Publications by authors named "Gerben J J Plas"

Background: We aimed to quantify the need for additional surgery in patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) primarily treated with dexamethasone and to identify patient characteristics associated with additional surgery.

Methods: Data were retrospectively collected from 283 patients with CSDH, primarily treated with dexamethasone, in 3 hospitals from 2008 to 2018. Primary outcome was the need for additional surgery.

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Unlabelled: Giant cell arteritis is a medical emergency as severe, irreversible complications may occur if it is not treated in a timely manner. However, in daily practice early diagnosis can be challenging. We report the case of a 70-year-old woman who presented with multiple ischaemic cerebral vascular accidents related to newly diagnosed giant cell arteritis.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess whether an automated detection algorithm for atrial fibrillation (AF) on cardiac telemetry provides more accurate diagnostics than traditional evaluations by a stroke unit team for patients with recent ischemic strokes or TIAs.
  • A total of 507 patients were monitored, revealing that while the stroke unit identified AF in 1.2% of cases, the algorithm suggested AF in 4.7%, but many results were false positives.
  • The findings indicate that automated detection can complement routine assessments, making it a valuable tool, though results must be closely examined to avoid inaccuracies.
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Background: Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) accompanied by nonfocal symptoms are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, in particular cardiac events. Reported frequencies of TIAs accompanied by nonfocal symptoms range from 18 to 53%. We assessed the occurrence of nonfocal symptoms in patients with TIA or minor ischemic stroke in a neurological outpatient clinic in terms of clinical determinants, cardiac history, and atrial fibrillation (AF).

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Background: Transient nonfocal neurological symptoms may serve as markers of cardiac dysfunction. We assessed whether serum N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, a biomarker of cardiac disease, are increased in patients with transient ischemic attack (TIA) accompanied by nonfocal symptoms and in patients with attacks of nonfocal symptoms (transient neurological attack [TNA]).

Methods And Results: We included 15 patients with TNA, 69 with TIA accompanied by nonfocal symptoms, 58 with large-vessel TIA, 32 with cardioembolic TIA, and 46 age- and sex-matched healthy control participants.

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Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a strong risk factor for first-ever stroke and stroke recurrence. The detection rate is low and detection is often costly and time-consuming. We evaluated the diagnostic yield of an external loop recorder (ELR) in patients with acute ischemic stroke or TIA, and assessed factors that are associated with AF detection.

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Background And Purpose: Intracranial arterial stenosis (ICAS) in patients with recent ischemic stroke is associated with a high risk of recurrent stroke. More insight into the pathophysiology of ICAS could help identify patients at high risk requiring more aggressive secondary prevention. We evaluated the prevalence, distribution, calcification, and the risk factors predisposing ICAS in a European stroke population.

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