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Hyperglycemia is common and involves up to 50% of the acute stroke patients. Several clinical studies have revealed that hyperglycemia is associated with a poor outcome in terms of mortality and neurological recovery. The results obtained from experimental studies have shown that hyperglycemia exacerbates the ischemic lesions and is associated with an increase of the edema and size of the infarct, as well as a decrease in the cerebral blood flow. In contradiction with animal models no increase in hemorrhagic transformation of the brain infarct after reperfusion is observed among patients with hyperglycemia, unless they are treated with rt-PA. Elevated plasma glucose levels (glycemia8 mmol/L) predict poor prognosis, irrespective of age, severity, or stroke sub-type. The benefit to treat a glycemia=11 mmol/l has been established in terms of mortality for patients with myocardial infarction. Although the clinical benefit of plasma glucose lowering therapy remains unknown regarding acute stroke, based on current evidence, we recommend to treat moderate to mild hyperglycemia with glucose potassium insulin infusions.

patient died. The median follow-up of these patients was 27 months. During this follow-up, there were no stroke recurrence and no significant restenosis. Conclusion: Our study shows that a symptomatic occlusion of the internal carotid can be repermeated without pharmacological thrombolysis with a specific management. Among these patients, when a stenosis is demonstrated, it can be operated according to the usual criteria and with results in conformity with the recommendations.

309 Introduction Tako-tsubo means octopus trap in Japanese. Tako-tsubo syndrome (TS) is an acute cardiomyopathy, characterized by transient left-ventricular apical ballooning. TS is a new diagnostic entity, which mimics an acute myocardial infarction (MI), but is characterized by the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease [1] . It occurs mainly in postmenopausal women, and is frequently triggered by emotional stress. The precise incidence of TS is unknown, but up to 2.5% of all patients presenting with an initial primary diagnosis of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) may have a TS [2–4] . This condition favors formation of an intracarCerebrovasc Dis 2010;29:309–310 DOI: 10.1159/000278698

We report the case of an early ISR that was due to platelet aggregation despite correct observance of a standard antiplatelet regimen. Biologic testing showed clopidogrel inefficiency, and ISR disappeared on angiography after a loading dose of clopidogrel. This result suggested that the arterial lumen reduction was due to platelet aggregation rather than in-stent myointimal hyperplasia. This observation emphasizes the importance of verifying the efficacy of clopidogrel before placing a stent.

ObjectiveArterial cell and gene therapies are promising strategies for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases; however, the optimal cell type and delivery technique for such treatment remain to be determined. The aim of the present study was to design a new approach for arterial cell and gene therapy in which genetically modified autologous skin fibroblasts are percutaneously delivered in stented rabbit femoral arteries in vivo.MethodsAutologous skin fibroblasts underwent in vitro transfection with the cationic lipid FuGene and plasmids expressing the human form of the tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (hTIMP-1) or nls-LacZ reporter genes.ResultTransfection efficiency was about 50% and there were high levels of hTIMP-1 secretion up to 14 days after gene transfer. We demonstrated the feasibility of in vivo percutaneous transplantation of fluorescent fibroblasts in the rabbit femoral artery. Results were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy. In vivo local delivery of hTIMP-1-expressing fibroblasts in stented femoral arteries also resulted in high-levels of hTIMP-1 secretion ex vivo for 7 days. Fibroblast transplantation resulted in a modest increase in intimal hyperplasia at the target site, which was reversed with hTIMP-1-transfected fibroblasts.ConclusionPercutaneous transplantation of genetically modified autologous fibroblasts could be used as a cellular platform for locoregional secretion of therapeutic proteins to treat either specific arterial diseases or the diseased organ (eg, the heart) supplied by the target artery.Clinical RelevanceCell and gene therapies are potential new treatments for cardiovascular diseases. We demonstrated that autologous fibroblasts could be easily harvested from a skin biopsy specimen, genetically modified in vitro with nonviral vectors, and percutaneously seeded in vivo in rabbit femoral arteries, leading to locoregional secretion of abundant amounts of recombinant proteins. This new approach has important advantages over alternative approaches that use endothelial cells, viral vectors, and intraoperative cell delivery. Clinical applications may include local treatment of atherosclerotic plaques or aneurysms and also treatment of the diseased organs supplied by the target artery (eg, ischemic or failing heart).

We report two cases of a rare association of brain and spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in an infant and in an adult. Both patients were embolised with glue with good clinical and morphological results. The first patient is an infant with a suspected family history of Rendu Osler Weber disease with multiple AVMs: two hemispheric cerebellar lesions (one of them revealed by a ventricular haemorrhage) and one cervical spinal cord AVM (SCAVM). The associated SCAVM fortuitously bled one month after treatment of the symptomatic cerebellar AV shunt. In the adult case, the management first involved a symptomatic SCAVM with favourable outcome; the cerebral AVM bled secondarily and was then excluded by endovascular approach.

Patients with multiple intradural aneurysms present unique clinical challenges, particularly when presenting with subarachnoid haemorrhage. This study was undertaken to retrospectively review the management of such patients treated at a single institution. Consecutive patients with multiple intradural aneurysms managed at our institution between 1993 and 1999 were studied. The 122 patients had a total of 305 aneurysms. In most patients presenting with subarachnoid haemorrhage, the aneurysm responsible for the bleed could be identified with a fair degree of certainty, as confirmed by subsequent surgical and autopsy findings. Irregularity of the aneurysm (false sac or polylobulation) was the most useful criterion for making this determination. Failure to recognize all aneurysms on the original angiogram remained an uncommon but clinically important problem. Posterior inferior cerebellar and anterior communicating artery aneurysm locations were disproportionately more likely, and para-ophthalmic less likely, to be responsible for the subarachnoid haemorrhage. There was a trend for patients with uncertainty regarding the site of bleeding to have all aneurysms treated, and for cure to be obtained in a shorter time. Surgical and endovascular complication rates and patient outcomes were not dissimilar from what one would expect for single aneurysm patients. During follow-up, we observed a haemorrhage rate from unruptured aneurysms of 1.1% per patient-year of observation, and a de novo aneurysm formation rate of 0.76% of patients per year. In conclusion, we feel that although patients with multiple intradural aneurysms have more complex management issues than those with single aneurysms, good outcomes can be achieved with appropriate use of endovascular and/or surgical therapy. The goal in the acute setting following subarachnoid haemorrhage is recognition of all aneurysms and urgent treatment of the one responsible for the haemorrhage. When there is uncertainty, more than one aneurysm may need to be treated. Decisions on subsequent treatment of remaining unruptured aneurysms must be individualized.

The pathogenesis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is still debated and the prognosis remains severe, especially in multiple aneurysms, where the therapeutic management is complex. The aim of this study was to look for vascular anomalies and assess their relationship with aneurysm formation and bleeding in patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms. A prospective angiographical review was performed on 141 patients with multiple intracranial aneurysms seen from 1992 to 2000. Three hundred and fifty three aneurysms were studied. In 88% of the patients vascular anomalies were found. The most common were: asymmetric caudal basilar fusion (43.2%), variations of the anterior communicating artery (AcoA) complex (31.2%), symmetric caudal basilar fusion (26.2%), antero-inferior cerebellar artery-postero-inferior cerebellar artery (AICA-PICA) (15.6%), extradural origin of the PICA (10.6%), cavernous origin of the ophthalmic artery or dorsal ophthalmic artery (dOPH) (3.5%). Some aneurysm locations were associated with a high rate of vascular anomalies, e.g.: posterior cerebral aneurysm with asymmetric caudal fusion, AcoA aneurysm with AcoA complex variation, basilar tip aneurysm with extradural PICA or symmetric caudal fusion, PI CA aneurysm with AICA-PICA, para-ophthalmic aneurysm with dOPH. These aneurysm locations bled proportionally more frequently when associated with the related vascular anomaly. In conclusion, these results suggest that vascular anomalies are associated with aneurysm development and bleeding.

Valid and reliable measurements of muscle impairment are needed to assess therapeutic efficacy in patients with generalized myasthenia gravis (MG). In 22 patients we compared the validity and interobserver reliability of two scoring methods commonly used as main endpoints in clinical trials, i.e., the Myasthenic Muscle Score (MMS) ranging from 0 to 100 (normal) and the Quantified Myasthenia Gravis Strength Score (QMGSS) ranging from 0 (normal) to 39. Each score is correlated more with functional scale and less with the patient's self-evaluation. Using intraclass correlation we found strong agreement between observers for both the MMS (r = 0.906) and the QMGSS (r = 0.905). The correlation between MMS and QGMSS was high (r = 0.87). The reliability of neither score depended on any specific item, since the removal of individual items did not significantly alter the intraclass correlation coefficient (ranging from 0.86 to 0.93).

International audience; BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Rescue endovascular and pharmacologic approaches are increasingly being adopted after recanalization failure of acute large-vessel occlusion strokes with mechanical thrombectomy, with encouraging results. The safety and efficacy of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in ischemic stroke have been investigated, though cangrelor, a recent intravenous P2Y12-receptor inhibitor with a rapid onset/offset of action and a short half-life, may be a valuable option. We compared the safety and efficacy of cangrelor with those of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors for refractory occlusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of the ongoing prospective, multicenter, observational Endovascular Treatment in Ischemic Stroke Registry in France between May 2012 and February 2020. Refractory intracranial occlusions of the anterior and posterior circulation were included and defined as recanalization failure of large-vessel occlusion stroke, perioperative target artery reocclusion, or high risk of early reocclusion related to an arterial wall lesion. The primary end point was a favorable outcome, defined as a 90-day mRS of 0-2. Secondary end points were reperfusion, intracranial hemorrhage, and procedural complications. RESULTS: Among 69 patients, 15 were treated with cangrelor, and 54, with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. The favorable outcome (adjusted OR = 2.22; 95% CI, 0.42-11.75; P =.348) and mortality (adjusted OR = 0.44; 95% CI, 0.06-3.16; P =.411) rates were similar in both groups. There was no difference in the rates of any intracranial hemorrhage (adjusted OR = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.08-2.09; P =.280), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (6.7% versus 0.0%, P =.058), or procedural complications (6.7% versus 20.4%, P =.215). Reperfusion rates were higher in the cangrelor group, though the difference did not reach statistical significance (93.3% versus 75.0% for modified TICI 2b-3; adjusted OR =10.88; 95% CI, 0.96-123.84; P =.054). CONCLUSIONS: Cangrelor seems to be as safe as glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors for managing refractory intracranial occlusion and leads to satisfactory brain reperfusion. Cangrelor is a promising agent in this setting, and additional studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Objective: To identify the incidence, the clinical outcomes and predictors of anterior cerebral artery emboli(ACAE) in previously unaffected territory occurring during mechanical thrombectomy.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed, in a prospectively collected database, consecutive patients with anteriorcirculation stroke between January 2012 and December 2016. Angiographic images were analyzed to assessACAE. The primary outcome was the favorable outcome defined as a 3-months modified Rankin Scale (mRS)of 0–2.Results: Among 690 included patients, ACAE occurred in 65 patients (9.4%; 95%CI, 7.2 to 11.6%). ICAocclusion (tandem or terminal), ASPECTS