Long-term risk of recurrent cerebrovascular events after patent foramen ovale closure: Results from a real-world stroke cohort.

Introduction: Patent foramen ovale (PFO)-closure is recommended for stroke prevention in selected patients with suspected PFO-associated stroke. However, studies on cerebrovascular event recurrence after PFO-closure are limited by relatively short follow-up periods and information on the underlying aetiology of recurrent events is scarce.

Patients And Methods: All consecutive patients with a cerebral ischaemic event and PFO-closure at the University Hospital Graz were prospectively identified from 2004 to 2021.

The value of clinical routine blood biomarkers in predicting long-term mortality after stroke.

Background: Several blood biomarkers have been identified as predictors for poor outcome after ischemic stroke. However, recent studies mainly focused on single or experimental biomarkers and considered rather short follow-up intervals limiting their value for daily clinical practice. We, therefore, aimed to compare various clinical routine blood biomarkers for their predictive value on post-stroke mortality over a 5-year follow-up period.

Long-term outcome after decompressive hemicraniectomy for malignant middle cerebral artery infarction.

Background: Although decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) is a lifesaving treatment strategy for patients with malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (mMCAi), only one in four patients achieves low to moderate post-stroke disability according to previous studies. However, the short follow-up periods in prior studies could have overestimated the poor clinical prognosis. This study therefore examined the long-term outcome after DHC for mMCAi.

Post-reperfusion hyperperfusion after endovascular stroke treatment: a prospective comparative study of TCD versus MRI.

Background: Increased middle cerebral artery (MCA) blood flow velocities on transcranial duplex sonography (TCD) were recently reported in individual patients after successful mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and were related to intracranial hemorrhage and poor outcome. However, the retrospective study design of prior studies precluded elucidation of the underlying pathomechanisms, and the relationship between TCD and brain parenchymal perfusion still remains to be determined.

Methods: We prospectively investigated consecutive patients with stroke successfully recanalized by MT with TCD and MRI including contrast-enhanced perfusion sequences within 48 hours post-intervention.

Liver Fibrosis-4 index indicates atrial fibrillation in acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and particularly liver fibrosis are related to cardiovascular disease and may indicate an increased risk for atrial fibrillation (AF), but this association has not yet been systematically investigated in a cohort of ischemic stroke patients.

Methods: We analyzed data from a prospective single-center study enrolling all consecutive ischemic stroke patients admitted to our stroke unit over a 1-year period. All patients received a thorough etiological workup.