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A 53-year-old woman with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia was admitted and treated with intravenous unfractionated heparin for thromboprophylaxis under general anesthesia with mechanical ventilation. She developed right hemiparesis after hospitalization due to a large hemorrhagic infarction. Her platelet count decreased from 243,000/μL at administration to 121,000/μL. Anti-platelet factor 4-heparin antibody testing was positive according to a latex immunoturbidimetric assay. She was therefore diagnosed with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. We immediately stopped the heparin and started argatroban; the platelet count recovered, and thrombosis did not relapse. Physicians should consider heparin-induced thrombocytopenia as a cause of ischemic stroke in patients with COVID-19 infection.

‘Yips’ in golf is a complex spectrum of anxiety and movement-disorder that affects competitive sporting performance. With unclear etiology and high prevalence documented in western literature, the perception and management of this psycho-neuromuscular problem among Japanese elite golfers is unknown. The objective of this study was to explore factors associated with yips, investigate the performance deficits and the strategies implemented to prevent yips. We surveyed approx. 1300 professional golfers on their golfing habits, anxiety and musculoskeletal problems, kinematic deficits, changes in training and their outcomes. Statistical procedures included multiple logistic regression and network analysis. 35% of the respondents had experienced yips in their career, their odds increasing proportionally to their golfing experience. Regardless of musculoskeletal symptoms, about 57% of all yips-golfers attributed their symptoms to psychological causes. Network analysis highlighted characteristic movement patterns, i.e. slowing, forceful or freezing of movement for putting, approach and teeing shots respectively. Golfers’ self-administered strategies to relieve yips were mostly inconsequential. Within the limits of our self-reported survey, most golfers perceived yips as a psychological phenomenon despite evidence pointing to a movement-disorder. While self-administered interventions were satisfactory at best, it may be imperative to sensitize golfers from a movement-disorder standpoint for early management of the problem.

The potential impact of long-term left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support on the brain remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate cerebral microvascular damage in patients after long-term LVAD implantation using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).We reviewed the medical records of patients after continuous-flow LVAD implantation in our hospital from 2006 to 2016, who underwent brain MRI after LVAD explantation for either transplantation or recovery. Age- and sex-matched healthy controls and patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) were collected from our pooled MRI database. The presence of cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) and cortical superficial siderosis and the severity of white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cerebral atrophy were compared between patients with prior LVAD and 2 control groups.This study included 49 patients with prior LVAD, 49 healthy controls, and 45 patients with CHF. CMBs and cortical superficial siderosis were detected in 98% (p0.001) and 31% (p0.001) of patients with prior LVAD, respectively. The number of CMBs was higher in patients with prior LVAD than in the 2 control groups. The severity of the WMH was higher in patients with prior LVAD than in healthy controls but similar to that in patients with CHF. Quantitative analyses of cerebral atrophy revealed a significantly higher bicaudate ratio and cella media index in patients with prior LVAD than in the 2 control groups.Patients after long-term LVAD support showed a higher prevalence of CMBs and cortical superficial siderosis and more severe cerebral atrophy than did controls. These findings may indicate cerebral microvascular damages in long-term LVAD support patients.

Intracranial artery stenosis is the predominant etiology of ischemic stroke in the Asian population. Furthermore, the presence of theUsing a prospective database, we identified adult patients with intracranial artery stenosis who underwent periodic MRI examinations for5 years. We evaluated stenosis progression using a validated visual grading system. We excluded patients diagnosed with moyamoya disease at the time of initial MRI. Genotyping ofAmong 52 eligible patients, 22 (42%) were carriers of theOur findings indicated that the

The ring finger protein 213 gene (RNF213) p.R4810K variant is a major susceptibility gene for intracranial arterial stenosis in East Asia. We hypothesized that if intracranial arterial stenosis is induced by a non-atherosclerotic mechanism similar to moyamoya disease, the patients with RNF213 p.R4810K variant may have a lower cumulative atherosclerotic burden than the non-carriers.A total of 112 participants with intracranial arterial stenosis were enrolled in this multicenter cross-sectional study. We compared the prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors and three different cardiovascular risk scores (Essen Stroke Risk Score, Framingham Risk Score, and Suita Risk Score) between the RNF213 p.R4810K variant carriers and non-carriers. Patients with moyamoya disease were excluded from the study.The RNF213 p.R4810K variant carriers were younger than the non-carriers (P＜0.001). The prevalence of each atherosclerotic risk factor was not significant, but it tended to be lower in the variant carriers. The Essen Stroke Risk Score (carriers: 2.3±1.5 vs. non-carriers: 2.9±1.5, P=0.047), Framingham Risk Score (10.7±6.4 vs. 15.3±6.2, P=0.001), and Suita Risk Score (35.4±15.8 vs. 48.7±15.2, P＜0.001) were significantly lower in the variant carriers. Among the three risk scores, the Suita score showed the highest predictive accuracy for the variant carriers.RNF213 p.R4810K variant carriers have a lower cumulative atherosclerotic burden than non-carriers among patients with intracranial arterial stenosis. New therapeutic approaches beyond the standard management of atherosclerotic risk factors are required to prevent the development of intracranial arterial stenosis.

BACKGROUND Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a commonly encountered condition in neurological and neurosurgical practice, but the presence of concomitant parkinsonism is extremely rare. Basal ganglia disturbance is a well-known underlying mechanism; however, few cases present with cerebral cortex compression as the cause of symptoms. OBSERVATIONS A 52-year-old man was referred to the authors’ hospital with a 5-week history of gait disturbance and suspected Parkinson’s disease. Neurological examination revealed a mask-like face, stooped posture, left-predominant rigidity, and postural instability. The authors initiated dopamine agonist administration, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was scheduled. One week later, MRI showed bilateral CSDHs. The hematomas markedly compressed the bilateral cerebral cortex, whereas the midbrain and basal ganglia structures were intact. The patient underwent burr hole drainage and was discharged after 9 days without sequelae. LESSONS CSDH can cause parkinsonism by compressing the cerebral cortex, which is a part of the cortico–basal ganglia–thalamocortical circuit. Surgery leads to positive outcomes, as illustrated by this case, in which cerebral cortex compression caused parkinsonism.

The yips are a set of conditions associated with intermittent motor disturbances that affect precision movement, especially in sports. Specifically, skilled golfers suffer from the yips, although its clinical characteristics and pathophysiology have not been well-studied. We surveyed skilled golfers to characterize their yips-related symptoms, to explore potential confounding factors associated with the yips. Golfers’ demographic information, golfing-career-related history, musculoskeletal status and manifestations of the yips are surveyed. Among the 1576 questionnaires distributed, 1457 (92%) responses were received, of which 39% of golfers had experienced the yips. The median age and golfing careers were 48 and 28 years, respectively. Golfers who had experienced the yips were older and had longer golfing careers and more frequent musculoskeletal problems than those without experience of the yips. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer golfing career and musculoskeletal problems were independent factors associated with yips experience. More severe musculoskeletal problems were associated with higher odds of experiencing the yips. A positive association between the yips and musculoskeletal problems was also observed. The yips have similar characteristics to task-specific movement disorders, with a detrimental effect caused by excessive repetition of a routine task. These findings support the notion that the yips are a type of task-specific dystonia.

BackgroundYips in golf is a complex spectrum of psychological anxiety and movement disorder that affects competitive sporting performance. Existing literature is limited to several western studies and the manifestations of this problem in Japanese golfers is currently unknown.ObjectiveTo quantify self-reported perception and manifestation of yips among Japanese golfers from the professional golfers’ association (PGA).MethodsWe analyzed 1271 (of 1356) elite golfers in a cross-sectional manner. Golfers were sensitized beforehand about yips by a movement-disorder specialist. Based on a positive history for yips, participants were categorized into yips and non-yips groups. Survey questionnaire focused on demographic information, golfing habits, anxiety and musculoskeletal problems, performance deficits during golfing, changes in training and their outcomes. Statistical procedures included multiple logistic regression and network analysis to assess factors associated with yips.Results35% (N=450) of the respondents had experienced symptoms of yips in their career, their odds increasing proportionally to their golfing experience. Severity of musculoskeletal symptoms were higher in those with yips. Regardless, about 57% of all yips-golfers attributed their symptoms to psychological causes. Putting, approach and teeing shots, in that order, were highly susceptible to movement problems. Network analysis highlighted characteristic movement patterns i.e. slowing, forceful or freezing of movement for putting, approach and teeing respectively. Golfers’ self-administered strategies to relieve yips symptoms were generally inconsequential, though improvements were seen only for approach-yips.ConclusionOur findings align firmly with prior studies on yips. Though aware of the problem, most Japanese golfers were untouched by yips. Those that were affected, perceived yips to be a psychological issue despite substantial evidence pointing to a movement-disorder. While self-administered interventions for symptom relief in such golfers is satisfactory at best, it may be imperative to sensitize golfers from a movement-disorder standpoint for early identification and management of the problem.

Background: The yips are a set of conditions associated with intermittent motor disturbance that affects precision movement, especially in sports. Specifically, skilled golfers suffer from the yips, although its clinical characteristics and pathophysiology have not been well studied. Methods: The purpose of this study was aimed to conduct an epidemiological investigation and explore potential confounding factors associated with the yips among skilled golfers in Japan. We surveyed highly-skilled golfers for characterizing the yips-related symptoms. The survey comprised golfers’ demographic information, golfing-career-related history, musculoskeletal status, and manifestations of the yips. The answers obtained were statistically analyzed to examine the association between golf and the yips.Results: Among the 1,576 questionnaires distributed, 1,457 (92%) responded, of which 39% experienced the yips. The median age and golfing careers were 48 and 28 years, respectively. Golfers with the yips experience were older, had longer golfing careers, and more frequent musculoskeletal problems than those without the yips experience. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that a longer golfing career [odds ratio (OR), 1.07; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.04–1.11] and musculoskeletal problems (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03–1.13) were independent factors associated with the yips experience. More severe musculoskeletal problems were associated with higher odds of experiencing the yips. Changing the training method and/or hitting style were effective for improving the yips.Conclusions: Our results revealed that the yips has similar characteristics to task-specific movement disorders, with a detrimental effect caused by excessive repetition of a routine task and a positive association between the yips and musculoskeletal problems. These findings supported the notion that the yips is a type of task-specific dystonia.

‘Yips’ is an involuntary movement disorder seen in some professional golfers. The diagnostic challenge in yips is to distinguish symptoms of task-specific dystonia from psychological ‘choking’. We hypothesized that in mild-yips golfers, the yips-like shots demonstrate features that are distinguishable from normal-shots allowing for an objective classification. 15 professional golfers with subjective complaints of yips were assessed via motion-capture and surface electromyography during a ‘putting’ task. Normal-hits and yips-shots were identified by golfers’ subjective responses over the trials. Angular velocities of putter club and muscle synergies were analyzed during the swing phase using 1-dimension statistical parametric mapping. Participants had long golfing careers with considerable duration of yips symptoms. While task-based video evidence was inconsequential, in a subset of golfers, we found significant differences in angular velocities of the putter club and altered synergy neural coefficients during the downswing phase. Our findings showed that golfers with mild-yips require precise motion-capture to define movement instabilities which may not be evident with simple videography. Particularly the downswing is affected, and the ensuing perturbations in phasic muscle activity share dystonic features that are consistently identified as abnormal muscle synergy patterns. Dystonia in mild-yips therefore obligates sensitive multimodal assessment to differentiate from golfers with ‘choking’.

Background and Purpose: Recent studies have demonstrated that endovascular reperfusion therapy improves clinical outcomes at 90 days after ischemic stroke. However, the effects on long-term outcomes are not well known. We hypothesized that successful reperfusion might be associated with long-term improvement beyond 90 days after endovascular therapy. To assess the long-term effects beyond 90 days, we analyzed the association of successful reperfusion with a temporal change in modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score from 90 days to 1 year after endovascular therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed a database of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who received endovascular therapy between April 2006 and March 2016 at 4 centers. We compared the incidences of improvement and deterioration in patients with successful reperfusion (i.e., modified thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score of 2b or 3) with those in patients with unsuccessful reperfusion. We defined improvement and deterioration as decrease and increase on the mRS score by 1 point or more from 90 days to 1 year after endovascular therapy respectively. Results: A total of 268 patients were included in the current study. The rate of patients with improvement tended to be higher in patients with successful reperfusion than in patients with unsuccessful reperfusion (20% [34/167 patients] vs. 12% [12/101], p = 0.07). The rate of patients with deterioration was lower in patients with successful reperfusion than in patients with unsuccessful reperfusion (25% [42/167] vs. 42% [42/101], p < 0.01). After adjustment for confounders, successful reperfusion was associated with improvement (adjusted OR 2.65; 95% CI 1.23–5.73; p < 0.05) and deterioration (adjusted OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.18–0.62; p < 0.01), independent of the 90-day mRS score. Conclusions: Successful reperfusion has further beneficial legacy effects on long-term outcomes beyond 90 days after stroke.

Background Chemotherapy may be a cause of cancer-associated stroke, but whether it increases stroke risk remains uncertain. We investigated how chemotherapy affects stroke risk in cancer patients. Methods Of 27,932 patients in a hospital-based cancer registry (which contains clinical data on all patients treated for cancer at Osaka University Hospital) screened between 2007 and 2015, medical records of 19,006 patients with complete data were investigated. A validated algorithm was used to identify stroke events within 2 years of cancer diagnosis. Patients were divided based on whether their initial treatment plan included chemotherapy. The association between chemotherapy and stroke was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method and stratified Cox regression. Results Of 19,006 patients, 5,887 (31%) were in the chemotherapy group. Stroke occurred in 44 (0.75%) and 51 (0.39%) patients in the chemotherapy and nonchemotherapy group, respectively. Kaplan–Meier curve analysis showed that patients in the chemotherapy group had a higher stroke risk than those in the nonchemotherapy group (hazard ratio [HR] 1.84; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23–2.75). However, this difference was insignificant after adjustment for cancer status using inverse probability of treatment weighting with propensity scores (HR 1.20; 95% CI 0.76–1.91). Similarly, in the stratified Cox regression model, chemotherapy was not associated with stroke after adjustment for cancer status (HR 1.26; 95% CI 0.78–2.03). Conclusion In our study, the elevated stroke risk in cancer patients who received chemotherapy was presumably due to advanced cancer stage; chemotherapy was not associated with the increased risk of stroke.

Background The temporal and anatomical features of vasoconstriction in patients with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome within hours after symptom onset, in the hyperacute phase, are unclear. Case result Herein we report the cases of two patients with acute severe headache who were diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Magnetic resonance imaging within hours after symptom onset revealed multiple areas of isolated cortical vasogenic edema and hyperintense vessel signs of the distal cerebral arteries. Follow-up imaging performed four days later in both cases showed diffuse segmental arterial vasoconstriction in the proximal regions of the cerebral arteries. Both patients received antivasoconstrictive therapy shortly after admission, and neither had neurological sequelae at discharge. The magnetic resonance imaging findings improved gradually within three months after symptom onset. Conclusion Isolated cortical vasogenic edema and hyperintense vessel signs, when observed within hours from sudden severe headache onset, may be useful early markers of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

Introduction: Chemotherapy may be a cause of cancer-associated stroke, but whether it increases stroke risk remains uncertain. We aimed to clarify the impact of chemotherapy on stroke risk in cancer patients. Methods: We investigated 27,932 patients enrolled in a hospital-based cancer registry at Osaka University Hospital between 2007 and 2015. The registry collects clinical data, including cancer status (site and stage), on all patients treated for cancer. Of them, 19,006 patients with complete data were included. A validated algorithm was used to identify stroke events within 2 years of cancer diagnosis. Patients were divided based on whether their initial treatment plan included chemotherapy. The association between chemotherapy and stroke was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and stratified Cox regression. Results: Of the 19,006 patients, 5,887 (31%) patients were in the chemotherapy group. Non-targeted chemotherapy was used in 5,371 patients. Stroke occurred in 44 patients (0.75%) in the chemotherapy group and 51 patients (0.39%) in the no-chemotherapy group. Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed that patients in the chemotherapy group had a higher stroke risk than patients in the no-chemotherapy group (HR 1.84; 95% CI 1.23-2.75; Figure [A]). However, this difference was insignificant after adjustment for cancer status using inverse probability of treatment weighting with propensity scores (HR 1.20; 95% CI 0.76-1.91; Figure [B]). Similarly, in the stratified Cox regression model, chemotherapy was not associated with stroke after adjustment for cancer status (HR 1.26; 95% CI 0.78-2.03). These findings were consistent with analysis wherein the effect of chemotherapy was treated as a time-dependent covariate (HR 1.02; 95% CI 0.55-1.88). Conclusions: In this population, the elevated stroke risk in cancer patients who received chemotherapy was presumably due to advanced cancer stage; chemotherapy was not associated with the increased risk of stroke.

Background The present study aimed to examine whether variables including D-dimer, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), hemoglobin, platelet count, and nutritional status mediate the pathway between cancer and ischemic stroke outcomes. Methods We reviewed data from consecutive patients with ischemic stroke admitted to Osaka University Hospital between January 1, 2006, and December 31, 2016. Patients with ischemic stroke were grouped according to the presence of cancer. Nutritional status was assessed using Controlling Nutritional Status (CONUT) scores. Mediation analyses were utilized to address the study aims. Results Among 1,570 patients with ischemic stroke, 185 (12%) had active cancer. Relative to patients with ischemic stroke in the non-cancer group, those in the cancer group exhibited higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores on admission, higher D-dimer and hsCRP levels, lower hemoglobin levels and platelet counts, higher CONUT scores, and poorer modified Rankin Scale scores at discharge. Mediation analysis revealed that D-dimer, hsCRP, hemoglobin, platelet count, and CONUT scores acted as mediators of poor prognosis in the cancer group. The association between the exposure and outcome variables was no longer significant in the models containing D-dimer and CONUT scores as mediator variables, suggesting that they were strong mediators. Regarding the association between the mediator and outcome variables, hemoglobin, platelet count, and CONUT exhibited non-linearity (p for non-linearity Conclusions D-dimer, hsCRP, hemoglobin, platelet count, and CONUT score act as mediators of poor prognosis in patients with ischemic stroke with comorbid cancer. Such abnormalities can help to predict ischemic stroke outcomes.

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are at least as efficacious as conventional anticoagulation therapy for the initial and long-term treatment of cancer patients with venous thromboembolism (VTE). Whether DOACs are non-inferior to low-molecular-weight heparin for the management of cancer patients with VTE is under investigation. In addition, the efficacy of DOACs for the treatment of cancer patients with arterial thrombosis (e.g., ischemic stroke) remains unclear. Herein, we report on two cancer patients admitted to our hospital with Stage IV gastric adenocarcinoma who were being treated with DOACs due to a history of VTE and had developed their first ever ischemic stroke, which was diagnosed due to cancer-related hypercoagulation. Notably, neither patient had recurrence of VTE during the course of their disease. In cancer-related thrombosis, DOACs effectively reduce VTE, but may be insufficient for preventing ischemic stroke.

We present an autopsy case of repetitive stroke due to tumor emboli, indistinguishable from thromboembolism with a hypercoagulable state in its clinical course. A 72-year-old man diagnosed with stage IVA oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma received chemoradiotherapy. Follow-up imaging revealed mediastinal lymph nodes and pulmonary metastasis. One year later, the patient experienced right arm weakness, and brain magnetic resonance imaging showed acute ischemic lesions in multiple vascular territories. He was diagnosed with paradoxical cerebral embolism due to cancer-associated venous thrombosis and treated with rivaroxaban. However, newly developed cerebral infarcts were confirmed 1 month later. Then, rivaroxaban treatment was switched to subcutaneous unfractionated heparin injection. He was admitted again for stroke recurrence and died of respiratory failure 8 days after admission. Autopsy demonstrated pulmonary metastasis invading the veins and tumor emboli in the culprit cerebral arteries. D-dimer was kept constant at a slightly higher level, ranging from 1 to 3 µg/mL during the course of recurrence. We should consider tumor embolism in the differential diagnosis of recurrent stroke along with pulmonary tumor and resistance to heparin preparations with unchanged D-dimer levels.

Background The relationship between transient ischemic attack (TIA) clinical etiology, positive diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) findings, and stroke recurrence is controversial. This study aimed to clarify the prevalence of positive DWI findings and TIA recurrence in relation to TIA patient characteristics. Methods The subjects were patients admitted to our stroke unit within 7 days after symptom onset between January 2006 and July 2013. We examined DWI findings and TIA recurrence according to etiologic subtypes. Results We enrolled 139 patients with lacunar TIA (n = 17), atherothrombotic TIA (n = 35), cardioembolic TIA (n = 25), TIA due to other causes (n = 32), or TIA with undetermined etiology (n = 30). The prevalence of positive DWI findings was highest among the cardioembolic TIA patients (56.0%). No association was found between the prevalence of positive DWI findings and symptom duration, motor presence, or ABCD2 score. Plasma d -dimer level was significantly higher in the DWI-positive group than that in the DWI-negative group (P = .01). The prevalence of TIA recurrence was highest (5 of 35, 14.3%) among the atherothrombotic TIA patients, regardless of positive DWI findings. None of the patients treated with the anticoagulant and antiplatelet combination therapy experienced a recurrence. In contrast, almost all patients with cardioembolic TIA received anticoagulant treatment and none experienced recurrence. Conclusions The prevalence of positive DWI findings was high among the cardiogenic TIA patients. TIA recurrence was often observed among the atherothrombotic TIA patients treated with antiplatelets. Management of patients with atherothrombotic TIA requires further aggressive antithrombotic strategy.

Graves disease is rarely complicated with cerebrovascular steno-occlusive diseases. Previous studies have suggested several hypotheses for this occurrence, including excess thyroid hormone, which stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which in turn causes an abnormal hemodynamic response with consequent atherosclerotic changes, and antithyroid antibodies cause local vascular inflammation in patients with Graves disease. However, radiological findings of vasculitis in patients with Graves disease and cerebral infarction remain less known. We report the case of a 30-year-old Japanese woman with acute cerebral infarction due to vasculitis associated with Graves disease. She was admitted to our hospital with a 4-day history of intermittent transient dysarthria and limb shaking of the left leg when standing. Three weeks before admission, she went to a local hospital because of general malaise and was diagnosed with Graves disease. Neurological examination revealed paralytic dysarthria, left central facial nerve palsy, and left hemiparesis (manual muscle testing, 4 of 5). Blood examinations showed hyperthyroidism (thyroid-stimulating hormone ≤.010 µU/mL; free T3 ≥25.0 pg/mL; free T4 ≥8.0 ng/dL) and elevation of antithyroid antibody levels (thyroid peroxidase antibody, 87 IU/mL). The vessel wall of the right internal carotid artery was markedly enhanced on contrast-enhanced three-dimensional T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, suggesting vasculitis. Magnetic resonance angiography revealed right internal carotid artery occlusion after the branching ophthalmic artery. Arterial stenosis due to vasculitis was considered the cause of hemodynamic ischemic stroke. Vessel wall imaging such as high-resolution contrast-enhanced T1-weighted imaging seems useful for assessing the underlying mechanism of stroke in patients with Graves disease.

Background and purpose Patients with cancer have been reported to have poorer outcomes following intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) than those without cancer, but the findings were not consistent between studies. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that cancer is associated with poor outcomes following ICH. Methods In all, 3137 consecutive patients admitted to the stroke unit of Osaka University Hospital were reviewed. Patients diagnosed with ICH were extracted and divided into two groups according to the presence of cancer. ICH characteristics were compared between the groups. The outcomes were measured using the 30-day and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results Amongst the 399 ICH patients (37.1% women; median age 66 years), the frequency of cancer was 15.3%. Of these, 70.5% of patients had distant metastatic cancers. Compared to controls, cancer patients were comparable in the Glasgow Coma Scale, hematoma volume and the frequency of infratentorial location and intraventricular hemorrhage extension, but had poorer outcomes following ICH. Ordinal logistic regression analysis revealed that cancer was independently associated with poor outcomes following ICH (odds ratio 5.14; 95% confidence interval 2.63–10.06). Adjustment was made for the covariates age, sex, time from onset to admission, prior use of antithrombotic agents, pre-stroke mRS, Glasgow Coma Scale, hematoma volume, infratentorial location and intraventricular hemorrhage extension. When the analysis was performed using data from individuals with localized cancer, the effect remained significant after assessment with 90-day mRS but not after that with 30-day mRS. Conclusions The results suggest that cancer, especially distant metastatic cancer, is an independent predictor of poorer outcomes following ICH.

Background and Purpose— We aimed to use contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CE-CMR) imaging to elucidate the prevalence of left ventricular (LV) thrombus in patients suspected of embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) with previous myocardial infarction or LV dysfunction (LV ejection fraction [LVEF] Methods— We prospectively investigated 797 consecutive patients who presented to our hospital with acute ischemic stroke between 2014 and 2015. Patients with myocardial infarction or LVEF Results— The prevalence of ESUS was 22% (178 of 797) on initial diagnosis. Among 60 patients with myocardial infarction or LVEFP =0.04). Importantly, 29% (4 of 14) of patients with ESUS had LV thrombus. A prediction model based on CE-CMR findings showed higher performance in LV thrombus detection, permitting a net improvement of 0.46 (95% confidence interval, 0.08–0.82; P =0.016) in cardioembolic stroke reclassification. Compared with patients without LV thrombus, those with LV thrombus had lower LVEF (median: 26% versus 40%; P =0.003). Notably, 42% (5 of 12) of patients with LV thrombus had LVEF≥30%. Conclusions— When ESUS-suspected patients have myocardial infarction or LV dysfunction, CE-CMR may help improve detection of cardioembolic stroke and provide relevant information for anticoagulation therapy. Clinical Trial Registration— URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT02251665.

Background and purpose Several studies have reported moyamoya syndrome associated with thyroid disease, and the mechanism involved in this relationship is unknown. This study aimed to clarify the involvement of thyroid antibodies and thyroid function in intracranial arterial stenosis. Methods The study included 30 patients

Background and purpose Cancer patients with cryptogenic stroke often have high plasma D-dimer levels and lesions in multiple vascular regions. Hence, if patients with cryptogenic stroke display such characteristics, occult cancer could be predicted. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of cryptogenic stroke as the first manifestation of occult cancer and to determine whether plasma D-dimer levels and lesions in multiple vascular regions can predict occult cancer in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Methods Between January 2006 and October 2015, data on 1225 patients with acute ischaemic stroke were extracted from the stroke database of Osaka University Hospital. Among them, 184 patients were classified as having cryptogenic stroke, and 120 patients without a diagnosis of cancer at stroke onset were identified. Clinical variables were analyzed between cryptogenic stroke patients with and without occult cancer. Results Among 120 cryptogenic stroke patients without a diagnosis of cancer, 12 patients had occult cancer. The body mass index, hemoglobin levels and albumin levels were lower; plasma D-dimer and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels were higher; and lesions in multiple vascular regions were more common in patients with than in those without occult cancer. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that plasma D-dimer levels (odds ratio, 3.48; 95% confidence interval, 1.68–8.33; P = 0.002) and lesions in multiple vascular regions (odds ratio, 7.40; 95% confidence interval, 1.70–39.45; P = 0.01) independently predicted occult cancer. Conclusions High plasma D-dimer levels and lesions in multiple vascular regions can be used to predict occult cancer in patients with cryptogenic stroke.

Community acquired bacterial meningitis due to extended spectrum β lactamase-producing Escherichia coli is very rare. We report the case of a 72-year-old woman being treated for longstanding diabetes mellitus. She developed lower back pain accompanied by elevated body temperature, and was transported to the emergency unit in our hospital five days later because of impaired consciousness. An abdominal plane CT showed acute pyelonephritis and a brain MRI showed inflammatory exudate in the posterior horn of her bilateral ventricles. A lumbar puncture was performed, and examination of the cerebrospinal fluid revealed a marked elevation in her cell count (polymorphonuclear leukocytes dominant) that we diagnosed as bacterial meningitis. Initially, she was treated with intravenous meropenem, ceftriaxon, and vancomycin. Extended spectrum β lactamase-producing Escherichia coli were then detected in her urinary and blood cultures, and the antibiotics were changed to intravenous meropenem, gentamicin, and intrathecal gentamicin. Her clinical symptoms improved, but her inflammatory reaction was prolonged and we detected spondylitis. She was then treated with levofloxacin, and the inflammatory reaction improved. Extended spectrum β lactamase-producing Escherichia coli should be taken into consideration as a cause of community acquired bacterial meningitis.

Objective: Ischemic stroke with occult cancer is a relatively rare but a significant complication in clinical practice. The aim of this study is to clarify the characteristics of cryptogenic stroke patients with occult cancer. Methods: Between January 2006 and February 2015, 1191 patients with acute ischemic stroke were extracted from a prospectively collected stroke database of Osaka University Hospital. Among them, 165(14%) patients, including 108 patients without diagnosed cancer and 57 patients with active caner at the time of ischemic stroke onset, were diagnosed with cryptogenic stroke etiology. We compared the clinical characteristics between cryptogenic stroke patients with occult cancer and without cancer. All data are expressed as median and interquartile ranges or counts and percentages. Results: Among 108 patients without diagnosed cancer in cryptogenic stroke etiology, there were 11 patients with occult cancer and 97 patients without cancer. Compared with the cryptogenic stroke patients without cancer, those patients with occult cancer had lower body mass index (18.4 [16.5-20.4] vs 22.9 [20.3-25.6] kg/m2, p < 0.001), lower serum albumin (3.3 [2.4-3.5] vs 4.0 [3.7-4.2] g/dl, p < 0.001), higher plasma D-dimer levels (5.89 [0.80-12.55] vs 0.48 [0.27-0.93] μg/ml, p < 0.0001) and C-reactive protein (0.51 [0.13-6.22] vs 0.13 [0.04-0.34] mg/dl, p = 0.01), and more multiple vascular lesions (73% vs 14%, p < 0.0001). Five patients (45%) presented with distal metastases at diagnosis. Conclusion: Cryptogenic stroke patients with occult cancer have lower nutritional status, higher plasma D-dimer levels, and more multiple vascular lesion patterns. In patients with cryptogenic stroke having such characteristics, a detailed examination is needed to check for the presence of cancer.

Objective To clarify the characteristics of cryptogenic stroke in patients with active cancer. Methods Patients with or without cancer diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke between January 2006 and February 2015 were extracted from a prospectively collected stroke database of Osaka University Hospital. Patients were categorized according to the presence of active cancer and known stroke mechanisms. Results Among 1191 patients with acute ischemic stroke, 145 (12%) had active cancer. Patients with active cancer were diagnosed more often with cryptogenic stroke than were patients without cancer (47% vs. 12%, P

Objective: Previous studies have shown that the prolonged duration of TIA symptoms or ABCD2 score are associated with DWI abnormality, and the presence of DWI abnormality is associated with an increased early risk of stroke. However, there are few reports that show the relation between TIA clinical etiology and DWI abnormality. Our aim of this study is to clarify the prevalence of positive DWI in relation to characteristics of patients and TIA. Methods: The subjects were enrolled from patients who were admitted to our stroke unit within 7 days after symptom onset from January 2006 to July 2013. The diagnosis of TIA was done by NINDS criteria, and we classified TIA etiology by TOAST classification based on clinical symptoms, ECG monitoring, carotid ultrasound, MR angiography and transesophageal echocardiography. All patients underwent DWI-MRI within 7 days after symptom onset. We examined an association between TIA etiology, symptom, duration of symptoms and DWI abnormality. Results: A total of 141 patients (mean 64 years; 63% men) were admitted with TIA during this period. Those included lacuna TIA (n=17, 12.1%), atherothrombotic TIA (n=32, 22.7%), cardioembolic TIA (n=23, 16.3%), TIA due to other causes (n=35, 24.8%), and TIA with unknown etiology (n=34, 24.1%). Prevalence of positive DWI findings were 47.1% in lacunar TIA, 43.7% in atherothrombotic TIA, 52.1% in cardioembloic TIA, 42.8% in TIA due to other causes, and 23.5% in TIA with unknown etiology. DWI abnormality was the most frequent in cardiogenic TIA. In relation to symptom duration, the prevalence of DWI positive findings were 45.2% in less than 1 hour (N=53), 36.6% in 1-3 hour (N=41), 25.0% in 3-6 hour (N=12) and 42.9% in 6-24 hours (N=35). In relation to motor symptoms, there was no difference in prevalence of DWI abnormality between patient with motor symptoms (39.8%, N=113) and without (42.8%, N=28). There was no relation between DWI abnormalities and age, a history of stroke/TIA episode or vascular risk factors. Conclusion: Prevalence of DWI positive findings was high in cardiogenic TIA, and low in TIA with unclassified etiology. There were no relation between DWI abnormality, duration of symptom, and motor symptom.