Eligibility for intravenous thrombolysis in acute ischemic stroke patients presenting in the 4.5-9 h window.

Purpose: Recent randomized-controlled clinical trials have provided preliminary evidence for expanding the time window of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients by applying certain neuroimaging criteria. We prospectively assessed the potential eligibility for IVT in the extended time window (4.5-9 h) among consecutive AIS patients treated in a comprehensive stroke center during a nine-month period.

Tenecteplase Averting Mechanical Thrombectomy in Emergent Large Vessel Occlusion.

Introduction: Tenecteplase has recently been studied as an alternative thrombolytic agent in acute stroke, with a possible superior effect in achieving reperfusion of large intracranial vessels.

Case Report: A 90-year-old female patient was admitted to our stroke unit because of acute onset of dysarthria, left-sided neglect, and hemiparesis. Brain computed tomography (CT) coupled with CT angiography and CT perfusion (postprocessed with the use of RAPID software) demonstrated right proximal middle cerebral artery occlusion with a large penumbra/small ischemic core pattern.

Intravenous Thrombolysis For Acute Ischemic Stroke in Fabry Disease.

Introduction: Fabry is a rare X-linked recessive genetic disease caused by α-galactosidase A deficiency. Cerebrovascular events occur in ∼13% of patients, whereas stroke may be the presenting clinical manifestation. There are very limited case reports of tissue plasminogen activator administration for acute ischemic stroke in patients with Fabry disease.

HLA-DRB1 differences in allelic distribution between familial and sporadic multiple sclerosis in a Hellenic cohort.

: Familial Multiple Sclerosis (fMS) is reported to have distinct clinical and imaging characteristics in comparison to the sporadic disease (sMS). Nevertheless, the genetic/immunogenetic profile of fMS has never been investigated in depth, so far. In this study, we examined differences of HLA-DRB1 allelic frequencies between 57 fMS and 141 sMS Hellenic patients, with reference to 246 previously genotyped healthy controls (HCs).

The Role of Transcranial Doppler Monitoring in Patients with Multi-Territory Acute Embolic Strokes: A Review.

Acute multi-territory, embolic cerebral infarctions are often associated with serious underlying clinical conditions including the presence of highly "active" emboligenic sources causing that in turn may result in high early recurrence rates. Prompt diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment are substantial for the prevention of subsequent embolization that would result in further clinical deterioration. Among other clinical investigations, transcranial Doppler (TCD) monitoring is highly efficacious for the detection of microembolic signals (MES) that correspond to microthrombi entering the intracranial circulation.

Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis presenting as isolated aphasia in an adult.

Anti-NMDA receptor (NMDA-r) encephalitis is a relatively rare cause of autoimmune encephalitis with divergent clinical presentations. We report a case of an adult patient with anti-NMDA-r encephalitis presenting with isolated, abrupt-onset aphasia. Her condition remained unaltered over a period of 6 months.

Familial multiple sclerosis in Greece: Distinct clinical and imaging characteristics in comparison with the sporadic disease.

Objective: Few studies are available worldwide concerning clinical, imaging and genetic/immunogenetic profile of familial multiple sclerosis (fMS). Recent but not systematic data concerning fMS, without direct comparison to sporadic MS (sMS) drove our aim towards further research in the field, given the total lack of information for the Greek population as well. Thus, in this case-control study we examined the clinical and imaging characteristics of 102 fMS-patients, compared to 282 patients suffering sMS.

The Role of Neurosonology in the Diagnosis and Management of Patients with Carotid Artery Disease: A Review.

Carotid artery disease (CAD) is a common cause of ischemic stroke with high rates of recurrence. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS) are highly recommended for the secondary prevention of symptomatic CAD during the first 14 days following the index event of transient ischemic attack or minor stroke. CEA or CAS may also be offered in selected cases with severe asymptomatic stenosis.

Simple linear brainstem MRI measurements in the differential diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy from the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy.

Differential diagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and the parkinsonian variant of multiple system atrophy (MSA-P) from Parkinson's disease (PD) can be difficult, particularly in atypical cases or early in the disease course. The Magnetic Resonance Parkinsonism Index (MRPI) utilizes linear and surface (planimetry) measurements and has been proposed as a dual MRI biomarker, with high values indicative of PSP and low values of MSA. The aim of this study was to examine the utility of simple linear MRI brainstem measurements, without the use of MRI planimetry, in the diagnosis of patients with Parkinsonism and compare them to the MRPI.

CSF biomarkers β-amyloid, tau proteins and a-synuclein in the differential diagnosis of Parkinson-plus syndromes.

Introduction: Differential diagnosis of Parkinson-plus patients (PSP, CBD, MSA) and Parkinson's disease (PD) patients is often not straightforward, particularly in atypical cases or at the initial stages of the diseases. Classic CSF biomarkers (amyloid-beta - Aβ, tau protein - τ and phosphorylated tau protein - τ) are established biomarkers in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). CSF a-synuclein (α-syn) has emerged as a promising biomarker in patients with Parkinsonism.

Novel PANK2 mutation in the first Greek compound heterozygote patient with pantothenate-kinase-associated neurodegeneration.

Pantothenate-kinase-associated neurodegeneration is the most common autosomal recessive form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation. Less than 100 mutations in gene (20p13) are responsible for classic and atypical cases. We report here the first Greek case of atypical pantothenate-kinase-associated neurodegeneration, confirmed by molecular analysis that revealed two trans-acting mutations.

Early Neurological Deterioration During Alteplase Infusion for Acute Ischemic Stroke: An Uncommon Complication of Intravenous Thrombolysis.

Introduction: Recognizing new-territory ischemic stroke as an uncommon complication of intravenous thrombolysis is very important as it can lead to neurological deterioration during tissue-plasminogen-activator infusion.

Case Report: We report a case of an 80-year-old patient that has been treated with intravenous thrombolysis for right middle cerebral artery acute ischemic stroke. During infusion he had an abrupt neurological deterioration that proved to be a distal embolization of an asymptomatic non-occluding tip-of-the-basilar thrombus to the territory of left posterior cerebral artery that has been missed by the treating neurologist and radiologist in the pretreatment computed tomography angiography.

Transcranial Color-Coded Duplex in Acute Encephalitis: Current Status and Future Prospects.

Backgroup And Purpose: There are limited data regarding the diagnostic yield of transcranial color-coded Doppler (TCCD) in acute encephalitis. We present our preliminary observations of consecutive ultrasound evaluations in 2 patients with acute encephalitis and we review the possible diagnostic role of TCCD in such cases.

Methods: We describe two cases of acute encephalitis that presented with aphasia and confusion and underwent repeat TCCD evaluation at baseline and after 48 hours in both patients.

Neurocognitive impairment in Whipple disease with central nervous system involvement.

Young-onset dementias pose a major challenge to both clinicians and researchers. Cognitive decline may be accompanied by systemic features, leading to a diagnosis of "dementia plus" syndromes. Whipple disease is a rare systemic illness characterized by arthralgias, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fever, and abdominal pain.

Canal conversion after repositioning procedures: comparison of Semont and Epley maneuver.

Although the efficacy of Semont (SM) and Epley maneuvers (EM) for treatment of posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is well established, data comparing SM and EM regarding maneuver-induced canal switch are lacking. We prospectively investigated 102 posterior canal BPPV patients after application of the Semont or the Epley maneuver and looked for the appearance of ipsilateral horizontal canal BPPV symptoms. Although treatment success was similar for SM and EM (67 and 76 %, respectively), there was a significant difference in posterior-to-horizontal canal switch rates.

AChR-myasthenia gravis switching to double-seropositive several years after the onset.

We report an early onset AChR-myasthenia gravis (MG) with biphasic clinical course. The clinical "switch" from AChR-MG to MuSK-MG emerged 16 years after the onset and 11 years after thymectomy. MuSK antibodies were detected only by cell-based assay and only upon clinical "switch", while AChR antibodies remained positive and at high titers during the whole disease course.

Double seronegative myasthenia gravis with anti-LRP 4 antibodies.

About 10% of patients with generalized myasthenia gravis do not have detectable antibodies to acetylcholine receptor or muscle specific kinase (double seronegative myasthenia). The presence of anti-low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 antibodies (LRP4 Abs) has recently been reported in variable proportion of double seronegative cases. We report the presenting characteristics of two double seronegative myasthenic patients from Greece with anti-LRP4 antibodies shortly after disease onset.

Clinical reasoning: a 51-year-old man with cervical pain and progressively deteriorating gait.

A 51-year-old Caucasian man presented with cervical pain, right hand weakness, and progressively deteriorating gait. Onset of symptoms occurred 1 month before admission with cervical pain that worsened during neck flexion. A few days later he noticed reduced dexterity and numbness of his right hand.