Cryoablation for the treatment of post tracheostomy tracheal stenosis in neurological patients.

Introduction: Post tracheostomy tracheal stenosis is a clinically relevant late complication of tracheostomy. To date there is no standardized treatment strategy for post tracheostomy tracheal stenosis. Contact cryoablation is one of the applicable methods.

Decrease in shunt volume in patients with cryptogenic stroke and patent foramen ovale.

Background: In patients with patent foramen ovale (PFO) there is evidence supporting the hypothesis of a change in right-to-left shunt (RLS) over time. Proven, this could have implications for the care of patients with PFO and a history of stroke. The following study addressed this hypothesis in a cohort of patients with stroke and PFO.

Can early neurosonology predict outcome in acute stroke?: a metaanalysis of prognostic clinical effect sizes related to the vascular status.

Background And Purpose: Prediction of short- and long-term prognosis is an important issue in acute stroke care. This metaanalysis explores the prognostic value of initial bed-side transcranial ultrasound in acute stroke.

Methods: All studies prospectively applying TCCS or TCD within 24 hours of symptom onset in acute stroke, with a minimal cohort size of 20 patients, and reporting clinical outcome variables in relation to the vascular findings were included into this metaanalysis.

Safety and efficacy of the sonographic acceleration of the middle cerebral artery recanalization: results of the pilot thrombotripsy study.

The aim was to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of continuous ultrasound monitoring of the artery occlusion area (sonothrombotripsy) in patients with acute middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. A total of 52 consecutive patients with acute MCA occlusion were included in the thrombotripsy group. Doppler monitoring of the region of occlusion was performed for up to 45 min.

Prognostic value of transcranial sonography in acute stroke patients.

Accurate assessment of stroke is critical for patient prognosis and selection of appropriate treatment regimens in order to optimize patient outcomes. Advanced neurosonologic techniques are straightforward, portable, and cost-effective, representing significant advantages over other noninvasive imaging modalities for monitoring of the hemodynamic status of acute ischemic stroke. Ultrasound findings acquired both early (<3 h from onset of stroke) and later (6-24 h after stroke) have demonstrated feasibility and validity for the detection of stenosis/occlusion of key intracranial structures, such as the middle cerebral artery, and for immediate and unambiguous indication of flow velocities, particularly when contrast enhancement is used.

Prognostic relevance of ultra-early doppler sonography in acute ischaemic stroke: a prospective multicentre study.

Background: Ischaemic stroke can result from a temporary or permanent occlusion of intracranial arteries. In the hyperacute stage of the disease cerebrovascular ultrasound can be used to determine the vascular pathology, but the significance of very early findings on ultrasound is unclear. The present study aimed to assess the prognostic value of doppler ultrasonography within the first hours after stroke for functional outcome.

Design of a multicentre study on neurosonology in acute ischaemic stroke. A project of the neurosonology research group of the World Federation of Neurology.

This report summarises the design and organisation of a multicentre study on neurosonology in acute ischaemic stroke. The Neurosonology in Acute Ischaemic Stroke Study will determine whether extracranial and transcranial Doppler and duplex sonography performed within 6 h after onset of stroke improves prediction of functional outcome if applied in addition to routine diagnostic admission investigations, i.e.