Stroke; a journal of cerebral circulation
-
We report on the use of line scan diffusion magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of spinal cord infarctions. ⋯ Line scan diffusion imaging is technically feasible and appears to be a reliable method to diagnose spinal cord infarction in the acute setting.
-
Quality indicators serve as standards of care by which performance of individual hospitals is measured. Although several audits for monitoring quality of stroke care have been established in Europe, there is currently no consensus on quality indicators for acute stroke care or for methodology for collecting information on these measures. ⋯ There is a huge variety in measuring performance of acute stroke care in Europe, hampering valid comparisons of acute stroke care. Common standards for defining quality indicators and collecting information required for these measures should be defined in Europe.
-
Unruptured cerebral aneurysms are currently considered a contraindication to intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke. This is due to a theoretical increase in the risk of hemorrhage from aneurysm rupture, although it is unknown whether this risk is a significant one. We sought to determine the safety of intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator administration in a cohort of patients with pre-existing aneurysms. ⋯ Our findings suggest that intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke is safe to administer in patients with pre-existing cerebral aneurysms because the risk of aneurysm rupture and symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage is low.
-
The clinical significance of sulcal effacement has been widely investigated in CT studies, but the results are controversial. In this study, we evaluated the presence of perisylvian sulcal effacement (PSE) on fluid attenuation inversion recovery MRI and hypothesized that PSE may be related to collateral flow status together with hyperintense vessels on fluid attenuation inversion recovery in hyperacute stroke. In addition, we investigated whether an association between PSE and clinical outcome could be found in these patients. ⋯ PSE is independently associated with collateral status in patients with acute middle cerebral artery stroke. Moreover, PSE in conjunction with recanalization status can predict clinical outcomes in these patients.
-
Years of exposure to tobacco smoke substantially increase the risk for stroke. Whether long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution can lead to stroke is not yet established. We examined the association between long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution and incident and fatal stroke in a prospective cohort study. ⋯ Long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution may contribute to the development of ischemic but not hemorrhagic stroke, especially severe ischemic strokes leading to death within 30 days.