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Stroke Sep 2012Transient focal neurological episodes (TFNE) are recognized in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and may herald a high risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Transient focal neurological episodes (TFNE) are recognized in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and may herald a high risk of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to determine their prevalence, clinical neuroimaging spectrum, and future ICH risk.
METHODS
This was a multicenter retrospective cohort study of 172 CAA patients. Clinical, imaging, and follow-up data were collected. We classified TFNE into: predominantly positive symptoms ("aura-like" spreading paraesthesias/positive visual phenomena or limb jerking) and predominantly negative symptoms ("transient ischemic attack-like" sudden-onset limb weakness, dysphasia, or visual loss). We pooled our results with all published cases identified in a systematic review.
RESULTS
In our multicenter cohort, 25 patients (14.5%; 95% confidence interval, 9.6%-20.7%) had TFNE. Positive and negative symptoms were equally common (52% vs 48%, respectively). The commonest neuroimaging features were leukoaraiosis (84%), lobar ICH (76%), multiple lobar cerebral microbleeds (58%), and superficial cortical siderosis/convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (54%). The CAA patients with TFNE more often had superficial cortical siderosis/convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (but not other magnetic resonance imaging features) compared with those without TFNE (50% vs 19%; P=0.001). Over a median period of 14 months, 50% of TFNE patients had symptomatic lobar ICH. The meta-analysis showed a risk of symptomatic ICH after TFNE of 24.5% (95% confidence interval, 15.8%-36.9%) at 8 weeks, related neither to clinical features nor to previous symptomatic ICH.
CONCLUSIONS
TFNE are common in CAA, include both positive and negative neurological symptoms, and may be caused by superficial cortical siderosis/convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage. TFNE predict a high early risk of symptomatic ICH (which may be amenable to prevention). Blood-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging sequences are important in the investigation of such episodes.
Topics: Aged; Brain; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy; Cohort Studies; Confidence Intervals; Data Interpretation, Statistical; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; Recurrence; Risk; Risk Factors
PubMed: 22798323
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.112.657759 -
Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular... Sep 2015Cerebral amyloid angiopathy associated with inflammatory process (CAA-I) is a rare potentially treatable encephalopathy, characterized by an inflammatory response to... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
Cerebral amyloid angiopathy associated with inflammatory process (CAA-I) is a rare potentially treatable encephalopathy, characterized by an inflammatory response to vascular deposits of β-amyloid. We aimed to describe 3 clinical cases and perform a systematic review of all neuropathologically proved CAA-I case reports to describe its clinical and pathologic features and outcome under different treatments.
METHODS
We searched PubMed and Cochrane Library and screened references of included studies and review articles for additional citations. Outcome was classified at the last available follow-up by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS).
RESULTS
A total of 67 publications, reporting on 155 patients, were included. Mean age was 66.9 years, and 53.5% were men. The most common clinical presentation was cognitive dysfunction (48.0%) followed by headaches (38.7%), seizures (36.7%), and pyramidal signs (20.0%). Perivascular and vasculitic inflammation with granuloma was the most common pathologic pattern (27.5%). Eighty-six percent were treated with corticosteroids and 33.9% with cyclophosphamide. Forty-two percent regained independence (mRS score 0-2), whereas 20.5% were left with a severe handicap (mRS score 3-5) and 37.5% died. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome between patients treated with therapy with corticosteroids alone comparing with those treated with combination corticosteroids with cytostatic agents.
CONCLUSIONS
The most common clinical manifestation of CAA-I was cognitive dysfunction. The functional outcome was unfavorable in the majority of the patients, with death or severe disability in almost two third of the cases, despite treatment. No differences in outcome could be detected between patients treated with corticosteroids versus patients treated with cytostatics, combined with corticosteroids.
Topics: Aged; Animals; Brain; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy; Databases, Bibliographic; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Inflammation; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged
PubMed: 26163888
DOI: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2015.04.015 -
Clinical and Experimental Medicine Feb 2015Conventional radiographic skeletal survey has been for many years the gold standard to detect the occurrence of osteolytic lesions in patients with multiple myeloma... (Review)
Review
Conventional radiographic skeletal survey has been for many years the gold standard to detect the occurrence of osteolytic lesions in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). However, the introduction of more sensitive imaging procedures has resulted in an updated anatomic and functional Durie and Salmon "plus" staging system and has remarkably changed the diagnostic and prognostic approach to this tumor. It is now established that (18)fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron-emission tomography (PET) combined with low-dose computed tomography (CT), shortly designated PET/CT, exhibits a higher screening and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity over the skeleton X-ray. In patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and in those with smoldering MM, PET/CT is consistently unable to detect focal and/or diffuse marrow abnormalities. Conversely, based on a systematic review of 18 studies comprising almost 800 MM patients, PET/CT was able to detect MM osteolytic lesions with a sensitivity of approximately 80-90% and a specificity of 80-100%. Importantly, a poor degree of concordance has also been emphasized between PET/CT and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) in that when both techniques were applied to the same patients, double-positive results were recorded in approximately 30% of the cases, but in the majority of them, a higher number of lesions were revealed with PET/CT than with MRI. Double-negative results, on the other hand, were found in about 22% of the patients. Because PET/CT is able to identify tumor foci throughout the body, it can be usefully applied to the study of solitary bone plasmacytoma and extra-medullary plasmacytoma: In both conditions, the detection of additional, previously overlooked sites of skeletal involvement would falsify the diagnosis of single-district disease, upstage the tumor, and therefore require a different therapeutic approach. In addition, although PET/CT is poorly sensitive to diffuse bone marrow infiltration, it can anticipate a site of impending fracture throughout the body and can discriminate old from new pathologic fractures. MRI should, however, be preferred when vertebral bodies are suspected to be involved and the risk of vertebral fracture is to be assessed. PET/CT is a sensitive and reliable procedure to evaluate the response to chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, which is shown by a remarkable reduction and sometimes total disappearance of FDG accumulation in the involved bony structures, although these structures remain morphologically abnormal. Conversely, an increased focal uptake of FDG in apparent remission patients often precedes clinically overt relapse. PET/CT should be preferred to other imaging techniques to assess the remission status after autologous stem cell transplantation. In patients with primary and remission-induced non-secretory MM, the use of PET/CT may help to early detect single or multiple districts of focal non-secretory relapse. Osteonecrosis of the jaw, its location, and extent in MM patients receiving bis-phosphonates are better defined by both PET/CT and contrast-enhanced MRI compared with dental panoramic views derived from cone beam CT imaging. Little is known as to the possible role of PET/CT in the assessment of disease extension, tumor load, and response to therapy in patients with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM). In a study conducted on 35 WM patients, comparative PET/CT before and after therapy was able to detect positive findings in 83% of the patients, in contrast with the previous results achieved with conventional imaging that reported visceral involvement in much lower percentages. Similarly scanty are the data on the use of PET/CT in localized and systemic amyloidosis, given the small number of patients studied so far. A retrospective study has shown that, at variance from (123)Iodine-serum amyloid P component ((123)I-SAP) scintigraphy, which was found to be positive in about one-third of the patients with localized amyloidosis, an increased FDG uptake was detected at the amyloid site in virtually all of them. On the contrary, none of the patients with systemic amyloidosis showed an increased FDG uptake in sites of known deposition, whereas (123)I-SAP scintigraphy tested positive in the large majority of them. In another study, however, no such remarkable difference of positive PET/CT scans between localized and systemic amyloidosis was reported. Finally, false-positive and false-negative PET/CT findings can occur in different conditions that should be kept in mind to avoid wrong or omitted diagnoses.
Topics: Bone Marrow; Bone Neoplasms; Bone and Bones; Diagnostic Errors; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance; Multiple Myeloma; Plasmacytoma; Positron-Emission Tomography; Prognosis; Radiopharmaceuticals; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 25218739
DOI: 10.1007/s10238-014-0308-3 -
CNS & Neurological Disorders Drug... 2021Vascular Dementia (VaD) occurs due to cerebrovascular insufficiency, which leads to decreased blood circulation to the brain, thereby resulting in mental disabilities....
Vascular Dementia (VaD) occurs due to cerebrovascular insufficiency, which leads to decreased blood circulation to the brain, thereby resulting in mental disabilities. The main causes of Vascular Cognitive Impairment (VCI) are severe hypoperfusion, stroke, hypertension, large vessel disease (cortical), small Vessel Disease (subcortical VaD), strategic infarct, hemorrhage (microbleed), Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy (CAA), which leads to decreased cerebrovascular perfusion. Many metabolic disorders such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM), dyslipidemia, and hyperhomocysteinemia are also related to VaD. The rodent experimental models provide a better prospective for the investigation of the molecular mechanism of new drugs. A plethora of experimental models are available that mimic the pathological conditions and lead to VaD. This review article updates the current knowledge on the basis of VaD, risk factors, pathophysiology, mechanism, advantages, limitations, and the modification of various available rodent experimental models.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Animals; Brain; CADASIL; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia, Vascular; Disease Models, Animal; Hypertension; Risk Factors; Rodentia; Stroke
PubMed: 33423653
DOI: 10.2174/1871527319666210108123438 -
Autoimmunity Reviews Feb 2020To evaluate the prevalence, clinical presentation, serological and morphological features of, and therapeutic options for Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) in primary...
Clinical, morphological features and prognostic factors associated with interstitial lung disease in primary Sjӧgren's syndrome: A systematic review from the Italian Society of Rheumatology.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence, clinical presentation, serological and morphological features of, and therapeutic options for Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) in primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS).
METHODS
Pubmed was searched between February 1996 and December 2018 using a combination of MESH terms related to pSS and ILD. Selected works were subjected to blind evaluation by two authors and a senior author in case of disagreement. The work followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42018118669).
RESULTS
About 20% of pSS patients have ILD, with a 5-y survival of 84% and a need for supplemental oxygen in the 11-33% range. A significant proportion of ILD patients are seronegative without sicca syndrome. ILD seems to be associated with higher levels of Lactic Dehydrogenases and positivity for Anti-Ro52k. The prevalent pattern in High Resolution Computed Tomography is Nonspecific Interstitial Pneumonia (NSIP), but all other patterns can be present. No difference in mortality was found between patients with NSIP and Usual Interstitial Pneumonia patterns. Amyloidosis and primary lung lymphoma can be observed in about 10% of pSS patients.
CONCLUSION
The recognition of pSS underlying an ILD can be challenging in seronegative patients with no or mild sicca symptoms. A complete diagnostic assessment, including minor salivary glands and, in some cases, lung biopsy, should be performed on all patients at risk. A better recognition of the clinical or serological markers of ILD progression in these patients is warranted to drive the physicians to an early diagnosis and an effective treatment.
Topics: Humans; Italy; Lung Diseases, Interstitial; Prognosis; Rheumatology; Sjogren's Syndrome; Societies, Medical
PubMed: 31843713
DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2019.102447 -
Rheumatology International Jul 2024We aimed to review the literature on the clinical presentation, renal pathology, treatment, and outcome of renal manifestations in adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD).
OBJECTIVE
We aimed to review the literature on the clinical presentation, renal pathology, treatment, and outcome of renal manifestations in adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD).
METHODS
We used PRISMA guidelines for our systematic review and included all English-language original articles from inception till September 15, 2023, on AOSD and kidney involvement in any form. Data on patient demographics, diagnostic criteria, clinical presentation, renal pathology, treatment employed including dialysis, outcome, cause of death were collected and analyzed.
RESULTS
The median age at the diagnosis of renal issues was 37, with a higher prevalence among females (58.1%). Among the cases, 28 experienced renal problems after being diagnosed with AOSD, 12 had simultaneous diagnoses of renal issues and AOSD, and in 4 cases, renal problems appeared before AOSD diagnosis. Out of the 44 cases, 36 underwent renal biopsy, revealing various pathology findings including AA amyloidosis (25%), collapsing glomerulopathy (11.4%), thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) (11.4%), IgA nephropathy (9.1%), minimal change disease (6.8%), and others. Some cases were clinically diagnosed with TMA, proximal tubular dysfunction, or macrophage activation syndrome-related acute kidney injury. Treatment approaches varied, but glucocorticoids were commonly used. Renal involvement was associated with increased mortality and morbidity, with 6 out of 44 patients passing away, 4 progressing to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and data on 2 cases' outcomes not available.
CONCLUSION
Renal manifestations in AOSD are diverse but rarely studied owing to the rarity of the disease. Studies with larger data would be essential to study further on the pathogenesis and implications.
Topics: Humans; Still's Disease, Adult-Onset; Kidney Diseases; Adult; Nephrosis, Lipoid; Kidney; Thrombotic Microangiopathies; Female; Amyloidosis; Glomerulonephritis, IGA; Glucocorticoids
PubMed: 38625385
DOI: 10.1007/s00296-024-05578-5 -
World Neurosurgery Jun 2020Management of cerebral amyloidomas has lacked consensus owing to their rarity. We present a case and review 39 reported cases of amyloidomas in the literature, comparing...
BACKGROUND
Management of cerebral amyloidomas has lacked consensus owing to their rarity. We present a case and review 39 reported cases of amyloidomas in the literature, comparing their initial presentation, imaging characteristics, treatment, and progression.
CASE DESCRIPTION
A 56-year-old woman presented with a history of intractable headaches and progressive speech difficulty. Imaging demonstrated a 1.7 × 2.6 cm left frontal subcortical hemorrhagic mass with an associated developmental venous anomaly, characteristics initially suggestive of a cavernous malformation. Diffusion tractography imaging was employed to avoid interference with the intact arcuate fasciculus and corticospinal tracts to minimize neurologic deficits.
CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge, this is the first documented case of the use of diffusion tractography in preoperative planning for cerebral amyloidoma resection. Our systematic review of 39 reported cases of amyloidomas in the literature provided insight regarding how these rare lesions have manifested and progressed and further understanding of current theories regarding their etiology and pathophysiology. Cerebral amyloidomas are rare, localized, proteinaceous aggregates with variable presentation and prognosis and no apparent relationship to systemic amyloidosis. Biopsy may be useful in determination of progression. Diffusion tractography is a valuable tool for minimizing complications associated with resection.
Topics: Amyloidosis; Brain Diseases; Female; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Middle Aged; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; Neurosurgical Procedures
PubMed: 32084617
DOI: 10.1016/j.wneu.2020.02.072 -
Neurology Dec 2019To assess the association of cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) presence and extent with future bleeding risk in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To assess the association of cortical superficial siderosis (cSS) presence and extent with future bleeding risk in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).
METHODS
This was a meta-analysis of clinical cohorts of symptomatic patients with CAA who had T2*-MRI at baseline and clinical follow-up for future intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We pooled data in a 2-stage meta-analysis using random effects models. Covariate-adjusted hazard ratios (adjHR) from multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used.
RESULTS
We included data from 6 eligible studies (n = 1,239). cSS pooled prevalence was 34% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26%-41%; 87.94%; < 0.001): focal cSS prevalence was 14% (95% CI 12%-16%; 6.75%; = 0.37), and disseminated cSS prevalence was 20% (95% CI 13%-26%; 90.39%; < 0.001). During a mean follow-up of 3.1 years (range 1-4 years), 162/1,239 patients experienced a symptomatic ICH-pooled incidence rate 6.9% per year (95% CI 3.9%-9.8% per year; 83%; < 0.001). ICH incidence rates per year according to cSS status were 3.9% (95% CI 1.7%-6.1%; 70%; = 0.018) for patients without cSS, 11.1% (95% CI 7%-15.2%; 56.8%; = 0.074) for cSS presence, 9.1% (95% CI 5.5%-12.8%; 0%; = 0.994) for focal cSS, and 12.5% (95% CI 5.3%-19.7%; 73.2%; = 0.011) for disseminated cSS. In adjusted pooled analysis, any cSS presence was independently associated with increased future ICH risk (adjHR 2.14; 95% CI 1.19-3.85; < 0.0001). Focal cSS was linked with ICH risk (adjHR 2.11; 95% CI 1.31-2.41; = 0.002), while disseminated cSS conferred the strongest bleeding risk (adjHR 4.28; 95% CI 2.91-6.30; < 0.0001).
CONCLUSION
In patients with CAA, cSS presence and extent are the most important MRI prognostic risk factors for future ICH, likely useful in treatment planning.
CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE
This study provides Class III evidence that in symptomatic CAA survivors with baseline T2*-MRI, cSS (particularly if disseminated, i.e., affecting >3 sulci) increases the risk of future ICH.
Topics: Aged; Brain Diseases; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy; Cerebral Cortex; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Female; Hemosiderosis; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 31732564
DOI: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008590 -
International Journal of Stroke :... Oct 2019We aimed to investigate cortical superficial siderosis as an MRI predictor of lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) recurrence risk in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA),... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
We aimed to investigate cortical superficial siderosis as an MRI predictor of lobar intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) recurrence risk in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), in a large prospective MRI cohort and a systematic review.
METHODS
We analyzed a single-center MRI prospective cohort of consecutive CAA-related ICH survivors. Using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses, we investigated cortical superficial siderosis and ICH risk, adjusting for known confounders. We pooled data with eligible published cohorts in a two-stage meta-analysis using random effects models. Covariate-adjusted hazard rations (adj-HR) from pre-specified multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used.
RESULTS
The cohort included 240 CAA-ICH survivors (cortical superficial siderosis prevalence: 36%). During a median follow-up of 2.6 years (IQR: 0.9-5.1 years) recurrent ICH occurred in 58 patients (24%). In prespecified multivariable Cox regression models, cortical superficial siderosis presence and disseminated cortical superficial siderosis were independent predictors of increased symptomatic ICH risk at follow-up (HR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.31-3.87, p = 0.003 and HR: 3.59; 95% CI: 1.96-6.57, p < 0.0001, respectively). Three cohorts including 443 CAA-ICH patients in total were eligible for meta-analysis. During a mean follow-up of 2.5 years (range: 2-3 years) 92 patients experienced recurrent ICH (pooled risk ratio: 6.9% per year, 95% CI: 4.2%-9.7% per year). In adjusted pooled analysis, any cortical superficial siderosis and disseminated cortical superficial siderosis were the only independent predictors associated with increased lobar ICH recurrence risk (adj-HR: 2.4; 95% CI: 1.5-3.7; p < 0.0001, and adj-HR: 4.4; 95% CI: 2-9.9; p < 0.0001, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS
In CAA-ICH patients, cortical superficial siderosis presence and extent are the most important MRI prognostic risk factors for lobar ICH recurrence. These results can help guide clinical decision making in patients with CAA.
Topics: Aged; Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Neuroimaging; Recurrence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 30785378
DOI: 10.1177/1747493019830065