Stroke. Diagnosis and therapeutic management of cerebrovascular disease

Stroke is the second cause of death and the first cause of disability with an important economical cost. Thrombolysis and stroke units are the major contribution to stroke treatment of the last years changing a nihilist therapeutic attitude towards an active attitude, stroke is a medical emergency. Treatment with rtPA has shown to be effective in the first 3 hours following stroke and the FDA and the European Medical Agency (EMEA) have approved its use. A protocolised management of the acute phase to treat physiological complications is the mainstone of stroke units showing a reduction in mortality and disability. Multiple strategies are under development in order to treat more patients, drugs with a longer therapeutic window, intravenous thrombolysis followed by intrarterial thrombolysis, selection of patients with mismatch with new neuroimaging techniques and neuroprotective therapies. Preventive treatment has also experienced a change due to a better knowledge of the ethiopathogeny, the role of vascular risk factors and the development of new preventive drugs. Knowledge of cerebrovascular diseases is today's clue for the best treatment of our patients.     

Técnicas de recanalización vertebrobasilar antes de la introducción de las endoprótesis recuperadoras: la reapertura no es sinónimo de buena evolución

Objectives

To evaluate the recanalization rate and clinical outcome three months after endovascular treatment for vertebrobasilar occlusion before the placement of stentrievers.

Material and methods

We reviewed all cases of basilar thrombosis treated with endovascular techniques at our center. We reviewed the clinical outcomes with the main objective of determining the recanalization rate and the secondary objective of evaluating the outcome using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) three months after treatment. We assessed clinical and angiographic variables and correlated them with outcome and complications.

Results

We reviewed a total of 27 consecutive patients (mean age, 58.1 ± 15.5 y; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), 21, interquartile range, 18-29; median Glasgow coma score (GCS) 7, interquartile range, 4-9.5). The mean time between the onset of symptoms and endovascular treatment was 26.3 ± 41.7 hours. Complete or partial recanalization was achieved in 23 (85.1%) patients. Three months after treatment, 16 (59.2%) had died and 6 (22.2%) had good outcome (mRS ≤ 2).

Conclusion

Endovascular treatment achieved a high rate of recanalization of occlusions of the basilar artery. Nevertheless, a high percentage of the patients did not have a good outcome. New materials might improve the prognosis in these patients.     

“颞颥”部位义试诠

文章运用语言学知识和中医学原理,分析了唐代以前古医籍中"颞颥"的用法,认为"颞颥"的部位义指颞肌所在部位,即头侧、眼眶外后方的体表处。范围从额侧眼眶骨外后方、耳上方直到耳后。