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Journal of Vascular Surgery Cases and... Jun 2021Aberrant vertebral artery (VA) origins are uncommon, and those arising from the carotid bulb are exceedingly rare. We report a 79-year-old man with a right thalamic...
Aberrant vertebral artery (VA) origins are uncommon, and those arising from the carotid bulb are exceedingly rare. We report a 79-year-old man with a right thalamic stroke and subsequent amaurosis fugax that was found to have severe right carotid bulb and internal carotid artery stenoses, as well as an aberrant VA arising from the bulb. He underwent carotid endarterectomy including eversion endarterectomy of the VA and had no recurrence of amaurosis fugax or posterior circulation symptoms at the 1-year follow-up. We also present a comprehensive review of the literature, focusing on symptomatic cases and those arising from the carotid bulb.
PubMed: 33997553
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvscit.2021.01.001 -
The Neurohospitalist Apr 2021Few community-based studies investigating young adult strokes exist. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of head and neck CTA in evaluation of...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Few community-based studies investigating young adult strokes exist. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic yield of head and neck CTA in evaluation of anterior circulation ischemic stroke in young adults.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This retrospective review is limited to patients between the ages of 18-50 presenting to the Mayo Clinic Rochester emergency department or referred from smaller institutions in adjacent counties. Patients with posterior circulation infarcts, amaurosis fugax, central retinal artery occlusion or transient ischemic attacks were excluded. The presence of carotid dissection, webs, plaque, or other high-risk lesions were recorded.
RESULTS
A total of 136 patients met inclusion criteria. Mean degree of carotid stenosis ipsilateral to infarct was 14.1%, compared to 6.5% on the contralateral side (p = .006). Ipsilateral mean carotid wall thickness measured .79 mm, compared to contralateral thickness of .80 mm (p = .51). Ipsilateral low-density plaque was observed in 22 patients (16.2%), and 21 patients (15.4%) on the contralateral side (p = .87). Ipsilateral calcified plaque was observed in 37 patients (27.2%), and 29 patients (21.3%) on the contralateral side (p = .31). 20 (14.7%) ipsilateral dissections were noted, compared to 4 (2.9%) contralateral dissections (p = .001). 3 (2.2%) ipsilateral carotid webs were identified, compared to 0 contralateral webs (p = .25).
CONCLUSION
Carotid dissection was the most common cause of anterior circulation infarct identified on cervical CTA in this population. Carotid webs and atherosclerosis were not common findings.
PubMed: 33791054
DOI: 10.1177/1941874420974542 -
Tidsskrift For Den Norske Laegeforening... Mar 2021The aetiology of transient monocular vision loss is not necessarily thromboembolic, and careful history-taking is crucial in making the correct diagnosis. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The aetiology of transient monocular vision loss is not necessarily thromboembolic, and careful history-taking is crucial in making the correct diagnosis.
CASE PRESENTATION
A previously healthy woman in her thirties was referred to our outpatient stroke clinic on suspicion of recurring amaurosis fugax in her right eye. The ophthalmic and neurologic examinations were normal. A review of the medical history revealed that her symptoms occurred in connection with using her smartphone in bed, typically while lying on her left side with the left eye covered by the pillow. When standing up from the bed again with the lights turned off in the bedroom, she noticed vision loss in her right eye.
INTERPRETATION
We concluded that the patient had experienced transient smartphone blindness. This phenomenon can occur when monocularly using a smartphone under scotopic lighting conditions; only the occluded eye adapts to darkness, and the other eye is perceived to be blind if looking away from the bright smartphone screen.
Topics: Amaurosis Fugax; Blindness; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Smartphone; Vision Disorders
PubMed: 33754676
DOI: 10.4045/tidsskr.20.0972 -
Journal of Family Medicine and Primary... Dec 2020A 57-year-old female presented with headache, miosis, and ptosis diagnosed as Horner syndrome (HS). After delaying the recommended diagnostic imaging, she experienced...
A 57-year-old female presented with headache, miosis, and ptosis diagnosed as Horner syndrome (HS). After delaying the recommended diagnostic imaging, she experienced transient, unilateral visual impairment in bright light. The patient was subsequently determined to have a spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection (ICAD) and secondary retinal ischemia with minimal cardiovascular risk factors and no history of preceding trauma. She wore dark glasses, received gabapentin for pain control, and was anticoagulated for a total of 4 months at which time the ICAD resolved despite a residual blepharoptosis and anisocoria.
PubMed: 33681076
DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1444_20 -
Lancet (London, England) Mar 2021Diagnosis of transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) can be difficult. There is consensus on classic symptoms (eg, motor weakness, dysphasia, hemianopia, monocular visual...
BACKGROUND
Diagnosis of transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs) can be difficult. There is consensus on classic symptoms (eg, motor weakness, dysphasia, hemianopia, monocular visual loss) but no consensus on several monosymptomatic events with sudden-onset, non-progressive, focal negative symptoms (eg, isolated diplopia, dysarthria, vertigo, ataxia, sensory loss, and bilateral visual disturbance), with much variation in investigation and treatment.
METHODS
We prospectively ascertained and investigated all strokes and sudden onset transient neurological symptoms in a population of 92 728 people (no age restrictions) from Oxfordshire, UK, who sought medical attention at nine primary care practices or at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, UK (Oxford Vascular Study). Patients classified at baseline with minor ischaemic stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Score <5), classic TIA, or non-consensus TIA were treated according to secondary prevention guidelines. Risks of stroke (7-day, 90-day, and 10-year risks) and risks of all major vascular events (from the time of first event, and from the time of seeking medical attention) were established by face-to-face follow-up visits and were compared with the risk expected from age and sex-specific stroke incidence in the underlying study population.
FINDINGS
Between April 1, 2002, and March 31, 2018, 2878 patients were identified with minor ischaemic stroke (n=1287), classic TIA (n=1021), or non-consensus TIA (n=570). Follow-up was to Oct 1, 2018 (median 5·2 [IQR 2·6-9·2] years). 577 first recurrent strokes after the index event occurred during 17 009 person-years of follow-up. 90-day stroke risk from time of the index event after a non-consensus TIA was similar to that after classic TIA (10·6% [95% CI 7·8-12·9] vs 11·6% [95% CI 9·6-13·6]; hazard ratio 0·87, 95% CI 0·64-1·19; p=0·43), and higher than after amaurosis fugax (4·3% [95% CI 0·6-8·0]; p=0·042). However, patients with non-consensus TIA were less likely to seek medical attention on the day of the event than were those with classic TIA (336 of 570 [59%] vs 768 of 1021 [75%]; odds ratio [OR] 0·47, 95% CI 0·38-0·59; p<0·0001) and were more likely to have recurrent strokes before seeking attention (45 of 570 [8%] vs 47 of 1021 [5%]; OR 1·77, 95% CI 1·16-2·71; p=0·007). After excluding such recurrent strokes, 7-day stroke risk after seeking attention for non-consensus TIA (2·9% [95% CI 1·5-4·3]) was still considerably higher than the expected background risk (relative risk [RR] 203, 95% CI 113-334), particularly if the patient sought attention on the day of the index event (5·0% [2·1-7·9]; RR 300, 137-569). 10-year risk of all major vascular events was similar for non-consensus and classic TIAs (27·1% [95% CI 22·8-31·4] vs 30·9% [27·2-33·7]; p=0·12). Baseline prevalence of atrial fibrillation, patent foramen ovale, and arterial stenoses were also similar for non-consensus TIA and classic TIA, although stenoses in the posterior circulation were more frequent with non-consensus TIA (OR 2·21, 95% CI 1·59-3·08; p<0·0001).
INTERPRETATION
Patients with non-consensus TIA are at high early and long-term risk of stroke and have cardiovascular pathological findings on investigation similar to those of classic TIA. Designation of non-consensus TIAs as definite cerebrovascular events will increase overall TIA diagnoses by about 50%.
FUNDING
Wellcome Trust, National Institute for Health Research Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Wolfson Foundation, Masonic Charitable Foundation, and British Heart Foundation.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Cardiovascular Diseases; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Ischemic Attack, Transient; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Prognosis; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Stroke; United Kingdom
PubMed: 33676629
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31961-9 -
American Journal of Ophthalmology Case... Mar 2021to describe a patient with a contractile peripapillary staphyloma and transient visual loss (TVL) that underwent repeated OCTA examination documenting disc contraction...
PURPOSE
to describe a patient with a contractile peripapillary staphyloma and transient visual loss (TVL) that underwent repeated OCTA examination documenting disc contraction and increased peripapillary vessel density as the mechanism of TVL.
OBSERVATIONS
a 28-year-old male presented multiple daily episodes of TVL for the last 5 years. Fundoscopic examination revealed a peripapillary staphyloma. The fundus photographs and SS-OCT demonstrated flattening of the posterior polo and crowding of the contracted optic disk, which became hyperemic with tortuous and dilated veins during visual loss episodes. OCTA showed temporary increased peripapillary vessel density, presumably from severe venous congestion leading to TVL during the contraction.
CONCLUSION AND IMPORTANCE
increased peripapillary vessel density can be demonstrated by OCTA during TVL in contractile peripapillary staphyloma. These findings indicate that severe venous stasis during disc contraction is the cause of TVL.
PubMed: 33532661
DOI: 10.1016/j.ajoc.2021.101010 -
Journal of Neurology Jul 2021The presence of livedo reticularis in patients with ischaemic stroke is associated with Sneddon syndrome (SS). Our objective was to present the clinical features of SS...
BACKGROUND
The presence of livedo reticularis in patients with ischaemic stroke is associated with Sneddon syndrome (SS). Our objective was to present the clinical features of SS patients and to assess the role of antiphospholipid antibodies (APL).
METHODS
Consecutive patients, diagnosed with SS between 1996 and 2017, were retrospectively reviewed for their demographic, neurological, dermatological, cardiac and extracerebral vascular features. Diagnosis of SS was made only if other causes of stroke were excluded. Patients with and without APL were included and compared for their clinical features.
RESULTS
Fifty-three patients (79% female) were included, of whom 14 patients were APL-positive. Median age at diagnosis was 40 years. Approximately 60% of the patients had ≥ 3 cardiovascular risk factors. There were 129 previous vascular events (66 ischaemic strokes, 62 TIAs and 1 amaurosis fugax) during a median period of 2 years between the first event and diagnosis of SS. Skin biopsy was positive for SS in 29 patients (67%), mostly showing a thickened vessel wall with neovascularization in the deep dermis. After a median follow-up of 28 months, 4 patients, either on antiplatelet or oral anticoagulation therapy, had a recurrent stroke. There were few statistically significant differences between APL-negative and APL-positive patients, including the number of vascular events before diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS
SS predominantly affects young women with a relatively large number of cardiovascular risk factors. Clinical features of SS are comparable across different studies. We found no differences in the main clinical features between APL-positive and APL-negative patients.
Topics: Antibodies, Antiphospholipid; Antiphospholipid Syndrome; Brain Ischemia; Female; Humans; Male; Retrospective Studies; Sneddon Syndrome; Stroke
PubMed: 33515066
DOI: 10.1007/s00415-021-10407-x -
Annals of Translational Medicine Oct 2020The timing of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for symptomatic ipsilateral carotid artery stenosis has evolved in practice over time. Key landmark trials outlined the... (Review)
Review
The timing of carotid endarterectomy (CEA) for symptomatic ipsilateral carotid artery stenosis has evolved in practice over time. Key landmark trials outlined the benefit of performing CEA in the recently symptomatic carotid artery stenosis, defined as revascularisation within 6 months of the index neurological event. Further evidence and sub-analysis demonstrate that performing CEA within 2 weeks of symptoms has the maximal benefit in reducing stroke free survival and is associated with a safe perioperative complication profile. This has translated into guideline recommendations and widespread clinical practice. The case for performing urgent CEA (within 48 hours of index neurological event) over early CEA (within 2 weeks) has been put forward and studied. Data examining perioperative complications for urgent CEA are mostly derived from retrospective single series studies. A moderate balance exists in the literature for the safety and risk of urgent CEA. Although many studies present acceptable perioperative stroke and mortality rates associated with urgent CEA, evidence still exists that the perioperative complications may not be insignificant. This is particularly the case if the presenting neurology is a stroke, rather than a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or amaurosis fugax. This should be contextualised in the practice of modern aggressive medical therapy with dual antiplatelets and statins, with evidence suggesting a reduction in recurrent ischaemic events prior to surgical intervention. Careful patient selection, presenting neurology and medical therapy is likely to be a key feature in considering urgent CEA versus early CEA.
PubMed: 33178799
DOI: 10.21037/atm-20-1130 -
Interventional Neuroradiology : Journal... Jun 2021Dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVF) are vascular lesions with arteriovenous shunting that may be treated with surgical obliteration or endovascular embolization. Some...
INTRODUCTION
Dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVF) are vascular lesions with arteriovenous shunting that may be treated with surgical obliteration or endovascular embolization. Some DAVF, such as anterior cranial fossa DAVF (AC-DAVF) derive their arterial supply from ophthalmic artery branches in nearly all cases, and trans-arterial embolization carries a risk of vision loss. We determined the efficacy and safety of trans-ophthalmic artery embolization of DAVF.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
We performed a retrospective cohort study of all patients with DAVF treated by trans-ophthalmic artery embolization from 2012 to 2020. Primary outcome was angiographic cure of the DAVF. Secondary outcomes included vision loss, visual impairment, orbital cranial nerve injury, stroke, modified Rankin Scale at 90-days, and mortality.
RESULTS
12 patients met inclusion criteria (9 males; 3 females). 10 patients had AC-DAVF. Patient age was 59.7 ± 9.5 (mean ± SD) years. Patients presented with intracranial hemorrhage (4 patients), headache (4 patients), amaurosis fugax (1 patients), or were incidentally discovered (2 patients). DAVF Cognard grades were: II (1 patient), III (6 patients), and IV (5 patients). DAVF were embolized with Onyx (10 patients), nBCA glue (1 patient), and a combination of coils and Onyx (1 patient). DAVF cure was achieved in 11 patients (92%). No patients experienced vision loss, death, or permanent disability. One patient experienced a minor complication of blurry vision attributed to posterior ischemic optic neuropathy. 90-day mRS was 0 (10 patients) and 1 (2 patients).
CONCLUSIONS
Trans-ophthalmic artery embolization is an effective and safe treatment for DAVF.
Topics: Aged; Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations; Embolization, Therapeutic; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Ophthalmic Artery; Polyvinyls; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33106085
DOI: 10.1177/1591019920969270 -
European Stroke Journal Sep 2020Literature on prevalence of symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis is scarce and heterogeneous. Prevalence may have decreased in recent years due to improved...
INTRODUCTION
Literature on prevalence of symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis is scarce and heterogeneous. Prevalence may have decreased in recent years due to improved management of cardiovascular risk factors. We aim to estimate current prevalence and identify risk factors of ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis in patients with recent hemispheric transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke in the Netherlands.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
We included consecutive adult patients admitted to two large hospitals in the Netherlands in 2014 who suffered from amaurosis fugax, retinal ischaemia, transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke in the vessel territory of the internal carotid artery. Primary outcome was presence of ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis (degree subdivided following NASCET criteria), as assessed with duplex ultrasonography, computed tomography angiography and/or magnetic resonance angiography. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression to identify risk factors for the presence of a 50-100% internal carotid artery stenosis.
RESULTS
We analysed 883 consecutive patients with recent transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke. Of these, 110 (12.5%) had 50-99% ipsilateral internal carotid artery stenosis. Subgroup analyses showed higher prevalence of any degree of internal carotid artery stenosis for male sex and White patients. In adjusted analyses, higher age (odds ratio 1.4/10 years; 95% confidence interval 1.16-1.63), male sex (odds ratio 2.8; 95% confidence interval 1.83-4.19), retinal ischaemia (odds ratio 2.5; 95% confidence interval 1.32-4.76) and current smoking (odds ratio 1.8; 95% confidence interval 1.09-2.79) were statistically significant risk factors for 50-100% internal carotid artery stenosis.
CONCLUSION
The prevalence of internal carotid artery stenosis seems to be lower in patients with recent transient ischaemic attack or ischaemic stroke than stated in previous studies. We found that higher age, male sex, White ethnicity, retinal ischaemia and current smoking were important risk factors for symptomatic internal carotid artery stenosis.
PubMed: 33072881
DOI: 10.1177/2396987320932065