Publications by authors named "Nestor Gonzalez"
Several trials of endovascular treatment for patients with large-core acute ischemic stroke have been completed. Whereas future stroke clinical guidelines will provide specific recommendations, this advisory aims to summarize the results of these trials, analyze the commonalities and differences among the studies, and discuss the clinical implications of these new results.
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- Oncocytoma is a rare, benign tumor of the salivary glands, making up less than 2% of all salivary tumors, typically presenting as swelling and rarely recurring.
- A systematic review analyzed 147 case reports, finding that the average patient was 58.7 years old, with the parotid gland being the most commonly affected, and treatment mainly involved excisional biopsy.
- The review also noted a slight female predominance in cases and a low association with Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome, alongside a generally indolent course with few recurrences.
Article Synopsis
- The study examined the effectiveness of endovascular therapy (EVT) versus best medical therapy (BMT) for isolated anterior cerebral artery occlusions (ACAo) in acute stroke patients.
- The analysis involved 108 patients from various countries, comparing outcomes like functional independence at 90 days, with results showing no significant difference in success rates between EVT and BMT.
- Conclusions indicate that while EVT had a high success rate in procedures, it did not lead to better functional outcomes or lower mortality compared to BMT, suggesting a need for more randomized trials.
Background: Aneurysms are one of the most common and yet devastating cerebrovascular diseases after rupture. Despite several decades of scientific advancements including the expansion of the endovascular capabilities and noninvasive imaging modalities, no medical treatment exists to date. This failure is likely largely attributed to the complex and multifactorial nature of aneurysm pathophysiology.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Despite the proven effectiveness of endovascular therapy (EVT) in acute ischemic strokes (AIS) involving anterior circulation large vessel occlusions, isolated posterior cerebral artery (PCA) occlusions (iPCAo) remain underexplored in clinical trials. This study investigates the comparative effectiveness and safety of EVT against medical management (MM) in patients with iPCAo.
Methods: This multinational, multicenter propensity score-weighted study analyzed data from the Multicenter Analysis of primary Distal medium vessel occlusions: effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy (MAD-MT) registry, involving 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe.
Article Synopsis
- Medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) strokes, especially in the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery, are a significant challenge in stroke management, necessitating effective prediction of patient outcomes after mechanical thrombectomy (MT).
- This study analyzed data from the MAD-MT registry to evaluate the relationship between follow-up infarct volume (FIV) and 90-day functional outcomes, using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) as a measurement.
- Results showed that FIV is a strong predictor of outcomes, with specific volume thresholds indicating favorable prognosis; notably, an FIV of ≤15 ml had the best predictive capability, outperforming traditional recanalization scores.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the effectiveness and safety of two treatment methods for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) caused by distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO): intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) with mechanical thrombectomy (MT) versus IVT alone.
- Data was collected from 37 centers worldwide, involving over 1,000 patients, with the primary focus on functional independence at 90 days and secondary outcomes including mortality and intracerebral hemorrhage.
- Findings suggest that both treatment options yield similar functional and mortality outcomes for DMVO patients, but the MT-IVT approach carries a higher risk of hemorrhagic complications, indicating that it may not provide significant advantages over IVT alone for every patient.
Article Synopsis
- * Data from 670 patients revealed that while IVT may improve some outcomes, such as higher chances of achieving a modified Rankin Scale score of 0-2 in univariable analysis, this benefit was not consistently observed in more rigorous multivariable analyses.
- * Overall, the findings suggest that adjunctive IVT may not significantly enhance clinical outcomes or safety compared to MT alone for this patient population.
Background: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from primary medium vessel occlusions (MeVO) is a prevalent condition associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Despite the common use of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in AIS, predictors of poor outcomes in MeVO remain poorly characterized.
Methods: In this prospectively collected, retrospectively reviewed, multicenter, multinational study, data from the MAD-MT (Multicenter Analysis of primary Distal medium vessel occlusions: effect of Mechanical Thrombectomy) registry were analyzed.
Article Synopsis
- A study was conducted to compare the safety and effectiveness of endovascular treatment (EVT) versus best medical management (BMM) for patients with acute ischaemic stroke caused by distal medium vessel occlusion (DMVO).
- The analysis involved 2,125 patients, showing no significant difference in achieving functional independence at 90 days between EVT and BMM, despite EVT being associated with higher rates of hemorrhagic complications.
- The results suggest that EVT does not provide better functional outcomes than BMM in DMVO cases while increasing the risk of bleeding, indicating the need for cautious use of EVT and further research to improve treatment approaches.
Article Synopsis
- Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) from distal medium vessel occlusions (DMVOs) is common, and while IV thrombolysis is standard, mechanical thrombectomy (MT) is becoming more prevalent for treatment.
- A study reviewed data from 1708 DMVO patients treated with MT, finding that 8.7% experienced symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and identified several risk factors, including older age, distal occlusion location, prior antiplatelet use, lower ASPECT scores, higher pre-op blood glucose, more passes during MT, and successful recanalization status.
- Understanding these risk factors can help healthcare providers better assess and manage the risk of sICH in patients undergoing MT for DM
Article Synopsis
- Mechanical thrombectomy is the standard treatment for large vessel occlusions, but there's limited evidence for its effectiveness in treating distal and medium vessel occlusions, particularly for patients with low stroke scale scores (≤6).
- A study analyzed data from 41 academic centers, comparing outcomes of low versus higher stroke scale score patients who underwent thrombectomy, revealing high successful reperfusion rates in both groups.
- Results showed that patients with lower stroke scale scores experienced better functional outcomes and lower mortality rates, but the treatment's effectiveness compared to intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) is still uncertain.
Background: Stroke remains a major health concern globally, with oral anticoagulants widely prescribed for stroke prevention. The efficacy and safety of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in anticoagulated patients with distal medium vessel occlusions (DMVO) are not well understood.
Methods: This retrospective analysis involved 1282 acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients who underwent MT in 37 centers across North America, Asia, and Europe from September 2017 to July 2023.
Background: Optimal anesthetic strategy for the endovascular treatment of stroke is still under debate. Despite scarce data concerning anesthetic management for medium and distal vessel occlusions (MeVOs) some centers empirically support a general anesthesia (GA) strategy in these patients.
Methods: We conducted an international retrospective study of MeVO cases.
A contemporary analysis of surgical ligation versus endovascular embolization in patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas: a propensity score-matched and mixed-effects model study.
Neurosurg Focus
March 2024
Objective: Intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (dAVFs) are rare vascular lesions that can be asymptomatic or can lead to devastating hemorrhage based on the dAVF's aggressiveness. Several approaches can be taken to treat dAVFs, such as endovascular embolization and surgical ligation. However, very few studies have evaluated the influence of surgery compared to endovascular approaches on patient outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) has revolutionized the treatment of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to large vessel occlusion (LVO), but its efficacy and safety in medium vessel occlusion (MeVO) remain less explored. This multicenter, retrospective study aims to investigate the incidence and clinical outcomes of vessel perforations (confirmed by extravasation during an angiographic series) during MT for AIS caused by MeVO.
Methods: Data were collected from 37 academic centers across North America, Asia, and Europe between September 2017 and July 2021.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the pRESET LITE stent retriever for treating medium vessel occlusions in acute ischemic stroke patients.
- A retrospective analysis included 227 patients from 37 institutions, distinguishing between proximal and distal occlusions, revealing successful reperfusion rates of 85% and 97%, respectively.
- Despite a 7% complication rate and a significant percentage of patients experiencing hemorrhagic transformations, the procedure showed a favorable outcome in 58% of cases after three months.
Intracranial atherosclerotic disease and resultant intracranial stenosis is a global leading cause of stroke, and poses an ongoing treatment challenge. Among patients with intracranial stenosis, those with hemodynamic compromise are at high risk for recurrent stroke despite medical therapy and risk factor modification. Revascularization of the hypoperfused territory is the most plausible treatment strategy for these high-risk patients, yet surgical and endovascular therapies have not yet shown to be sufficiently safe and effective in randomized controlled trials.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Venous sinus stenosis has been implicated in intracranial hypertension and can lead to papilledema and blindness. The authors report the unique case of a cerebellar transtentorial lesion resulting in venous sinus stenosis in the torcula and bilateral transverse sinuses that underwent resection.
Observations: A 5-year-old male presented with subacute vision loss and bilateral papilledema.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the first pass effect (FPE) in endovascular treatment (EVT) for medium vessel occlusion strokes, focusing on its predictors and impact on patient outcomes.
- The analysis included 836 patients, revealing that FPE occurred in 36.1% and was linked to better functional outcomes as well as lower rates of mortality and intracranial hemorrhage.
- FPE was significantly associated with favorable outcomes at 90 days, suggesting its importance in improving recovery and reducing complications in stroke patients.
Adult moyamoya disease and syndrome are rare disorders with significant morbidity and mortality. A writing group of experts was selected to conduct a literature search, summarize the current knowledge on the topic, and provide a road map for future investigation. The document presents an update in the definitions of moyamoya disease and syndrome, modern methods for diagnosis, and updated information on pathophysiology, epidemiology, and both medical and surgical treatment.
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- The study focused on how new drugs, specifically proteasome inhibitors and immunomodulators, affect the survival rates of patients with multiple myeloma at two hospitals in Santiago.
- Researchers reviewed records from 144 patients, noting differences in treatment approaches, with one center using bortezomib in 90% of cases compared to only 3% at the other.
- Results showed that patients at the center using novel drugs had significantly longer overall survival rates (117 months median vs. 71 months, and 93% vs. 43% five-year survival), highlighting the importance of these treatments in managing the disease.