Value of susceptibility-weighted imaging in acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis

Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHL) is a rapidly progressive disease in the spectrum of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. Timely accurate diagnosis is crucial but challenging clinically and radiologically. However, imaging findings of AHL are quite specific when susceptibility-weighted imaging is utilized. The purpose of this report is to present the imaging findings of autopsy-proven AHL and thus to facilitate rapid recognition and treatment.     

An autopsied case of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis

This is a clinico-pathological study of one case of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis occurring in a patient with lung cancer. The main changes observed by light microscopy were in the white matter. All of these changes were the result of hemorrhage and demyelination around the venous vessels. Glial mesenchymal reactions were minimal. In view of these findings, this case supports the hypothesis that immune mechanisms play a role in the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric symptoms during malignant illnesses. Here we will discuss the problem of differential diagnoses of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis and its close morphologic similarities to perivenous encephalitis. Acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis and perivenous encephalitis may be a single entity of a demyelinating disease.     

Treatment leading to dramatic recovery in acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis

The clinical course, neuroimaging, neuropathological features, and management of a 7-year-old girl with acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis are reported. Treatment with subtotal bifrontal craniectomies for symptoms of imminent uncal herniation followed by high-dose corticosteroid therapy was associated with dramatic clinical recovery. This report highlights the utility of aggressive intervention in acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis, an otherwise fatal disorder.     

Computerized tomography as a diagnostic aid in acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis

Computerized tomography (CT) in a pathologically proven case of acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalitis (AHL) showed a mass effect and increased absorption coefficient in the right hemisphere within 18 hours of the onset of neurological symptoms. The changes corresponded to the site of white matter edema, necrosis, and petechial hemorrhages demonstrated postmortem. The early changes of CT reflect the hyperacute nature of AHL and differ from those of herpes simplex encephalitis.     

急性缺血性与出血性脑卒中危险因素的对比研究

目的 探讨各种危险因素在脑卒中患者中的构成比,并对脑梗死与脑出血的危险因素进行比较,为脑卒中防治提供依据.方法 收集1995-2002年福建医科大学附属第一医院急性脑卒中住院病例1875例,其中缺血性脑卒中1504例,出血性脑卒中371例;男1216例,女659例;平均年龄(73.42±10.35)岁,对两种脑卒中类型的多种危险因素进行描述性对比分析研究.结果 高血压、脉压增大是本组脑卒中患者突出的危险因素.相对于脑出血,与脑梗死相关更密切的危险因素依次是房颤(OR=3.942)、糖尿病(OR=3.674)、肥胖(OR=3.647)、高纤维蛋白原(OR=2.781)、高血压家族史(OR=2.573)、高LDL-C(OR=2.167)、高甘油三酯(OR=1.976)、吸烟(OR=1.849)、年龄增大(OR=1.588)、低Apo A(OR=1.460)(P＜0.05).相对脑梗死,仅高血压(OR=0.545)和饮酒(OR=0.662)与脑出血有更显著的相关性(P＜0.05).除共同危险因素外,高尿酸血症和低HDL-C血症与男性脑梗死关系更密切,而肥胖、高LDL-C及高纤维蛋白原血症与女性脑梗死相关性更强.结论 高血压、饮酒是脑出血患者主要的危险因素.相对于脑出血,与脑梗死相关密切的危险因素除了高血压外,依次为房颤、糖尿病、肥胖、高纤维蛋白原、高血压家族史、高LDL-C等.不同危险因素对男女脑梗死的影响不同.     

急性缺血性与出血性卒中危险因素的对比研究

目的通过对1个大样本的医院脑卒中注册资料的分析,观察各种危险因素在脑卒中患者中的发生率,并对脑梗死与脑出血的危险因素,特别是心脏和动脉病变的因素进行比较。方法研究资料来自瑞士洛桑卒中注册的卒中患者共3901例,其中脑梗死3525例,脑出血376例,均预先对各项临床和辅助资料进行编码,输入计算机数据库。所有病例均进行系统的临床和辅助检查,心脏病变经心电图和超声心动图证实;颈内动脉和椎基底动脉的病变采用彩色超声多普勒、磁共振血管成像或常规脑血管造影确诊。结果高血压在脑出血和脑梗死患者中的发生率分别为53.7%和46.7%,两者相比差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。高血压是本组脑卒中最突出的危险因素,其后依次是吸烟、轻度颈内动脉狭窄(≤50%)、高胆固醇血症、短暂性脑缺血发作、糖尿病以及心脏缺血。多因素分析研究发现,本组卒中患者无论是男性还是女性,吸烟、高胆固醇血症、短暂性脑缺血发作、心房纤颤、器质性心脏疾病以及动脉病变是脑梗死而非脑出血密切相关的危险因素。易患脑出血的惟一显著相关的危险因素是高血压(OR=0.64,P<0.01);心脏和动脉病变患者更容易发生脑梗死,但是,器质性心脏病和轻度颈内动脉狭窄在全体卒中患者中均特别常见。结论缺血性卒中和出血性卒中的危险因素并不一致,心脏和动脉病变是脑梗死而非脑出血的重要的危险因素,某些危险因素还存在性别差异。     

Prognostic significance of blood brain barrier permeability in acute hemorrhagic stroke

BACKGROUND: Blood brain barrier (BBB) disruption is accompanied by edema in the surrounding areas of the intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The aim of the study was to clarify the correlation between BBB breakdown and outcome in ICH. PATIENTS: Twenty-seven patients with primary ICH were included in the study. Each patient underwent CT and DTPA-SPECT, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and modified Rankin score were performed as well. RESULTS: DTPA-SPECT had a significant correlation with the modified Rankin score after 3 months (p = 0.008) and 6 months (p = 0.01). The CT scan was directly correlated with the NIH score on days 1, 7 and 30 (p = 0.01, p = 0.01 and p = 0.04, respectively). No correlation was found between DTPA-SPECT and CT scan data. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of BBB breakdown, as imaged by the DTPA-SPECT technique, was directly correlated with the late functional outcome. The CT scan has an inverse correlation with the NIH score. These findings may have broad clinical implications.     

影响急性脑梗死后非溶栓患者出血转化的相关因素

目的探究影响急性脑梗死后非溶栓患者出血转化的相关因素。方法选取攀枝花学院附属医院 2013年 12月~2015年 12月收治的急性脑梗死后非溶栓患者 120例。根据患者是否发生出血转化,分为出血转化组（n=41）和非出血转化组（n=79）。对两组的吸烟史、饮酒史、高脂血症、血压、空腹血糖、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）、高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）等进行单因素和多因素分析。结果出血转化组有吸烟史、饮酒史、高脂血症及心房颤动者多于非出血转化组（χ 2=47.71,24.04,16.38,27.27; P＜ 0.01）;与非出血转化组相比,出血转化组的 LDL-C及空腹血糖水平较高（t=4.65、5.74,P＜ 0.01）,梗死面积较大（χ 2=35.60,P＜0.01）;多因素分析显示,心房颤动（OR=4.14,95%CI=2.06~8.31,P＜ 0.01）、脑空腹血糖（OR=2.92,95%CI=1.36~6.26,P＜ 0.01）、LDL-C（OR=4.81,95%CI=2.72~8.49,P＜ 0.01）及大面积梗死（OR=3.00,95%CI=1.60~5.63,P＜ 0.01）为急性脑梗死后非溶栓患者出血转化的独立危险因素。结论心房颤动、空腹血糖水平、 LDL-C及大面积脑梗死是急性脑梗死后非溶栓患者出血转化的独立危险因素。     

Detection of atrial fibrillation in patients with acute stroke

Atrial fibrillation (AF) and paroxysmal AF (PAF) are common causes of stroke which may not be detected by a single electrocardiogram (EKG). We conducted a prospective study to determine if 48 hours of telemetry monitoring increased the rate of detection of AF in patients with acute stroke and thus identified patients requiring anticoagulation. One hundred and fifty consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were placed on telemetry monitoring for 48 hours. Thirty-five patients had AF related strokes. There were 12 patients with AF related stroke who did not have a previous history of AF and were found to have AF following the stroke. Six of these 12 patients were found to have AF on their admission EKG. The remaining six patients had normal admission EKGs and were diagnosed with AF only during telemetry monitoring for 48 hrs. Patients with AF were older, had larger strokes, which were more likely to be non-lacunar, than patients without AF. Our study suggests that AF is sometimes undiagnosed until a stroke occurs. Improved methods of detection of AF are needed in high-risk patients for primary stroke prevention. Patients older than 65 years of age with non-lacunar strokes should have 48 hours of telemetry monitoring to detect previously undiagnosed AF.     

Depression in patients with acute traumatic brain injury.

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to examine patients with closed head injuries for the presence of depressive disorders. METHOD: A consecutive series of 66 patients with closed head injuries but no significant spinal cord or other organ system injury were examined by means of a semistructured psychiatric interview. The Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression as well as scales measuring impairment in activities of daily living, intellectual functioning, and social functioning were administered. The patients' CT scans were also examined. RESULTS: Seventeen patients had major depression and two had minor depression. The presence of left dorsolateral frontal lesions and/or left basal ganglia lesions and, to a lesser extent, parietal-occipital and right hemisphere lesions was associated with an increased probability of developing major depression. Compared to the nondepressed group, the group with major depression had a higher frequency of previous psychiatric disorder and showed evidence of poorer social functioning. CONCLUSIONS: Major depression occurs in about one-quarter of patients after traumatic brain injury. This is the same frequency as in other major disorders such as stroke. Major depression appears to be provoked by one or more factors that include poor premorbid social functioning and previous psychiatric disorder or injury to certain critical brain locations.     

Inflammatory biomarkers in blood of patients with acute brain ischemia

Although many failed surrogate markers are provided in the literature, inflammation may contribute to the outcome of ischemic stroke. In 50 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, in the absence of symptoms and signs of concomitant infection, we evaluated a panel of biomarkers reported to be variably associated with brain ischemia, and correlate their serum level with the brain lesion volume and clinical outcome. Infarct size was calculated on computed tomography (CT) scans by means of the Cavalieri's method. Neurological impairment was scored by using the Glasgow Coma Scale, Glasgow Outcome Scale and National Institutes of Health (NIH) scales at stroke onset and 3-month follow-up. Some markers showed a direct significant correlation with both initial and final NIH scale and with infarct size, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) (P=0.002), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (P<0.01) and matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 (P=0.001). In contrast to previous reports, interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum level showed a significant inverse correlation with both final neurological impairment and infarct size (P<0.001). This novel finding allows us suggesting that IL-6, in the context of a complex pro-inflammatory network occurring during stroke, is associated with neuroprotection rather than neurotoxicity in patients with ischemic brain injury.