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Objectives: Studies focusing on intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) are limited; thus, we aimed to identify factors associated with the occurrence of ICH in Thai patients with CVT., Methods: This retrospective cohort study recruited patients with CVT admitted to a tertiary university-based hospital between 2002 and 2022. The baseline characteristics, clinical presentations, radiographic findings, and etiologies were compared between the ICH and non-ICH groups. The factors with p < 0.2 in the univariate analysis were further analyzed using multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify independent factors associated with ICH in patients with CVT., Results: Of 228 screenings, 202 patients were eligible. The incidence rate of ICH was 36.63%. The ICH group showed a higher prevalence of focal neurological deficits (63.51% vs. 26.56%, p < 0.001), seizures (68.92% vs. 21.88%, p < 0.001), dependency status at admission (60.81% vs. 39.84%, p = 0.004), superior sagittal sinus thrombosis (71.62% vs. 39.07%, p < 0.001), superficial cortical vein thrombosis (36.49% vs. 10.16%, p < 0.001), and hormonal use (17.57% vs. 7.03%, p = 0.021) than the non-ICH group. In contrast, the ICH group showed a lower prevalence of isolated increased intracranial pressure (10.81% vs. 21.88%, p = 0.048) than the non-ICH group. Seizures (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 4.537; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.085-9.874; p < 0.001), focal neurological deficits (aOR, 2.431; 95% CI, 1.057-5.593; p = 0.037), and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis (aOR, 1.922; 95% CI, 1.913-4.045; p = 0.045) were independently associated with ICH in the multivariable logistic regression analysis., Conclusions: Seizures, focal neurological deficits, and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis are associated with ICH in patients with CVT., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: About 30 % of stroke patients have experienced unsuccessful reperfusion following endovascular therapy. Mechanical thrombectomy instruments may contribute to this by stimulating platelet aggregation. Tirofiban is a selective and rapidly activated antagonist of the platelets nonpeptide glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptors that can reversibly suppress platelet aggregation. But, data from the medical literature are conflicting regarding its safety and efficacy for stroke patients. Hence, this study was designed to assess the safety and efficacy of tirofiban in stroke patients., Methods: Five major databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane library) were searched till December 2022. The Cochrane tool was used for risk of bias assessment, and the RevMan 5.4 was utilized for data analysis., Results: Seven RCTs with 2088 stroke patients were included. Tirofiban significantly increased the number of patients with mRS 0 score after 90 days than control; RR= 1.39, 95 %CI [1.15, 1.69]; p = 0.0006. Additionally, it reduced the NIHSS score after seven days; MD= -0.60, 95 %CI [-1.14, -0.06]; p = 0.03. However, tirofiban increased the incidence of intracranial haemorrhage (ICH); RR= 1.22, 95 %CI [1.03, 1.44]; p = 0.02. Other assessed outcomes showed insignificant results., Conclusions: Tirofiban was associated with a higher mRS 0 score after three months and a lower NIHSS score after seven days. However, it is associated with higher ICH. Multicentric trials are required to provide more convincing proof of its utility., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is strongly associated with coagulopathy that occurs in 25-35% of patients. This complication is linked to higher mortality and morbidity. Recent lines of evidance have supported administration of fibrinogen concentrate (FC) in patients with severe TBI, while its efficacy remains controversial. In this study we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of serum fibrinogen level correction from 1.5 and 2.0 g/l to more than 2.0 g/l in patients with severe TBI undergoing traumatic cranial surgery., Method: This randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial included trauma patients who had abbreviated injury scale (AIS) more than 3 in head and below 3 in other organs. FC was administered intravenously to patients with severe TBI undergoing TBI to correct the fibrinogen level above 2 g/l. Patients were randomly assigned to FC and control groups. The amount of intra-operative blood loss, packed cell (PC) transfusion, formation of new intracranial hemorrhage, and hemovac drainage were compared between the two study groups., Results: Forty-seven of 65 participants received the study intervention within 40-112 min of admission. Intra-operative PC transfusion was higher in FC group (80%) compared to control group (55.5%) while the differance was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Intra-operative blood loss was significantly higher in control group than FC group (P = 0.036). Chance of re-operation and new intracranial hematoma were not significantly different between two study groups., Conclusion: Early delivery of FC, decreases intraoperative bleeding. Although based on our findings it has no other effect on other parameters, further multicenter studies are recommended to investigate the role of early FC administration in management of post traumatic coagulopathy., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest None declared., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH) is a devastating complication of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). We aim to develop and validate a nomogram for predicting sICH in patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO) in the anterior circulation., Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective analysis on collected data from patients undergoing EVT for LVO in the anterior circulation between January 2018 and December 2021. Forward stepwise logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of sICH and establish a nomogram. The discrimination and calibration of the model was accessed using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) and calibration plot. The model was internally validated using bootstrap and 5-fold cross-validation., Results: 243 patients were included, among whom 23 developed sICH (9.5%). After multivariate logistic regression, baseline glucose level (odds ratio [OR], 1.16; p = 0.022), Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (OR, 0.44; p < 0.001), regional Leptomeningeal Collateral score (OR, 0.74; p < 0.001) were identified as independent predictors of sICH, which were then incorporated into a predictive nomogram. The ROC curve of the model showed good discriminative ability with an AUC of 0.856 (95% CI: 0.785-0.928). The calibration plot of the model demonstrated good consistency between the actual observed and the predicted probability of sICH. The model was internally validated by using bootstrap (1000 resamples) with an AUC of 0.835 (95%CI: 0.782-0.887) and 5-fold cross-validation with an AUC of 0.831 (95%CI: 0.775-0.887)., Conclusion: Our model is a reliable tool to predict sICH after EVT. Although the model was internally validated, further external validation is also warranted., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Purpose: This study aimed to develop a score to predict the risk for symptomatic intracranial haemorrhage (sICH) associated with endovascular treatment (EVT) in patients with acute ischaemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusions (LVOs) in the anterior circulation., Methods: Between January 2017 and December 2019, acute stroke patients with anterior circulation occlusion and EVT were retrospectively enroled from 11 comprehensive stroke centres in China. Univariate analyses were performed to compare the factors in patients with or without sICH. The predictive value of parameters associated with sICH was evaluated with multivariate logistic regression, and the score was developed according to the magnitude of regression coefficients. We performed external validation in a retrospective stroke registry of EVT for acute anterior circulation ischaemic stroke in 21 comprehensive stroke centres across 10 provinces in China (ACTUAL)., Results: Of the 433 patients, 70 (16.2%) patients had sICH. The preoperative predictive factors of sICH were poor collateral circulation, low baseline ASPECTS, cardioembolic stroke and high serum glucose. Using the OR of preoperative predictive factors (collateral circulation status, baseline ASPECTS, TOAST type and serum glucose) in the multivariable model, we derived the ACTS score. In the derivation cohort, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.797; in the validation cohort, it was 0.727., Conclusion: The ACTS score provides a quick and easy-to-perform scale to predict the risk of sICH in acute anterior circulation stroke patients treated with EVT. This score should be further examined and improved in future prospective studies to increase its precision and applicability before it can be recommended to make clinical decisions regarding the performance of EVT., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) are at risk of developing intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Considering the association between ICH and a poor outcome, identifying risk factors for ICH in patients with CVT is of great importance., Methods: In this observational, retrospective, and double-center research over 3 years at Tongji and Union Hospital, red cell distribution width (RDW) and D-dimer levels were assessed in 117 adult patients with a diagnosis of CVT. Demographics, clinical presentation, imaging evaluation, laboratory results, and outcomes were analyzed., Results: In univariate analysis, RDW (odds ratio [OR] 1.30, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.09-1.55, P < 0.001) and D-dimer (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.13-1.59, P = 0.01) levels were associated with the risk of ICH in patients with CVT. In multivariate analysis, RDW (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.09-1.58, P < 0.001) and D-dimer (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.1-1.6, P < 0.001) levels were independently associated with the risk of ICH in patients with CVT after correction for time of onset and white blood cell count., Conclusion: Elevated RDW and D-dimer levels were associated with an increased risk of ICH in patients with CVT. Further research should be undertaken to investigate their value in predicting CVT-related ICH., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients with COVID-19 to non-COVID-19 controls, and to describe changes in stroke admission patterns during the pandemic., Methods: This is a single center, retrospective, observational study. All consecutive patients admitted with primary diagnosis of ischemic/ hemorrhagic stroke between March1st -May10th 2020 were included and compared with the same time period in 2019., Results: There was a 41.9% increase in stroke admissions in 2020 (148 vs 210,P = .001). When comparing all ischemic strokes, higher rate of large vessel occlusion (LVO) (18.3% vs 33.8%,P = .008) and significant delay in initiation of mechanical thrombectomy after hospital arrival (67.75 vs 104.30 minutes,P = .001) was observed in 2020. When comparing all hemorrhagic strokes, there were no differences between the two years. Among 591 COVID-19 admissions, 31 (5.24%) patients with stroke including 19 with ischemic (3.21%) and 12 with hemorrhagic stroke (2.03%) were identified. Patients with COVID-19 and ischemic stroke were significantly younger (58.74 vs 48.11 years,P = .002), predominantly male (68.18% vs 94.74%,P = .016), had lesser vascular risk factors, had more severe clinical presentation (NIHSS 7.01 vs 17.05,P < .001), and higher rate of LVO (23.6% vs. 63.1%,P = .006). There was no difference in the rate of endovascular thrombectomy, but time to groin puncture was significantly longer in COVID-19 patients (83.41 vs 129.50 minutes,P = .003). For hemorrhagic stroke, COVID-19 patients did not differ from non-COVID-19 patients., Conclusions: Stroke continues to occur during this pandemic and stroke pathways have been affected by the pandemic. Stroke occurs in approximately 5% of patients with COVID-19. COVID-19 associated ischemic stroke occurs in predominantly male patients who are younger, with fewer vascular risk factors, can be more severe, and have higher rates of LVO. Despite an increase in LVO during the pandemic, treatment with mechanical thrombectomy has not increased. COVID-19 associated hemorrhagic stroke does not differ from non-COVID-19 hemorrhagic stroke patients., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: Intracranial hemorrhage is a critical medical emergency. Nosocomial infections may promote worse outcomes in these vulnerable patients. This study investigated microbial features, predictors, and clinical outcomes of nosocomial infections among patients with multiple subtypes of intracranial hemorrhage., Patients and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients that were hospitalized with intracranial hemorrhage between January 2015 and October 2018, and divided them into two groups based on the development of nosocomial infection. Within the cohort of patients with nosocomial infections, microbiology and resistance patterns were established across multiple sites of infection. Moreover, consequences of nosocomial infection such as mortality and length of hospital stay were determined., Results: A total of 233 cases were identified that met our inclusion and exclusion criteria out of which were 94 cases of nosocomial infection (40.3%) versus 139 cases with no nosocomial infection (59.7%). The most common infections were pneumonia, urinary tract infections, and bacteremia. Resistance accounted for 70.2% of cultures. Multivariable analysis revealed significant association of nosocomial infections with hypertension (OR: 2.62, 95% CI: 1.11-6.16, p = 0.027), hospital LOS (OR: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05-1.12, p < 0.001), levetiracetam (OR: 3.6, 95% CI: 1.41-0.922, p = 0.007), and GCS category (OR: 5.42, 95% CI: 1.67-17.55, p = 0.005 and OR: 7.63, 95% CI: 2.44-23.87, p < 0.001 for moderate and severe, respectively). Patients with nosocomial infections witnessed a significant increase in the length of hospital stay (23 versus 8 hospital days, p < 0.001). This finding was significant across most types of brain hemorrhage. Mortality was significantly associated with GCS category (OR: 10.1, 95% CI: 4-25.7, p < 0.001) and percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tube insertion (OR: 19.6, 95% CI: 4.1-91, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Collectively, these findings suggest that nosocomial infections are common among patients with intracranial hemorrhage and can be predictable by considering certain risk factors. Future studies are warranted to evaluate the efficacy of implementing infection control strategies or protocols on these patients to achieve better therapeutic outcomes., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To evaluate the utility of the corrected CSF white blood cell (WBC) count, cell index, CSF lactate, CSF glucose and a newly developed diagnostic model for the diagnosis of healthcare-associated ventriculitis or meningitis (HCAVM) in the setting of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH)., Patients and Methods: A case-control study of 111 adult patients with ICH with HCAVM (cases) or without HCAVM (controls) matched 1:2 by age, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) score enrolled in a large tertiary care center from 2003 to 2016., Results: Subjects were appropriately matched by age, GCS, and APACHE II score (P > 0.2). Cases had significantly higher CSF WBC count (uncorrected and corrected), cell index, and CSF lactate, but lower CSF glucose levels than controls (P < 0.05). There were no differences between CSF protein, CSF neutrophilic pleocytosis, and serum C-reactive protein between cases and controls (P > 0.1). The diagnostic accuracy as analyzed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC of ROC) was found to be good for the cell index (0.825), fair for the corrected CSF WBC count (0.770), and poor for the diagnostic model and uncorrected CSF WBC count (0.652 and 0.653, respectively)., Conclusion: The diagnosis of HCAVM in patients with ICH remains challenging and although no single parameter is sufficient for diagnosis the cell index proved to be an important indicator of infection in our study., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The effect of ambient temperature as a stroke trigger is likely to differ by type of stroke and to depend on non-transient exposures that influence the risk of this outcome. We aimed to quantify the association between ambient temperature variation and stroke, according to clinical characteristics of the events, and other risk factors for stroke., Methods: We conducted a case-crossover study based on a 1-year registry of the hospital admissions due to newly occurring ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke events in Maputo, Mozambique's capital city (N=593). The case-period was defined as the 7 days before the stroke event, which was compared to two control periods (14-21 days and 21-28 days before the event). We computed humidity- and precipitation-adjusted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) using conditional logistic regression., Results: An association between minimum temperature declines higher than 2.4 °C in any two consecutive days in the previous week and the occurrence of stroke was observed only for first events (OR=1.43, 95%CI: 1.15-1.76). Stronger and statistically significant associations were observed for hemorrhagic stroke (OR=1.50, 95%CI: 1.07-2.09) and among subjects not exposed to risk factors, including smoking, high serum cholesterol or atrial fibrillation. No differences in the effect of temperature were found according to the patients' vital status 28 days after the event., Conclusions: First stroke events, especially of the hemorrhagic type, were triggered by declines in the minimum temperature between consecutive days of the preceding week., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a recognized source of morbidity and mortality in patients suffering traumatic brain injury (TBI). While traumatic brain injury is a recognized risk factor for the development of VTE, its presence complicates the decision to begin anticoagulation due to fear of exacerbating the intracranial hemorrhagic injury. The role of chemoprophylaxis in this setting is poorly defined, leading to a wide variability in clinical practice. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed in an effort to summarize relevant data and construct a chemoprophylaxis protocol to be implemented in a Level I Trauma Center. The review reveals robust evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in the setting of TBI following demonstration of a stable intracranial injury. In light of this data, a protocol is assembled that, in the absence of predetermined exclusion criteria, will initiate chemoprophylaxis within 24h after the demonstration of a stable intracranial injury by computed tomography (CT)., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is a known risk factor for the development of post-traumatic hydrocephalus. The occurrence of subdural hygroma (SH) was also reported in 23-56% of patients after DC and it seemed to precede hydrocephalus in more than 80% of cases. We analyzed the relationship among DC, SH and hydrocephalus., Methods: From 2007 to 2011, 64 patients underwent DC after head trauma. Variables we analyzed were: intaventricular hemorrhage, age, GCS, distance of craniectomy from the midline, evacuation of a hemorrhagic contusion (HC) and infection. Logistic regression was used to assess the independent contribution of the predictive factors to the development of hydrocephalus., Results: Nineteen patients (29.7%) developed hydrocephalus. Interhemispheric SH was present in 8/19 patients with hydrocephalus and temporally preceded the occurrence of ventricular enlargement. Moreover, most patients who developed a interhemispheric SH had been undergone DC whose superior margin was close to the midline. Logistic regression analysis showed that craniectomy closer than 25 mm to the midline was the only factor independently associated with the development of hydrocephalus., Conclusion: Craniectomy close to the midline can predispose patients to the development of hydrocephalus. SH could be generated with the same mechanism, and these three events could be correlated on a timeline., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The co-existence of vascular pathology in patients with Lewy body dementia (LBD) is still a matter of debate. This study analyses the prevalence and the severity of cerebrovascular lesions in post-mortem brains of patients with LBD., Patients and Methods: Twenty brains of demented patients with autopsy-proven Lewy body disease were compared to 14 brains of age-matched controls., Results: Associated Alzheimer disease (AD) features, stages I-IV, were present in 70% of the LBD brains and in 7% of the controls (P<0.001). Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) was only present in 30% and lipohyalinosis in 10%. A semi-quantitative analysis, performed on a coronal section of a whole cerebral hemisphere and on a horizontal section through the pons and the cerebellum, revealed significantly more mini-bleeds in the LBD brains (P=0.007), predominantly in the cerebral cortex (P=0.03). Other cerebrovascular lesions were only rarely observed. Comparison of the LDB brains, with and without moderate AD features and CAA, showed no difference in the severity of the cerebrovascular lesions including mini-bleeds., Conclusions: The prevalence of mini-bleeds in LBD brains appears to be independent from the co-existence of moderate AD pathology and CAA. It is more probably due to disturbances of the blood-brain barrier, related to the neurodegenerative process itself., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Given its anatomical proximity to the brainstem and the ventricular system, cerebellar haemorrhage may lead to immediate life-threatening complications such as brainstem compression and hydrocephalus, or to herniation through the foramen magnum or the tentorium. This situation mandates fast diagnosis and precise emergency treatment strategies. However, the treatment protocols in current use are based on little evidence and the indication criteria for surgical intervention are unclear. Early suboccipital decompressive surgery may be life-saving, but the potential risk involved is unnecessary if the haemorrhage is benign and can be managed conservatively or with insertion of an external ventricular drain. Deterioration of the patients' state of consciousness has often been used as an indication for surgery, but clinical decline can be a fulminant process leading to death within a short time. Research on cerebellar haemorrhage so far has focused on identifying outcome predictors from which treatment algorithms can be derived. Large randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are lacking. However, RCTs are urgently needed, in order to improve the level of evidence, treatment decisions may be based on. Here, we review the available literature on complications, treatment and outcome of primary cerebellar haemorrhage (PCH). Finally we propose the design of a potential RCT., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Routine neuroimaging of the brain is performed after recombinant-tissue-plasminogen activator (rtPA) treatment in patients with acute ischemic stroke. However, in situation where resources are limited, it is not known if a follow-up computed tomography (CT) is beneficial for guiding the treatment plan or not. The purpose of this study is to investigate the need for a follow-up CT in patients with acute stroke after rtPA treatment., Methods: Patients who were treated with intravenous rtPA were included. Clinical symptoms/signs of the patients were evaluated at 24 h after rtPA treatment compared with baseline NIHSS. The need for a follow-up CT after rtPA treatment was assessed by comparison of the early clinical changes with the CT brain results that would affect the management plan: presence of hemorrhagic transformation, malignant MCA infarction, or large cerebellar infarction., Results: 200 patients were included. 19 patients (9.5%) had complete recovery. CT post rtPA revealed no change in these patients. In 105 patients who had early improvement with NIHSS of 1-10 at 24 h, follow-up CT findings did not change the plan of management in 85%. Follow-up CTs may help in planning further management in 65% and 67% of the patients who had NIHSS>10 at 24 h and early worsening, respectively., Conclusions: CT post rtPA may not be required in patients with early clinical recovery (NIHSS=0). However, in patients with residual severe deficit post rtPA or patients with early worsening or suspected posterior circulation stroke, CT post rtPA is still needed., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery remains the most widely accepted neurosurgical procedure for the management of hydrocephalus. However, shunt failure and complications are common and may require multiple surgical procedures during a patient's lifetime. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery and the incidence of shunt revision in adult patients with hemorrhage-related hydrocephalus., Methods: Adult patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for hemorrhage-related hydrocephalus from October 1990 to October 2009 were included in this study. Medical charts, operative reports, imaging studies, and clinical follow-up evaluations were reviewed and analyzed retrospectively., Results: A total of 133 adult patients with the median age of 54.5 years were included. Among patients, 41% were males, and 62% Caucasians. The overall shunt revision rate was 51.9%. The shunt revision rate within the first 6 months after the initial placement of ventriculoperitoneal shunts was 45.1%. The median time to first shunt revision was 0.50 (95% CI, 0.24-9.2) months. No significant association was observed between perioperative variables (gender, ethnicity, hydrocephalus type, or hemorrhage type) and the shunt revision rate in these patients. Major causes of shunt revision include infection (3.6%), overdrainage (7.6%), obstruction (4.8%), proximal shunt complication (7.6%), distal shunt complication (3.6%), old shunt dysfunction (6.8%), valve malfunction (10.0%), externalization (3.6%), shunt complication (12.0%), shunt adjustment/replacement (24.0%) and other (16.4%)., Conclusion: Although ventriculoperitoneal shunting remains to be the treatment of choice for adult patients with post hemorrhage-related hydrocephalus, a thorough understanding of predisposing factors related to the shunt failure is necessary to improve treatment outcomes., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The association of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is well known and its relationship with low serum cholesterol in ICH patients might be of interest., Methods: A total of 105 patients with ICH were evaluated. In all subjects cholesterol levels were measured after 12h of fasting and gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging (GE-MRI) was performed for detecting CMBs., Results: CMBs were more common among patients with hypertension and leukoaraiosis (p=0.008 and p=0.001). Patients with and without CMBs did not differ according to total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and HDL cholesterol levels., Conclusion: In this study, 61% of Turkish ICH patients had CMBs, which was not associated with lipid profiles. Leukoaraiosis was independently associated with CMBs., ((c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although aneurysm formation accompanying parenchymal hemorrhage is one of devastating complications in the central nerves system (CNS), imaging studies of the brain are not routinely warranted in patients with infective endocarditis (IE). To assess the clinical importance for detecting silent lesions in the central nervous system, we investigated hypointense signal spots detected on the brain T2*-weighted MR imaging in patients with IE., Methods and Results: Eleven patients with IE were retrospectively reviewed. Seven patients (63.6%) showed hypointense signal spots on T2*-weighted MR images. The number of hypointense signal spots increased within only a few weeks in five patients., Conclusion: The brain T2*-weighted MR imaging in patients with IE may have a potential role to detect CNS lesions with clinical significance of potentially high risk of intracranial hemorrhage. T2*-weighted hypointense signal spots may be specific to brain involvement, and be quite useful in monitoring CNS lesions associated with IE, even if they are asymptomatic., (Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

We report a patient who presented with sudden onset instability and diplopia. On neurological examination he had asymmetrical asterixis, predominantly in the left hand, and ocular findings consistent with a pretectal syndrome. He was also unable to stand or even sit up unassisted, with a tendency to tilt his body and rotate his trunk axis to the left. Brain MRI showed a hemorrhage in the right thalamo-mesencephalic junction. This region involves important structures for the control of postural stability, motor control, ocular movements and vestibulo-ocular integration, not yet well understood. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case with the simultaneous combination of astasia, prectectal syndrome and asymmetrical asterixis.

Objective: To estimate trends in mortality due to different stroke subtypes in the population of Belgrade during the period 1989-2003., Patients and Methods: Mortality data for stroke were compiled from material of the Municipal Institute of Statistics. Stroke mortality rates were standardized by world standard population. Linear regression coefficient in time trend analysis of mortality rates was assessed by Fisher's test., Results: In Belgrade, 1989-2003, the highest values of mortality rates were for ischemic stroke in both sexes: 50.1/100,000-men, and 39.9/100,000-women. The mortality rate from subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) was lower in men (3.9/100,000) compared to women (5.3/100,000). For intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), the death rate was 3.1 times higher than that for SAH. Stroke due to hemorrhage was a more common cause of death than ischemic stroke for both sexes in all age groups up to 59. In older age, ischemic stroke became the more frequent cause of death. The time trends of stroke mortality rates in the Belgrade population during the period 1989-2003 showed that the most excessive statistically significant increase in death rates was related to ICH in both sexes. The death rates from SAH had increasing tendency in both sexes, especially in women (p=0.017). Upward trends were observed for ischemic stroke mortality rates too, with statistical significance in men (p=0.048)., Conclusion: Further research is needed to explain the causes of the increasing burden of stroke in Serbia. Since different profiles of risk factors play a role in the etiology of different stroke subtypes, these facts should be taken into account in the creation of both prevention and management strategies.

Background and Purpose: Primary pontine hemorrhage (PPH) accounts approximately for about 5-10% of intracranial hemorrhages, and PPHs are known to have a much less uniform prognosis. We aimed to evaluate the clinical and radiological predictors affecting the mortality in 32 patients with PPH., Material and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated the data of 32 patients with PPH admitted to our clinic between 1994 and 2004. We divided the patients into two groups: (1) patients who survived (14 patients), and (2) patients who died (18 patients). The two groups were compared for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, initial clinical status, initial GCS, pupillary abnormalities, ophthalmoparesis, volume and localisation of hemorrhage, intraventricular and extrapontine extension, necessity of mechanical ventilation and hydrocephalus. The hematoma volumes were measured with the formulation described by Broderick., Results: Eighteen patients (56%) died and 14 patients (44%) survived. The patients who died (61.3 +/- 8.8) were older than the survivors (56.4 +/- 11.0), but the difference was not statistically significant. The mean GCS was 4.4 +/- 0.2, the mean hematoma volume was 9.9 +/- 3.3 ml for patients who died and the mean GCS was 10.1 +/- 3.3, the mean hematoma volume was 3.3 +/- 1.2 ml for survivors (p < 0.001). Coma on admission (p = 0.001), extrapontine extension (p = 0.001), intraventricular extension (p = 0.019), necessity of mechanical ventilation (p = 0.007), hydrocephalus (p = 0.024), massive and bilateral tegmental localisation (p = 0.006) were found statistically significant predictors for mortality with univariate comparison, and coma on admission (p = 0.038) was the only significant predictor with multivariate regression analysis., Conclusion: In patients with PPH, it is important to know the prognostic factors for mortality for planning the treatment protocol, and coma and bad clinical status on admission was found the only significant prognostic predictor for mortality with multivariate regression analysis.

A series of six patients with movement disorders associated with cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVM) is reported. The AVMs were classified according to the Spetzler-Martin classification as grade V (one patient), grade IV (four patients), and as grade III (one patient). One patient had action-induced hemidystonia caused by a contralateral frontoparietal AVM which compressed the putamen and was supplied partially by enlarged lenticulostriate arteries. Two patients presented with unilateral cortical tremor associated with contralateral high-frontal cortical/subcortical AVMs sparing the basal ganglia. Another patient developed hemidystonia and hemichorea-hemiballism after bleeding of a contralateral temporooccipital AVM and subsequent ischemia. Two patients had focal dystonia after thalamic and basal ganglia hemorrhage from AVMs. Five patients were operated on. The movement disorder was abolished in one patient postoperatively. Different mechanisms were identified that are relevant for the development of AVM-related movement disorders: mass effect, diaschisis, local parenchymal altered cerebral blood flow, and hemorrhagic or ischemic structural lesions.