complication in multiple myeloma with hyperviscosity. Serum hyperviscosity may cause a variety of clinical manifestations including bleeding from mucosal membranes, congestive heart failure, retinopathy, and various neurologic deficits. These manifestations have been attributed to the presence of large quantities of asymmetrical molecules of high molecular weight in the serum. We recently experienced a case of multiple myeloma with acute cerebral infarction, which caused by hyperviscosity, as an initial manifestation in IgG multiple myeloma, and reviewed the relevant literature of myeloma presenting with the stroke. A 68-yr-old woman abruptly developed hypesthesia and monoplegia in the left leg. The stroke confirmed by the brain MRI and MR angiography, which revealed acute infarction at the right anterior cerebral artery territory. On admission, routine blood tests showed a slight decrease in hemoglobin and a marked increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Peripheral blood smear, serum protein electrophoresis, serum visocity, and bone marrow aspiration showed that she had IgG multiple myeloma with hyperviscosity. She was treated by chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and discharged with the improved clinical condition

Appearance of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis following Thymectomy: Two Case Reports

We report two cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients who had undergone thymectomy. SLE developed in the patients 3 months or 13 yr after thymectomy, and polyarthritis was the main clinical manifestation of SLE. Both patients fulfilled at least four of the revised criteria for the classification of SLE. In this report, we describe two postthymectomy lupus patients and perform a comparative review of previous cases

Intra-Arterial Thrombolysis after Full-Dose Intravenous tPA via the "Drip and Ship" Approach in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Preliminary Report

According to the "drip and ship" concept, patients who are not responsive to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) at a community hospital may be candidates for subsequent intra-arterial (IA) thrombolysis at a comprehensive stroke center. We elucidated the efficacy and safety of combined IV/IA thrombolysis via the drip and ship approach. We retrospectively reviewed patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent combined IV/IA thrombolysis between March 2006 and June 2009. The patients were divided into two groups (inside hospital IV-tPA vs. outside hospital IV-tPA). We compared the short- and long-term clinical outcome, recanalization rate, intracranial hemorrhage after the procedure, and onset to treatment time between the two groups. A total of 23 patients with inside hospital IV-tPA and 10 patients with outside hospital IV-tPA were included. The mean pre-treatment National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores were 15.8 and 17.5, respectively. Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the two groups. The NIHSS score at 1 week and favorable outcome rate (modified Rankin Scale ≤2) 3 months after the procedure were not significantly different (p=0.730 and p=0.141, respectively). The rate of recanalization and intracranial hemorrhage were not significantly different (p=0.560 and p=0.730, respectively). The onset to IA thrombolysis time was also not significantly different (222.7 vs. 239.3 minutes, p=0.455). Our results suggest that initiation of IV-tPA in a community hospital with rapid transfer to a comprehensive stroke center for subsequent IA thrombolysis can be a safe and feasible therapeutic option in acute stroke management