Purpose Of Review: Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is rare, yet it is a common cause of stroke in young and middle-aged adults. Historically, some senior clinicians favored anticoagulation in the prevention of stroke due to CAD. Choosing the optimal antithrombotic treatment with either antiplatelet (AP) or anticoagulant (AC) medications remains a challenge.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground And Purpose: Early identification of large vessel occlusions (LVO) and timely recanalization are paramount to improved clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke. A stroke assessment that maximizes sensitivity and specificity for LVOs is needed to identify these cases and not overburden the health system with unnecessary transfers. Machine learning techniques are being used for predictive modeling in many aspects of stroke care and may have potential in predicting LVO presence and mechanical thrombectomy (MT) candidacy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiac arrest is a catastrophic event with high morbidity and mortality. Despite advances over time in cardiac arrest management and postresuscitation care, the neurologic consequences of cardiac arrest are frequently devastating to patients and their families. Targeted temperature management is an intervention aimed at limiting postanoxic injury and improving neurologic outcomes following cardiac arrest.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is one of the leading causes of mortality and adult disability worldwide. For two decades, the preferred approach for AIS was intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV tPA). However, IV tPA cannot be given to many AIS patients who do not meet strict criteria for its use.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCardiogenic cerebral embolism represents 20% of all acute ischemic strokes (AISs) with one-third of these being caused by left ventricular thrombus (LVT). LVT is not a contraindication for treatment with intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rtPA) for AIS. However, the subsequent treatment of a potentially unstable LVT is contraindicated for 24 h following the use of IV rtPA according to current guidelines.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis
April 2015
Background: To report 2 patients with Susac syndrome presenting with acute confusion and abnormal neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings, both of whom were initially misdiagnosed. Susac syndrome is a rare, though likely underdiagnosed, endotheliopathy defined clinically by the triad of encephalopathy, branch retinal artery occlusions (BRAOs), and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). Its pathogenesis remains poorly understood.
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