Publications by authors named "Francesco Causin"

Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is defined as elevated intracranial pressure and consequent symptoms (mainly headache and visual deterioration) occurring in the absence of secondary causes. Surgical and interventional radiology procedures should be considered for refractory IIH and mainly include cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion techniques, optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF), and venous sinus stenting (VSS). Our study aims to review the current literature on the application of these techniques in clinical practice.

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Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), imaging biomarkers play a crucial role in characterizing the disease at the time of diagnosis. MRI and optical coherence tomography (OCT) provide readily available biomarkers that may help to define the patient's clinical profile. However, the evaluation of cortical and paramagnetic rim lesions (CL, PRL), as well as retinal atrophy, is not routinely performed in clinic.

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  • This multicentric study investigated neuroradiological findings in COVID-19 patients during the early pandemic in Italy, focusing on data collected from May to June 2020 at two hospitals.
  • A total of 415 patients were enrolled, with notable findings including ischemic stroke (29.4% of patients) and a variety of non-stroke neuroimaging lesions like PRES-like syndrome and encephalitis.
  • The study concluded that COVID-19 patients are at increased risk of strokes due to a pro-thrombotic environment, reinforcing findings observed globally regarding brain imaging in infected patients.
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Background: Spontaneous orbital cephaloceles are a rare condition. The purpose of this study is to provide a description of a clinical case and to carry out a systematic literature review.

Methods: A systematic review of the English literature published on the Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted, according to the PRISMA recommendations.

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Wilms tumor is the most common pediatric renal cancer, and lungs represent the major site of metastasis and recurrence. Relapse occurs in 15%, months or years after treatment; so due to the small sample, acquiring more data about the pattern of lung relapse remains a challenge. The aim of our study was to evaluate if pulmonary relapse, detected by computed tomography (CT), occurred at the initial site of lung metastases or in a different location.

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  • The study examines how general anesthesia (GA) compares to conscious sedation/local anesthesia (CS/LA) in patients with minor strokes undergoing immediate mechanical thrombectomy (iMT).
  • The research involved analyzing data from 16 stroke centers, focusing on patients with isolated M2 occlusions and mild stroke severity, utilizing propensity score matching for a fair comparison.
  • Results showed no significant difference in patient outcomes or complications between those receiving GA or CS/LA, indicating that the choice of anesthesia does not impact recovery or procedural safety in these cases.
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  • This study looked at how patients with a minor stroke are treated, comparing two methods: one using a drug called IVT and another method called MT, versus just IVT alone.
  • They analyzed data from patients treated in Italy to see which method led to better health outcomes after a stroke.
  • The results showed that while IVT plus MT had more complications in the short term, both treatment methods had similar long-term recovery outcomes.
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Background: Cervical artery dissection (CeAD) causing a large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke might represent a procedural challenge for mechanical thrombectomy (MT) impacting on its effects. The aim of the present study was to analyze safety, reperfusion rates, and clinical outcome of patients with CeAD treated by MT and compare these results with those obtained in non-CeAD patients.

Methods: All consecutive LVO stroke patients undergoing MT between June 2015 and June 2021 at our University Stroke Center were analyzed.

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Background: Heart failure (HF) is the second most important cardiac risk factor for stroke after atrial fibrillation (AF). Few data are available on mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients with HF.

Methods: The source of data is the multicentre Italian Registry of Endovascular Treatment in Acute Stroke (IRETAS).

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Background: Patients with minor stroke and M2 occlusion undergoing best medical management (BMM) may face early neurological deterioration (END) that can lead to poor long-term outcome. In case of END, rescue mechanical thrombectomy (rMT) seems beneficial. Our study aimed to define factors relevant to clinical outcome in patients undergoing BMM with the possibility of rMT on END, and find predictors of END.

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This short review has the aim of helping the radiologist to identify medical devices when interpreting a chest X-ray, as well as looking for their most commonly detectable complications. Nowadays, many different medical devices are used, often together, especially in critical patients. It is important for the radiologist to know what to look for and to remember the technical factors that need to be considered when checking each device's positioning.

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Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic role of hematoma characteristics and hematoma expansion (HE) in patients with spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods: This multicenter prospective cohort study enrolled consecutive adult patients with non-traumatic ICH admitted to three Italian academic hospitals (Salerno, Padova, Reggio Emilia) over a 2-year period. Early noncontrast CT (NCCT) features of the hematoma, including markers of HE, and 3-month outcome were recorded.

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Ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) images showing ascites and omental infiltration (omental cake sign) in a 12-year-old girl with abdominal pain and fever for two weeks. The presence of abdominal and mediastinal lymphadenopathy as well as of a pulmonary consolidation at CT suggested a diagnosis of tuberculosis which was then clinically confirmed. After treatment with ethambutol, rifampicin and isoniazid, pyrazinamide, and vitamin B6 (i.

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Background: The Soft Torqueable Catheter Optimized for Intracranial Access (SOFIA) is a catheter designed to enable intracranial access, allowing for advancement, at least partially, without a microcatheter by a technique called SOFIA Nonwire Advancement techniKE (SNAKE). We propose a variation of this technique, called SOFIA Nonwire Advancement techniKE 35 (SNAKE35), in which the catheter is navigated by the intracatheter support of a 0.035-inch guidewire, allowing for rapid, distal intracranial access through a biaxial technique.

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Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with isolated M2 occlusion and minor symptoms and identify possible baseline predictors of clinical outcome.

Methods: The databases of 16 high-volume stroke centers were retrospectively screened for consecutive patients with isolated M2 occlusion and a baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score ≤5 who received either early MT (eMT) or best medical management (BMM) with the possibility of rescue MT (rMT) on early neurological worsening. Because our patients were not randomized, we used propensity score matching (PSM) to estimate the treatment effect of eMT compared with the BMM/rMT.

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Introduction: Pial arteriovenous fistulas (pAVF) are rare vascular malformations, especially in children and newborns. In neonates, the most common symptom is congestive heart failure.

Case Presentation: We report a case of an asymptomatic preterm newborn incidentally diagnosed with pAVF during a routine cranial ultrasound (cUS) on the third day of life.

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Osteoid osteoma (OO) is a primary benign tumor that accounts for up to 3% of all bone tumors. The cervical spine is less affected by OOs, and very few cases of C2 OOs have been reported in the literature, both in adults and children. Surgery may be required in case of functional torticollis, stiffness, and reduced range of motion (ROM) due to cervical OOs refractory to medical therapy.

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Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is due to a leakage of CSF lowering the pressure of subarachnoid space, mostly caused by a dural breach or discogenic microspur. Clinical and MRI are usually typical enough to allow diagnosis, while finding the location of the dural breach is challenging. Since some years, CSF venous fistulas have been described as the cause of SIH, and a specific diagnostic and therapeutic path has been proposed.

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Objectives: Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) has been shown to be effective for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). However, long-term (>5 years) studies on the efficacy and tolerability of this treatment have been lacking. Here, we report a long-term clinical follow-up of 5 patients with severe and long-standing TRD, who received a VNS implant.

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Background: COVID-19 is an infectious disease that has spread worldwide in 2020, causing a severe pandemic. In addition to respiratory symptoms, neuropsychiatric manifestations are commonly observed, including chronic fatigue, depression, and anxiety. The neural correlates of neuropsychiatric symptoms in COVID-19 are still largely unknown.

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Glioblastomas with multiple foci at presentation (mGBMs) account for 2-35% of all GBMs. mGBMs have limited existing data and no standardized treatment. This study aims to determine their incidence, demographic and clinical features, outcome, and prognostic factors in terms of overall survival.

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Article Synopsis
  • Moyamoya is a rare brain artery disease that causes strokes and TIAs in children, either on its own (MMD) or alongside other conditions (MMS), accounting for 6-10% of these incidents.
  • The study was conducted on 65 pediatric patients in Italy to analyze how the disease presents, progresses, is treated, and its outcomes.
  • Findings revealed that most patients had symptoms (82%), many experienced strokes or TIAs, and 73% underwent surgery; however, 20% had subsequent strokes, and at follow-up, 43% had motor deficits, 31% intellectual disabilities, and other complications.
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