Malignant Left Atrial Appendage Morphology: Current Classification vs H-L System.

Introduction: In previous studies the risk of stroke recurrence has been associated with the left atrial appendage (LAA) morphology (non-chicken wing (NCW)), knowing those with a greater risk as malignant LAA. Recently, a simpler morphological classification has been suggested with two categories: Low-risk (LAA-L) and High-risk (LAA-H); which could be easier to apply and may correlate better with the risk of embolic stroke.

Methods: Retrospective analysis from a registry of patients with recurrent cardioembolic strokes despite appropriate anticoagulant therapy, in which LAA morphology was studied with cardiac CT scan.

The syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis mimicking an acute stroke.

Background And Purpose: The syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL) can present as sudden onset of focal neurological deficits which are clinically and radiologically indistinguishable from an ischaemic stroke. Its diagnosis requires a lumbar puncture (LP), which contraindicates intravenous thrombolytic therapy (IV-tPA).

Methods: All patients referred to our stroke centre as a stroke code resulting in a final diagnosis of HaNDL syndrome from June 2005 to June 2015 were retrospectively analysed.

Sonography for diagnosis of Parkinson disease-from theory to practice: a study on 300 participants.

Objectives: Hyperechogenicity of the substantia nigra on transcranial sonography is used for diagnosing Parkinson disease (PD). Cutoff values for the substantia nigra echogenic area, defining substantia nigra hyperechogenicity, vary among ultrasound systems from different manufacturers. In this study we wanted to determine the cutoff criterion for a Toshiba (Tokyo, Japan) system and to assess its diagnostic value.

Dabigatran in secondary stroke prevention: clinical experience with 106 patients.

Introduction: Our aim was to analyze our clinical experience with dabigatran etexilate in secondary stroke prevention.

Methods: We retrospectively included patients starting dabigatran etexilate for secondary stroke prevention from March 2010 to December 2012. Efficacy and safety variables were registered.

Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome and limbic encephalitis associated with GABAB receptor antibodies in CSF.

We report a case of a woman who had two consecutive autoimmune neurological disorders, including an opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) and limbic encephalitis (LE), with positive titers of GABAB receptor antibodies. The patient never developed seizures or had an underlying tumor after 4 years of follow-up.